Research of religiosity, spirituality and irreligiozity among the Roma in Slovakia
Grant Scheme: APVV
Project ID: APVV–22–0389
Title of Project: Research of religiosity, spirituality, and irreligiosity among the Roma in Slovakia
Acronym: RELIROMA
Project Duration: 1.7.2023 – 30.6.2027
Principal Investigator: Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology SAS
Project Partners: Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra – Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Comenius University Bratislava – Faculty of Natural Sciences
Project Leader: Mgr. Tatiana Zachar Podolinská, PhD.
Financial Manager IESA SAS: Mgr. Branislava Kolesárová
The main goal of the project is to investigate and document manifestations of church and non-church religiosity among the Roma in Slovakia, including manifestations of modern and postmodern spirituality and hitherto unexplored phenomena of religious experimenting, de-conversion, non-religiosity and secularism.
The project includes the analysis of existing quantitative surveys containing data on ethnicity, religiosity, and non-religion in Slovakia in dynamic perspective (EVS, ISSP, WVS, National censuses in the 21st century). Consecutive qualitative research will take place both at the individual micro-level (individual, family) and at the meso-level (institutions, etc.) within the local social field. In addition to the initial mapping of the activities of traditional churches and new religious movements among the Roma in Slovakia, the project will focus on ethnographic research among believing Roma (conversion narratives) and religious leaders in selected localities. Via collecting the life trajectories and stories, it will also approach the paths of non-practicing believers, de-converts, spiritual seekers, religiously indifferent and secular Roma. As a control sample, the local non-Roma population will be selectively mapped using the same methods.
A combination of mixed-method design and multi-level and multi-sited ethnographies will enable us to place received profiles in a broader context. The specific goal of the project is to document religious-spiritual and ritual objects and compositions in Roma communities within the local piety (chapels, crosses, domestic altars, religious images and frescoes, domestic devotionals, etc.) by the method of documentary and artistic photography.
One of the main outputs of the project will be the first Web portal of Roma religious and spiritual art in Slovakia. The project will also deliver the traveling exhibition and corresponding lectures for public in regions.
Information about the project and its outputs
The Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology Slovak Academy of Sciences (IESA SAS) public research organization and the Vigdís International Centre (VIC) for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding as public research university have signed the Framework Agreement on Cooperation to promote the development of science and research, the application of new scientific knowledge in practice, the presentation, popularization and dissemination of scientific knowledge as well as for the benefit of the development of domestic and international scientific cooperation and communication to mutually coordinated approaches in ensuring the common interests in scientific research, organizational, legislative, editorial, presentation-promotional and educational areas, as well as in other spheres of common intentions.
The Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding (Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute) operates under the auspices of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and is affiliated with the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute for Foreign Languages at the University of Iceland. For more information see: https://vigdiscentre.hi.is/en.
The Center’s Important agenda is promoting Romani studies through the special program “Roma in the Centre“. This initiative unites several Romani Studies-related projects under the auspices of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages. The initiative is the expression of a long-term commitment to research, present, and popularise — in Iceland, in Nordic countries, in Europe, and globally — the literature and culture of the Roma/Gypsies.
For more information see: https://vigdiscentre.hi.is/en/research/roma-centre
The Framework Agreement on Cooperation is an output of the project APVV-22-0389 RELIROMA.
The text of the Agreement is available here:
The introductory meeting of the project APVV-22-0389 RELIROMA is organized by the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology, SAV, and will take place on November 10 – 11, 2023, at the Hotel under the Linden Tree in Modra-Harmónia.
Please, find the program HERE and also the presentations by T. Z. Podolinská and J. Majo.
Pictures from the meeting
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The Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences organizes the 8th annual Academy of Romani Studies – ARS 2023 that will take place November 10, 2023, in Modra-Harmónia.
The current edition provides an opportunity for the young generation of Slovak and Czech PhD students to present their work to an expert audience and receive targeted feedback from internationally established experts in the field of Roma studies.
The event is organized in collaboration with the Seminar of Romani Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University in Prague and is an outcome of the APVV-22-0389 project RELIROMA.
Pictures from the meeting:
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The Principal Investigator of the APVV-22-0389 RELIROMA project, Tatiana Zachar Podolinská, participated in the organization of the world congress of the international Gypsy Lore Society (GLS) in Brazil (November 2-6, 2023, in Saõ Paolo). As part of the conference, she led a thematic panel dedicated to religiosity, spirituality, and non-religiosity among Roma worldwide. Within the panel she made an active contribution in which she presented the intentions and methodology of the RELIROMA project, and the results of research devoted to private apparitions with Christian and spiritual motifs (Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, Angels, Demons, “magic eyes”, etc.) among the Roma in Slovakia and discursive analysis of their media image in Slovak mass media (print and social media and TV).
The program of the conference is HERE.
The Book of abstracts is HERE.
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Photo 2: Congress Gypsy Lore Society (Elena Marushiakova)
Photo 3: Religious panel 1 (Tatiana Zachar Podolinská)
Photo 4: Religious panel 2 (Tatiana Zachar Podolinská)
Photo 5: Religious panel 3 (Tatiana Zachar Podolinská)
