Деконструкция на една грешка на квалификацията, или как се конструира ромска субгрупа
Deconstruction of an Identification Error or How a Roma Subgroup Was Constructed

Summary/Abstract: This paper is an attempt for deconstruction of a division of a Roma group and the differentiation of subsidiary groups which started autonomous life as „totally different“ communities. The primary hypothesis is that the rejection of the new group is not as much a result of trivial „conflict of interests“ and „competition for limited resources between Roma subgroups“ as it is an endeavour of the new Bulgarian political elite to impose „cultural homogeneity“ during the formation of a nation state and to legitimise its right to define social norms and values. On the other hand, the local Roma groups have also rejected the newcomers – due to conformity with the requirements of the macro society, fear of sanctions, but also taking into consideration how to raise their own status and sustain the hierarchy among the different subgroups. The analysis is based on a document study and field work among the Roma subgroups in the town of Sliven. Even though it looks like a particular case at first sight, some of the investigated mechanisms of „gemmation“ of an ethnic group probably have a more universal meaning.

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