Det romska återtagande av sin identitet - En undersökning av identitetspolitik hos romska organisationer i EU

This thesis is concerned with investigating the Roma, a group that is left out in most of the territory bound theories. The theoretical purposes are to develop theories that increase the understanding for the Roma as a diasporic nation without state and the advocacy networks they are organised in. The main empirical purpose has been to study two organisations as cases and how they position themselves against the European Union concerning identity politics. The two organisations are European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and Dzeno. They are a part of the same network that works on different levels with the rights of Roma. My hypothesis is that the organisations use strategic essentialism to gain their goals of stopping discrimination and oppression. This hypothesis is based on postcolonial theory because the similarities between colonised peoples experiences and the fact that the Roma have had their identity defined by the other. I have also looked into how the organisations work with international advocacy as a network and with the Roma as a nation without state. My conclusions are that neither one of the organisations uses strategic essentialism. The main objective of the identity politics is to work for equality. Both organisations work with the strengthening of Roma identity as a part of a nation without state. ERRC and Dzeno are very active organisations and conduct advocacy on many different levels on both national and international institutions