A Contemporary History of Exclusion

"Amid reignited identity struggles the book serves as a needed antidote to the essentialist and antagonizing public discourse that not only distorts the concept of a nation but also threatens the very rights and well-being of the Hungarian Roma minority. It is hence a useful tool for all those engaged in the field of human rights and Romani studies, but also serves as a helpful guide to anyone interested in modern Hungary and its exciting history. The well-established Hungarian scholars, Balázs Majtényi and György Majtényi, combine their extensive legal and historical expertise to examine the formation, interpretation, and implementation of inclusion policies and the management of minorities in the country." * H-Nationalism, H-Net Reviews *
"A researcher in legal studies and a professor of history, both tending to use the tools of the social sciences and be sensitive about the ethical and methodological aspects of their own work, this is an excellent combination to raise the questions which are raised in the book under review. The book examines the public discourses and the policies regarding the Hungarian Gypsies/Roma from the end of World War II until the present. The Majtényi duo strove throughout their inquiry to remain scholarly and analytical. The thoroughness with which they approached the issues and questions made it inevitable that they would highlight moral and political aspects. Theirs is a dangerous, but respectable enterprise." * Hungarian Historical Review *
"A the writers point out that they follow an emancipatory structuralist approach when making claims about the different aspects of the Roma issue, while remaining open to the application of other analytical viewpoints and to self-reflection. Readers meet the authors’ resulting human-rights focused approach through their descriptions and analyses. This approach is especially important if we consider that the Hungarian Roma community, a community excluded and discriminated against, faces ongoing human rights problems (difficulties that arise from their daily experiences which become integral problems in their lives). A Roma person reading this book would feel that the authors are familiar with the difficulties in their communities, indicating that the authors have succeeded in using so-called inner vision in respect of the ethnic group under discussion." * Intersections *
"Majtényi’s and Majtényi’s book is rich reading – like a colorful canvas, a montage of narratives, a selection of accounts. Even those who are familiar with the history of Roma issues in Hungary may find the book instructive, because of all the results of the authors’ own research in state archives. For beginners, the monograph is not just a source of basic information, but also a source of inspiration to continue studying the background of this timely human rights issue, the social exclusion of Roma populations in Europe." * Nationalities Papers *