{"id":1716,"date":"2013-08-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-22T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/%20rroma.org\/23-08-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany-culturalism-remains-the-dominant-narrative\/"},"modified":"2022-08-04T11:50:49","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T10:50:49","slug":"23-08-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany-culturalism-remains-the-dominant-narrative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/23-08-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany-culturalism-remains-the-dominant-narrative\/","title":{"rendered":"23.08.2013 Rroma debate in Germany: culturalism remains the dominant narrative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cIn order to remain, they only have to prove \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat they can earn their own livelihood. With five or more children, this is \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnot difficult. After all, they get child benefits. Opinions are divided as to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhether they straightway pull away again as vagrants, as many locals want, or \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto settle permanently on the Rhine.\u201d<\/em> (Kolbe, 2013).<\/p>\n

In his \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcomprehensive 1400 words\u2019 article, Kolbe (2013) achieves the feat to use every \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclich\u00e9s images on Rroma: He speaks without comments about travellers (how often \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tit must still be said that the majority of the Rroma are not travellers?), about \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfamilies with five children or more that earn their living through the money Germany\u2019s \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsocial care pays for children (how often has this issue been already discussed \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsince January of this year, and how often did we already repeatedly point out \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat poverty immigration is a polemic theme that is being used in the context \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof the German election campaign and also that there are many Rroma with few \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tchildren who well integrated). Ignorant of any cultural relativistic approach, Kolbe \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treproduces the ideas of cultures and alterity, topics, which have been \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcontroversial for decades in the social science. That the cultural \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcharacteristics described by him perhaps simply are a result of poverty and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlack of education is something that Rroma experts such as Mappes-Niedieck \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2012) have tired to explain for a long time, is not even discussed at all. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInstead, an image of alienation is evoked, presenting what is described as a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcultural incompatibility strikingly similar to Samuel Huntington\u2019s clash of civilizations<\/em> thesis: \u201cFor both sides, it is a culture shock. The \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlocals flee their old neighbourhoods. Immigrants come in a world whose customs \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tare strange and incomprehensible to them. […] It is not just dirt and noise \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat upsets the old-timers. Police statistics show a growing criminality. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChildren do not go to school, but beg or operate as a \u201cRobber Kids.\u201d Only after \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlengthy discussions, did the city administration act to close the street prostitution \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tin the northern city, where prostitutes from Southeast Europe were offering \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttheir services on the street.\u201d<\/em> (Kolbe, 2013). That notions of hygiene have nothing \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto do with cultural traits should be obvious to even hardboiled positivists or \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tculturalists. Of real concern is that Mr. Kolbe simply presents without comment, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstatements about thieving and prostituting Rroma. He makes no reference to the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfact that the supposedly so large cultural differences perhaps simply are a result \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof poverty, that there are also Rroma who do not steal and prostitute \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthemselves. What is downright outrageous, however, is that Mr. Kolbe simply \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tignores any of the arguments that have been put forward in the discussion of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmass immigration: He does not talk about the well-educated immigrants who are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talso part of this transnational migration exactly as the poverty immigrants; nor \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdoes he discusses the critical analysis of the supposedly iron proofed statistics \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ton immigration, analysis showing that a significant proportion of the migrants \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tare in fact seasonal workers and the mass exodus to Germany is not a fact but a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpolitical issue (Migazin 2013 Epoch Times Germany, 2013), Mr. Kolbe simply \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpresents it all it presents as an apolitical fact. Neither does he make any references \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto the invisible, well-trained Rroma, which also form part of the reality \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(Schayani, Isabel \/ Onneken, Peter, 2013, Jacob 2013). However, in an addendum, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\the speaks about well qualified Romanians and Bulgarians, but it remains unclear \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhether he thinks they are also Rroma. That the article promotes and encourages \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tculturalism and not a critical debate, can be read from the comment column. For \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\texample, a Mr. Frank Richter from Germany stated: \u201cThis is not a state, the state has obviously failed in its reaction \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tand the fact that the the whole does not work is for me at first the fault of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe Roma. […] That Roma can develop into model citizens, well engaged in the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcivil society, I venture to doubt. Cultural barriers are sometimes just so high \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat they cannot be overcome, and you better not try it, but should accept the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsequences. French and Italians have been already recognised this in relation \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto this group […].\u201d<\/em> Mr. Kolbe speaks also of actions of the general \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpopulation such as in the case of Catholic priest or the case of the initiative \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cfuture-oriented support\u201d to help integrate the Rroma. But all in all, a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbalanced critical perspective on the events is not presented here.<\/p>\n

The West \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) again reported on the so-called \u201cRroma house\u201d in Duisburg. After various \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgroups and individuals had called for active reprisals against Rroma are, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tresidents, such as the teacher Annegret Keller-Stegmann, showed solidarity and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcommitted themselves to the protection of the Rroma. She organised vigils to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgive the residents of the house some rest. The strong media attention on the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thouse has led to a fixation and hardening of opinions that prevents and hinders \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconstructive approaches, \u201cthe car drivers \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twith Hitler salute, the people who appear allegedly armed with knives on the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstreet. […] We really fear for our children, says one of the men. His sons \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tand daughters are sleeping with their clothes on to escape quickly.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Blazejewski \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) further reports that the movement \u201cpro Germany\u201d wants to organise a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdemonstration in front of the \u201cRroma house\u201d in Duisburg and has filed for a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpermit to the police. In March of this year, the subgroup \u201cPro North \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRhine-Westphalia\u201d had already demonstrated in front of the house against Rroma. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe authorities are distancing themselves from a ban of the demonstration, which \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthey consider to be counterproductive. Rather, a counter-demonstration is in \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplanning and they would support it.<\/p>\n

The TAZ \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) adds to the coverage with a questionable statement of Duisburg\u2019 police \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tspokesman Ramon van der Maat, which confirms fears about institutional racism amongst \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGerman authorities: \u201cEven socially engaged \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsay that few Roma are willing to integrate […] The other ones cannot deal \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twith our society. The need to go away.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Daberkow \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) adds an important facet to the debate, in that she gives a voice to moderate \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tresidents. These distance themselves decidedly against xenophobic actions or \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tslogans, but at the same time complain about the failure of politics and the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tauthorities, to establish order and normal relations. Many of them are moving \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taway from the neighbourhood, because they cannot stand the continuous strain in \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe form of noise and littering, and have been annoyed long enough. A social \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsegregation cannot be in anyone\u2019s interests. This should make us think.<\/p>\n

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