The Wendish Research Exchange - Podolinská, Tatiana: Visible and Secure? Cultural Identity as a Source of Security

Lětopis Abstract 2017 2: Podolinská, Tatiana: Visible and Secure? Cultural Identity as a Source of Security

This contribution is meant to be a micro-case study of the issue of the institutional production and reproduction of security of a selected minority group in Slovakia, by tracing the process of social networking and reconstruction of (ethnic) identity on a religious base. Principal attention is paid to an analysis of the trans-social and trans-ethnic discourse and the concept of "New Roma“ as a de-ethnicised and a-historically constructed label with positive and non-ascriptive connotations. The Pentecostal concept of the "Family of God“ is studied in connection with the perception of an increased feeling of security not only within primary (family) networks, but also within hybrid (religion based) networks. The "New Roma“ concept offered to Roma by pastors would increase the potential of Roma to enter also secondary (professional) and other kinds of networks within mainstream society and allow them positive visibilization at the meso-level of society. The new forms of social networking together with the new concept of de-ethnicized and de-essentialized identity would allow Roma to change the management techniques from achieving security through invisibility to a more emancipative and assertive technique employing the paradigm "more visible = more secure“.