Exercise 1: Narrative and counter-narrative

Interpretation of history matters. It is still common to present history as detached from individuals, as if historical events were destined to happen with no participation of people, leading to a statist narrative. Moreover, numerous groups — usually minority groups — have been erased from history or reduced to a few mentions. These trends contribute to a view of history that deprives people of agency and tends to prioritize the voice of the dominant groups. Human agency usually refers to one’s ability to act, decide and make choices.
 

The two excerpts clearly approach the topic differently. In the excerpt titled as “narrative,” the focus is on Roma as victims of the Holocaust, without mentioning their opposition to discrimination. This description renders Roma as powerless. The second, “counter-narrative” focuses on the brave reaction of Roma; recognizing the oppressive political and economic climate of the Holocaust, the article nevertheless shows instances of bravery and resistance that highlight agency and strength of the Roma. The difference in emphasis has significant implications for how students view the group – powerless or empowered.  

Various initiatives have begun to develop counter-narratives to challenge the dominant historical rhetoric and empower Roma. Inclusion of Roma voices is a central goal for constructing counter-narratives. In this case, history is not so much “written by the winners”, but rather it is written by the dominant groups, excluding minorities like the Roma. One example of such initiative is the earlier mentioned RomArchive, which is a unique collection of knowledge about Roma. RomaArchive highlights the particular importance of constructing counter-narratives for understanding the Roma Holocaust:

For decades, the one-sided and defamatory sources of the perpetrators have dominated the historical account of the NS persecution. To be found in large numbers in archives and libraries, those sources are easily accessible for researchers. They form the basis for publications that, in turn, lay the groundwork for other publications, thereby perpetuating the stigmatisation of Sinti and Roma. Moreover, perpetrator sources provide no information, as a rule, about the actual motive or practice of persecution. The testimonies of those directly affected are not only a corrective to the perpetrator perspective; they also allow new insights into the process of persecution.[1]

Overall, this exercise stresses the importance of de-constructing historical narratives and re-thinking them by incorporating the experience of minority groups. A closer analysis of how groups such as Roma reacted to historical oppression reveals that there were many instances of heroism and resistance — these voices, however, were not often heard.
 

Questions for discussion

• How would you describe the following concepts based on the two descriptions (narrative and counter-narrative) using some of the following adjectives:
  • powerful and powerless,
  • impenetrable,
  • weak and strong,
  • collective,
  • resisting and brave.
• Who has and who does not have agency in the two narratives? Why does it matter to have agency?