Roma Representation in Danish Roma Policy and Public Discourse—A Critical Analysis

Charlotte Lassen Olesen and Leena Eklund Karlsson
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Charlotte Lassen Olesen: Unit for Health Promotion Research, University of Southern Denmark, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark
Leena Eklund Karlsson: Unit for Health Promotion Research, University of Southern Denmark, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark

Societies, 2018, vol. 8, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: Imagined stereotypes of Roma are prevailing across Europe and have an impact of discrimination and social exclusion of the Roma. In 2011, Denmark published their National Roma Inclusion Strategy as a response to the Europe 2020 Growth Strategy. This study analyses how the Roma are represented in the national policy and in ongoing discourse regarding Roma in newspaper articles published around the time of the publication of the Strategy. A critical discourse analysis was conducted, and the findings show that a profound stigmatization of the Roma was common and acceptable in both Danish nationalistic media discourse and in the paternalistic policy discourse. The Roma were represented as an alienated, non-empowered group in contrast to the majority population and lacking any useful qualities. There was a lack of Roma voices in both policy and newspapers. The discourses regarding Roma in Denmark are lacking both Roma influence and initiatives to change Roma conditions.

Keywords: critical discourse analysis; Roma people; representation; newspaper; public policy; public health; social inclusion; social determinants of health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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