Country of residence

United Kingdom

Brief introduction

PhD student, University of Wales – Newport (UK)

Education

MA in Political Theory, 2010, University of Pavia - Italy

Academic profile

My research activity is directed towards two main related goals: (a) theoretical normative research on the issue of multiculturalism and the principle of recognition in unequal societies, and (b) case-study research (i.e., normative research as applied to a case study) on the Roma and Gypsy-Travellers communitites’ status and standard of living in contemporary liberal democracies, with particular attention to Wales. Contemporary political theory and group rights theory does not offer much theory on the Roma and Gypsy-Travellers. Mainstream notions of group rights only extend to national minorities and economic or political (refugees) migrants, categories which both exclude the Roma and Gypsy-Travellers who usually are un-territorial and state-less peoples lacking both the the territorial and political cohesion of national minorities and the status of immigrant minorities. It follows that these heterogeneous groups lacking relevant political voices are usually addressed as mere social-poverty issues that need assimilation in order to be helped. Part of my contribution will consist of attempting to fill this gap in normative political theory proposing a principle of recognition able to include such marginalized cases, so combining the respect for cultural and ethnic indentities with the prescriptions of redistributive policies (including education). The main assumption here is that any social-redistributive approach will be ineffective, if not damaging, without being grounded on a recognition principle discerning who is entitled to make what claims, because, in short, economic and political equality cannot be given on a platter.

Publications

• “A Road Less Travelled’. Roma and Gypsy-Travellers in Wales: the Process of Settlement and the Housing Policy”, RESPECT Project Working Papers Series, 5/2011, Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori, Pavia, ISSN 2037-5816
• “Spatial Marginalization of Roma and Traveller Populations: A Comparative Study of Italy, Hungary, France and Wales”, co-authored with G. Calder, M. Dósa, J.B. Duez, C. Testino, Politics in Central Europe, (6), 3, 12/2010, pp. 81-100.

Keywords

Multiculturalism, Roma, Travellers, Recognition, Liberalism

Contact

francesco.chiesa01@gmail.com browse members list