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A Study on the Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu and Conducting Social Research with Gypsy / Roma Groups

Gezgin, Elif LU and Greenfields, Margaret (2017) In Journal of Gypsy Studies 1(1). p.31-47
Abstract
In social science discourse, the dichotomy between agency and structure tends to dominate debates pertaining to identity construction. When complex social facts are viewed through a simplistic prism of either individual activities or dominant structural impacts is likely to lead to a conclusion, - particularly when the subjects of research are members of communities at risk of vulnerability- which is merely two-dimensional; omitting essential elements and interplays of circumstances, agency and structures which can rapidly shift dependent on both personal and external contexts and stressors. In this article, we discuss ways of utilising Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical model to explore the potential for creating a more nuanced theory of... (More)
In social science discourse, the dichotomy between agency and structure tends to dominate debates pertaining to identity construction. When complex social facts are viewed through a simplistic prism of either individual activities or dominant structural impacts is likely to lead to a conclusion, - particularly when the subjects of research are members of communities at risk of vulnerability- which is merely two-dimensional; omitting essential elements and interplays of circumstances, agency and structures which can rapidly shift dependent on both personal and external contexts and stressors. In this article, we discuss ways of utilising Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical model to explore the potential for creating a more nuanced theory of identity construction in the context of case studies focused on Gypsy/Roma(ni) people, whose identities depend both on internal identifications and those of the (dominant) groups with whom they live. We also aim to consider how in two widely contrasting international contexts – that of Roma people in Turkey and Gypsy/Traveller communities in the UK – use of Bourdieuian analysis provides appropriate tools that enable an analysis of daily living and the associated sense of active agency of these populations without minimising or excluding the structural effects which impact them. This approach enables a nuanced relational approach to understanding Gypsy/Roma(ni) groups’ identity construction in its entirety, whilst taking account of the specific geographical context in which the populations reside. (Less)
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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bourdieu, Relational Sociology, Gypsy/Roma(ni) people, inequalities, identity
in
Journal of Gypsy Studies
volume
1
issue
1
pages
31 - 47
publisher
Transnational Press London
ISSN
2515-3064
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
e103f773-edb8-4f70-8677-b613a335230e
date added to LUP
2019-04-11 14:30:18
date last changed
2019-04-12 11:37:54
@article{e103f773-edb8-4f70-8677-b613a335230e,
  abstract     = {{In social science discourse, the dichotomy between agency and structure tends to dominate debates pertaining to identity construction. When complex social facts are viewed through a simplistic prism of either individual activities or dominant structural impacts is likely to lead to a conclusion, - particularly when the subjects of research are members of communities at risk of vulnerability- which is merely two-dimensional; omitting essential elements and interplays of circumstances, agency and structures which can rapidly shift dependent on both personal and external contexts and stressors. In this article, we discuss ways of utilising Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical model to explore the potential for creating a more nuanced theory of identity construction in the context of case studies focused on Gypsy/Roma(ni) people, whose identities depend both on internal identifications and those of the (dominant) groups with whom they live. We also aim to consider how in two widely contrasting international contexts – that of Roma people in Turkey and Gypsy/Traveller communities in the UK – use of Bourdieuian analysis provides appropriate tools that enable an analysis of daily living and the associated sense of active agency of these populations without minimising or excluding the structural effects which impact them. This approach enables a nuanced relational approach to understanding Gypsy/Roma(ni) groups’ identity construction in its entirety, whilst taking account of the specific geographical context in which the populations reside.}},
  author       = {{Gezgin, Elif and Greenfields, Margaret}},
  issn         = {{2515-3064}},
  keywords     = {{Bourdieu; Relational Sociology; Gypsy/Roma(ni) people; inequalities; identity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{31--47}},
  publisher    = {{Transnational Press London}},
  series       = {{Journal of Gypsy Studies}},
  title        = {{A Study on the Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu and Conducting Social Research with Gypsy / Roma Groups}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/62926687/A_Study_on_the_Sociology_of_Pierre_Bourd.pdf}},
  volume       = {{1}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}