Description of the situation

The integration of the Roma in Croatia (cultural, structural and civil) faces a number of specific difficulties. In the integration process, some parts of culture have different influences. The Roma culture oriented to the outside (clothing, forms of emotional expression, settled habits, spoken dialect, etc.) is often a larger barrier than the integration of the culture oriented towards the inside (language, beliefs, traditional values, taste in music etc.). The Roma face specific assimilation: they have accepted customs, religion, tradition, and sometimes language of the majority group, and lingered in a specific lifestyle (tribal organization) and the external symbols of diversity.

Therefore, the Roma had no chance for selective integration (cultural pluralism), nor for assimilation. While on the one hand, society has been applying pressure in the direction of renunciation of their culture, on the other hand, at the same time it has been preventing or limiting their structural integration (social distancing, isolation, prejudice, stereotypes, etc.).

 

Roma and non-Roma together in preschool

 

References:

HRVATIĆ, N. (1996). »Romi u interkulturalnom okružju«, Društvena istraživanja, Zagreb, god.
5, br. 5-6(25-26), str. 913–933.

IVANČIĆ, S. (1995). »O tradiciji Roma«, Romano akharipe – Glas Roma, Virovitica, br. 4, str. 8–9.

POSAVEC, K. (2000). »Sociokulturna obilježja i položaj Roma u Europi – od izgona do
integracije«, Društvena istraživanja, Zagreb, god. 9, br. 2-3(46-47), str. 229–250.