Course Description:
This course explores the historical and contemporary experiences of three key minority groups in Europe: Jews, Muslims, and Roma. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will examine the complex dynamics of minority-majority relations, focusing on the social, political, and cultural challenges faced by these communities. The course will cover topics such as migration, discrimination, integration policies, and the role of religion and ethnicity in shaping group identity and community cohesion.
We will analyze how these groups have navigated their status as minorities, examining both the external pressures of exclusion and the internal processes of community-building and identity formation. A significant portion of the course will be devoted to exploring how Jews, Muslims, and Roma have developed a sense of belonging within European societies, the role of memory and trauma, and how historical events like the Holocaust, colonialism, and the Roma genocide during WWII continue to influence their identities today.
Key themes will include:
- The historical development of Jewish, Muslim, and Roma communities in Europe
- Patterns of discrimination, persecution, and resistance
- The impact of nationalism, populism, and far-right movements on these minorities
- Case studies on community-building efforts and intergroup interactions
- Policies of inclusion, integration, and the challenges of multiculturalism in Europe
- Contemporary issues such as Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and antigypsyism