The principles of equality, non-discrimination, observance of human rights and protection of ethnic minorities are fundamental European values. Ethnic discrimination in its various forms and manifestations has been made illegal through the recent EU anti-discrimination directives, recognising that it is harmful to the social and educational development of individuals and to Europe as a whole. It can lead to marginalised and socially excluded groups, unemployment and poverty in ghettoised districts and negatively influence already disadvantaged regions. One of the traditionally most severely marginalized and excluded groups have been the Roma, Gypsies, and Travellers. The course aims to explain reasons behind prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination against these ethnic groups and to introduce students to public and social policy measures dealing with these negative phenomena at the European level as well as in the Czech Republic.

The course will be composed of 12 lectures followed by discussions-cum-seminars. For each discussion three students will be required to prepare a single sheet of A4 presenting an article from the discussion list for that class in the format of ARGUMENT, QUESTION, CONNECTIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS: AQCI - as explained below (PLEASE READ OVER!) THE PRESENTERS MUST SUPPLY THE LECTURER AND EACH STUDENT WITH A COPY OF THEIR AQCI.

Readings

The reader contains all materials listed for class readings. All other materials may be obtained from the instructor or are to be found in the library.

Three AQCI’s and their presentation                                                                 45%

Research essay (up to 3,000 words, due the first day of week 11)                       40%

An oral presentation on one of the lecture topics or on the research essay           15%

In case a student will not meet any of the above requirements he/she will be required to take a written test during the regular examination period. The test will cover all compulsory readings and all lectured topics.

Each class the discussion will be based around the AQCIs presented. Those who do not have to prepare an AQCI need not but may find it helpful nonetheless to do so in order to structure their reading and thinking. (Only three AQCI’s will be marked per person.) AQCI’s should be written on a single reading.

The structure of an AQCI should be as follows (i.e. you should keep the numbered paragraph structure).

___________________________________________________________

ARGUMENT, QUESTION, CONNECTIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS: AQCI

1.CENTRAL QUOTATION. Quote a sentence (or excerpts from linked sentences) from the text that you think is central to the author's (or authors') implicit or explicit argument(s). Always cite the page.

2. ARGUMENT. In a few sentences, state the author's explicit or implicit argument. Be sure to include both: what the author is arguing for, and what s/he is arguing against.

3. QUESTION. Raise a question which you think is not fully, or satisfactorily, answered by the text. The question should be a question of interpretation or of inquiry, not simply a question of fact.

4. EXPERIENTIAL CONNECTION. Say, in a few lines only, how the argument confirms or contradicts your own experience or common sense.

5. TEXTUAL CONNECTION. Connect the argument of this text to an argument or point you find in another reading assignment covered in this course or one you have picked up from earlier study at the University or elsewhere. Present a quote from the other text (citing it properly), and explain how the present text's argument contrasts with, contradicts, confirms, clarifies, or elaborates the other text's argument or point.

6. IMPLICATIONS. Lay out what this argument (#2 above) implies for understanding or improving society, relations between individuals, or groups (e.g., inter-ethnic, nations, etc.) or any facet of social or cultural reality (a few sentences only).

AQCIs should not exceed one typed page. They should be typed or word-processed, proofread and printed with the same degree of care as other essays.

or at: laubeova@volny.cz

Acton, Thomas (ed) (1997) Gypsy politics and Traveller identity. Hatfield:UHP

Agenda 2000. Commission Opinion on the Czech Republic´s application for membership of the European Union ; plus regular reports (http://europa.eu.int)

Barany, Zoltan (2002) The East European Gypsies. Regime Change, Marginality, and Ethnopolitics. Cambridge: CUP, pp. 282-324 (State Institutions and Policies toward the Gypsies)

Cambridge Review of International Affairs. Volume XIII/2. Spring/summer 2000

CERD General Recommendations on Roma (full text) http://www.egroups.com/group/balkanhr/972.html

CoE Framework Convention on protection of national minorities

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- Czech Republic. Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor U.S. Department of State, 200, 2002, 20031 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/eur/

Enlarging the European Union. Accession Partnership- Czech Republic. Annex- recommendation for Action, internet (http://europa.eu.int)

ERRC, www.errc.org

EU race equality directive "Implementing the Principle of Equal Treatment Between Persons Irrespective of Racial or Ethnic Origin" Directive 2000/43/EC (adopted on 29 June 2000).

European Commission against racism and intolerance (ECRI): Country by country Approach, Report on the Czech Republic, CRI (97) 50, 1997, http://www.ecri.coe.int/en/sommaire.htm

European Commission against racism and intolerance (ECRI): Second report on the Czech Republic, CRI (2000) 4, 2000

European Roma Forum www.europeanromaforum.org/

            EUROPEAN ROMA INFORMATION OFFICE http://www.erionet.org/Home.html

Fraser, Agnus (1995) The Gypsies, Oxford: Blackwell

Guy, Will (ed), 2001 Between past and future. The Roma of Central and Eastern Europe. Hatfield:UHP

Guy, Will (1998) Ways of looking at Roma: The Case of Czechoslovakia (1975) in Tong, Diane, ed. Gypsies: An Interdisciplinary Reader, New-York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc.

Hancock, Ian (1987) The Pariah Syndrome, Ann Harbor: Karoma publishers, Inc

Laubeová, Laura “Antiracist legislation and Policies in the EU and their Impact on the Accession Countries” in Panik, Mojca (ed.) Xenophobia and Post-socialism (2002) Ljubljana: Peace Institute, pp.127- 143

Laubeová, Laura “Inclusive School - Myth or Reality” in Cahn, Claud (ed.) Roma Rights: Race, Justice and Strategies for Equality (2002), Amsterdam- New York: IDEA, pp. 86-95

Laubeová, Laura: Role of Education in Preventing Ethnic Conflicts. Case of Roma in the Czech Republic (2000), Cambridge: University of Cambridge, GSFI, Occasional Paper No 15

Liegeois, Jean-Pierre (1998): School Provision for Ethnic Minorities: The gypsy paradigm. Interface

Liegeois, Jean-Pierre (1994) Roma, Gypsies, Travellers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe

MRG Reports on Roma/Gypsies

Morris and Clements (1999): Gaining Ground: Law reform for Gypsies and Travellers, UH Press

Okely, Judith (1983): The Traveller – Gypsies. Cambridge: CUP

Open Society Institute (November 2000), Racism in Central and Eastern Europe and Beyond: Origins, responses, Strategies, Report. Budapest, 19 July 2000

Open Society Institute's Forced Migration Projects (1999): Roma and Forced Migration http://www.osi.hu/rpp/biblio/

OSCE HCNM: Lund, Oslo and Hague Recommendations

Ringold, Dena et al. (2003) Roma in an Expanding Europe. Breaking the poverty cycle. , Executive Summary. A World Bank Study, June 2003, 24 p., www.worldbank.org/eca/roma

Stewart, Michael(1997): The Time of the Gypsies. Boulder: Westview Press

Travellers in Ireland: An examination of Discrimination and Racism (very good basic description of discrimination and racism)

Weyrauch, W.O. (2001)Gypsy Law. Romani legal traditions and culture. Berkeley: University of California Press

          World Bank (2003) The Roma Page, www.worldbank.org/eca/roma