Country of residence

United Kingdom

Brief introduction

Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Social Science, Mayfield House, University of Brighton, UK

Education

PhD, Politics

Academic profile

I am primarily interested in the political representation of Roma in terms of how Roma mobilise and make their voice heard. This includes an interest in a range of political contexts: local; national (in eastern and western Europe); and transnational. International organisations have attempted to address the needs of Roma but there is a danger that Roma are treated as a ‘European problem’ by their governments. Therefore, I am currently exploring the tension between national belonging and constructions of ethnic ‘otherness’ on the one hand, and the inadequate policy interventions in the inter/transnational political context, on the other. I believe it is crucial to include Roma in the creation of national and transnational policies in order for policy to be attuned to their specific needs and interests. For this reason I have focused on the role of activists and advocates working with/on behalf of Roma and some of the problems they encounter. I also explore conceptual issues such as the importance of voice, presence and participation in public life for Roma. Suffice to say, I believe political participation and representation are key for Roma in order to address their needs across Europe.

Publications

• 2010. Who Speaks for Roma? Political Representation of a Transnational Minority Community. Continuum. London.
• 2008. Ethnic Group Identity and the Roma Social Movement: Transnational Organizing Structures of Representation, Nationalities Papers: The Journal of Nationalism and Ethnicity, 36 (3). pp. 449-470.
• 2011. The Roma Voice in the European Union: Between National Belonging and Transnational Identity, Social Movement Studies, 10 (3). pp. 283-297.

Keywords

Roma, social movements, representation, ethnicity, participation

Contact

a.mcgarry@brighton.ac.uk browse members list