To what extent may health and well-being experiences of Roma migrants in London be perceived and understood through a post-structuralist lens?

Roma people throughout Europe appear to experience high levels of infant mortality and short life expectancy, with poor living conditions and ongoing discrimination impacting negatively on health and well-being, in particular on mental health. However, literature focusing specifically on Roma health in the UK is limited, with most surveys noting a lack of research in this area. Across the UK, policy and planning to meet the specific healthcare needs of Roma communities is sparse and inconsistent, including the response to the requirements of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020. Similarly, monitoring by ethnicity of Roma people across the UK remains inadequate, resulting in a lack of data regarding Roma health and well-being. This qualitative study examines the health and well-being experiences of members of Roma communities, through semi-structured individual interviews carried out in three London boroughs. Using concepts such as voice, culture, identity, agency and nomadism, from a post-structuralist theoretical perspective, the study seeks to explore the wide range of narratives impacting on Roma health and well-being in London and across the UK. The findings locate the health and well-being experiences of Roma people in London in the context of migration to a new country, with Roma culture seen to be both traditional and adapting to change. Wide-ranging experiences, both positive and negative, reflecting those of members of many other communities, were reported. Using processes of identification with non-Roma people, participants repositioned themselves in relation to marginalising discourses. The findings suggest that categorising Roma people as ‘hard to reach’ further marginalises them in relation to services and outcomes. This study contributes to a rethinking of Roma health and well-being in the UK, that challenges essentialising constructions and moves from a focus on the past, into the present and towards the future.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Greenwich

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Bonel, Felicity

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Moreno Leguizamon, Carlos

• HT Communities. Classes. Races

Language dc:language

en