Experts on the defensive: The Tsiganologue versus Romani activism (1959-1973)

This article discusses the figure of the Tsiganalogue, the expert on the “Tsigane question,” in post-World War II France. Specifically, it analyses the role played by one of these experts in the police persecution of Roma ethnic activism during the 1960s and early 1970s. Drawing on this case study,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Begoña Barrera López
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2024-12-01
Series:Culture & History Digital Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cultureandhistory.revistas.csic.es/index.php/cultureandhistory/article/view/525
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1823860904995848192
author Begoña Barrera López
author_facet Begoña Barrera López
author_sort Begoña Barrera López
collection DOAJ
description This article discusses the figure of the Tsiganalogue, the expert on the “Tsigane question,” in post-World War II France. Specifically, it analyses the role played by one of these experts in the police persecution of Roma ethnic activism during the 1960s and early 1970s. Drawing on this case study, its objective is two-fold: firstly, to show the central role that Tsiganalogues played in the hounding of the Romani movement; secondly, to explain how the self-perceptions of these experts (of their authority and role) were decisive factor in their interventions with the public authorities. The article draws on a wide range of sources from the French Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health and Population. It is structured in five parts: the first briefly defines and explains the concepts of expert, expert knowledge and ethnicity; the second describes the context and profile of the main agents studied (the Tsiganalogues, Romani activists and the French police); the third and fourth parts examine in extenso the primary documentation; and finally, the fifth part offers a reflective summary of the profile of the Tsiganalogue.
format Article
id doaj-art-76f675e678454880b57ca1b775f3d7df
institution Kabale University
issn 2253-797X
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
record_format Article
series Culture & History Digital Journal
spelling doaj-art-76f675e678454880b57ca1b775f3d7df2025-02-10T09:42:39ZengConsejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasCulture & History Digital Journal2253-797X2024-12-0113210.3989/chdj.2024.525Experts on the defensive: The Tsiganologue versus Romani activism (1959-1973)Begoña Barrera López0University of Seville This article discusses the figure of the Tsiganalogue, the expert on the “Tsigane question,” in post-World War II France. Specifically, it analyses the role played by one of these experts in the police persecution of Roma ethnic activism during the 1960s and early 1970s. Drawing on this case study, its objective is two-fold: firstly, to show the central role that Tsiganalogues played in the hounding of the Romani movement; secondly, to explain how the self-perceptions of these experts (of their authority and role) were decisive factor in their interventions with the public authorities. The article draws on a wide range of sources from the French Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health and Population. It is structured in five parts: the first briefly defines and explains the concepts of expert, expert knowledge and ethnicity; the second describes the context and profile of the main agents studied (the Tsiganalogues, Romani activists and the French police); the third and fourth parts examine in extenso the primary documentation; and finally, the fifth part offers a reflective summary of the profile of the Tsiganalogue. https://cultureandhistory.revistas.csic.es/index.php/cultureandhistory/article/view/525Tsiganologieexpert knowledgepoliceTsiganeRomani movementRomani history
spellingShingle Begoña Barrera López
Experts on the defensive: The Tsiganologue versus Romani activism (1959-1973)
Culture & History Digital Journal
Tsiganologie
expert knowledge
police
Tsigane
Romani movement
Romani history
title Experts on the defensive: The Tsiganologue versus Romani activism (1959-1973)
title_full Experts on the defensive: The Tsiganologue versus Romani activism (1959-1973)
title_fullStr Experts on the defensive: The Tsiganologue versus Romani activism (1959-1973)
title_full_unstemmed Experts on the defensive: The Tsiganologue versus Romani activism (1959-1973)
title_short Experts on the defensive: The Tsiganologue versus Romani activism (1959-1973)
title_sort experts on the defensive the tsiganologue versus romani activism 1959 1973
topic Tsiganologie
expert knowledge
police
Tsigane
Romani movement
Romani history
url https://cultureandhistory.revistas.csic.es/index.php/cultureandhistory/article/view/525
work_keys_str_mv AT begonabarreralopez expertsonthedefensivethetsiganologueversusromaniactivism19591973