The HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences Institute for Sociology cordially invites you to
Representation of Roma in workfare and family policy discourses in the authoritarian, neoliberal, and populist context of Hungary
Lecturer: Zsuzsanna Vidra (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences); Enikő Virágh
Discussants: Boglárka Herke (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences), Anikó Vida (University of Szeged)
Date: 09 May, 2024. 1 p.m.
Venue: Centre for Social Sciences Institute for Sociology, 1097 Budapest, Tóth Kálmán utca 4. Room B1.15
Online Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89066527697?pwd=L6PLeLhgolG2vEFbZaAUEDjFzFLGe7.1
Meeting ID: 890 6652 7697
Passcode: 772106
Abstract
In our paper we studied what social and family policies are introduced in the authoritarian, neoliberal, populist, and illiberal system, and how the disadvantaged Roma ethnic minority are portrayed in government discourses. Our assumption was that systems which shift from rights-based to work- and merit-based societies, ethnic minorities are often criminalized, and stigmatized as being welfare dependant, and undeserving. Using qualitative frame analysis, we aimed to reveal to what extent Roma are blamed and eventually racialized by the system.
Employing the neoliberal authoritarianism concept (Bruff, 2014, 2016; Giroux, 2015; Lendvai-Bainton and Szelewa, 2021), we claimed that social and family policies became almost totally merit-based, only those who participate in the productivity of the society would deserve to be supported. Family policies underscore this concept by applying selective pronatalism whereby those who participate actively, can get support after their children, and be part of the national community (Szikra, 2018; Lendvai-Bainton and Szelewa, 2021).
The concepts of punitive populism and illiberal paternalism (Szombati, 2021) highlighted how the ‘deserving’ and the ‘undeserving’ poor were represented. In fact, one of the major findings of our analysis of government discourses on policies is that the dividing line between the ‘strivers and sroungers’ are based on merit (participation in productivity) and those Roma who became self-responsible and participate in productivity, are praised for their efforts and welcome to be part of the national community.
While it was revealed that no racialization of Roma characterized the discourse, it was still not clear how Roma was perceived in the government narratives. Using the theories of neoliberal racism and postraciality, and within that the concepts of visibilization and invisibilization (Goldberg, 2009; Powell and van Baar, 2019; de Lissovoy, 2012; Leonardo 2009; Lipsitz 2006; Goldberg, 2015), we could interpret our findings. The most important conclusions were that relying on the merit-based, self-responsibilization idea and refusing the rights-based approach, the structural causes of ethnic inequalities were successfully concealed. The official discourse invisibilized all problems that could be behind poverty, social exclusion of the Roma, and put the responsibility on individual efforts. In the same vein, those Roma who could not or ‘did not want to’ participate in the productive society, did not accept the ‘social contract’, were also invisibilized, they were not part of the government narrative.
This event will be held in Hungarian!