From Research to Policy: Roma Participation Through Communicative Organization

Abstract

For centuries, Roma people’s social exclusion has been reinforced through research that has legitimized stereotypes rather than helping to overcome them. This has led Roma people to refuse to participate in the kind of research that has contributed to discrimination against them. We describe how the critical communicative methodology, used in the European Framework Programme, provides Roma people with the opportunity to participate in research at the highest possible level. In particular, the communicative organization of research allows them to contribute directly as members of the research teams. This article focuses on the advisory committee as a mechanism used to guarantee that Roma people can be directly involved in decision making because this model has been transferred from research to policy.