ETMA108 Exploration of Roma History and Culture

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Jana Poláková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Miroslav Válka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Marie Novotná (assistant)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Jana Poláková, Ph.D.
Department of European Ethnology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Martina Maradová
Supplier department: Department of European Ethnology – Faculty of Arts
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course focuses on Romany history and culture. The historical part will content problems in the European context, the ethnological part will focuse on surroundings of former Czechoslovakia. A visit of Museum of Romany culture and audio-visual projections will complete the lectures.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course students should be able to analyze Romany issues and their histocical roots.
Syllabus
  • 1) Historical part
  • Romanies as an ethnic, subethnic Romanies groups, language (marginally) – leaving India and arriving to Europe – acceptance by European culture (tolerance, persecutions, liquidation), genesion of term “cikán“ (gipsy) and “Rom“ (Romany), “gádžo“ and “nerom“ + names in Europe – first attempts to assimilate (Mary Theresa’s governance), spontaneous Romanies settling (Slovakia, Moravia) – 1st Republic and WWII – changes in composition of Romany population after the WWII – state assimilation (liquidation of Romany culture) and the program of integration until 1989 – Romanians after 1989 (recognition of an ethnic minority), problems with citizenship rights after 1993.
  • 2) Ethnological part
  • Traditional Romany crafts and subsistence – traditional family system, family customs, season traditions – magic and religion – music and dance folklore, Romany theatre – oral folks literature – clothes and jewels – traditional way of living and current situation (its reasons) – influence of Romany culture on Bohemian and Moravian folk culture – Romany graphic art.
  • 3) Complementary programme
  • Visit to the Museum of Romany culture (according to current variety of expositions and courses) – screening the video records, if possible – during the course, 1 or 2 visits to the Museum of Romany culture, students can visit a depositary and a library there.
Literature
  • Cesty Romů : 1945-1990 : změny v postavení a způsobu života Romů v Čechách, na Moravě a na Slovensku (Souběž.) : Romano drom : 1945-1990 : změny v postavení a způsobu života Romů v Čechách, na Moravě a na Slovensku. info
  • HORVÁTHOVÁ, Jana. Kapitoly z dějin Romů [Horváthová, 2002, Člověk v tísni] (Obsaž.) : Interkulturní vzdělávání : příručka nejen pro středoškolské pedagogy : projekt Varianty. info
  • Horváthová, Emília. Cigáni na Slovensku: Historicko-etnografický náčrt. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Vydavateľstvo Slovenskej akadémie vied, 1964.
  • Sbírky Muzea romské kultury. Tradiční řemesla, profese a zaměstnání. Přírůstky 1991-2007. Brno : Muzeum romské kultury, 2008.
  • KŘÍŽOVÁ, Alena and Helena DANIELOVÁ. Romský šperk. (Roma jewels.). In DANIELOVÁ, Helena. Sbírky Muzea romské kultury. Textil, šperk. Přírůstky 1991-2006. 1st ed. Brno: Muzeum romské kultury, 2008, p. 130-154. Přírůstky. ISBN 978-80-86656-12-0. info
  • NEČAS, Ctibor. Romové v České republice včera a dnes. 4. dopl. vyd. Olomouc: Vydavatelství Univerzity Palackého, 1999, 129 s. ISBN 8070679522. info
  • LIÉGEOIS, Jean-Pierre. Rómovia, Cigáni, kočovníci. Translated by Jaroslava Glutová. 2. vyd. Bratislava: Charis, 1997, 272 s. ISBN 80-967380-4-6. info
  • DANIEL, Bartoloměj. Dějiny Romů : vybrané kapitoly z dějin Romů v západní Evropě, v Českých zemích a na Slovensku. Vyd. 1. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého, 1994, 197 s. ISBN 8070673958. info
  • Neznámi Rómovia : zo života a kultúry Cigánov-Rómov na Slovensku. Edited by Arne B. Mann. Bratislava: Ister Science Press, 1992, 207 s. ISBN 8090048623. info
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
written examination
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/ETMA108