Methodological explanation

A guide for individual reflection for teacher

Teachers should:

• discuss that in the group we declare openness, but due to the stereotypes and prejudices our behavior often shows something completely different,
• be prepared for emotional responses by students, whose ancestors might have been affected by the Holocaust,
• be prepared for strong opinions, stereotypes but also be able to mitigate potential conflicts in the class.

Teaching methods

Images — photography and film – as artistic forms of expression, are particularly compelling to convey a story and engage in a dialogue, in a way that transcends traditional language barriers, and can be interpreted by anyone, regardless of their language, nationality, culture or other background characteristics. As Fairey and Orton aptly put it, film and photography are
 

social, networked, communicative and political activit[ies] enmeshed in webs of power, resistance and agency through which we assert and explore a sense of self and relation to others.

Consequently, in the following modules, the purpose is to analyze and interpret images, construct one’s own understanding of the visuals, then contextualize those in the experience of Roma. Teaching methods proposed in this module

• working with films
• working with texts: critical analysis of the text
• image analyses
• individual work
• teamwork (problem method)
• discussion

Instruction for teacher and students

This module pursues two goals. First, through the theoretical part and then trough exercises, students will learn about Roma in Europe. Considering that Roma are represented in media in bad light, it is important to counter those images with a more holistic understanding of who the Roma are – their history, their cultural contribution, their diversity and value to society. Second, this module is also concerned with challenging dominant historical narratives by focusing on the experience of minority groups, in this case the Roma.

Counter narrative or counter discourse, according to Michel Foucault,
 

“aims at clearing a space in which the formerly voiceless might begin to articulate their desires, to counter the domination of prevailing authoritative discourses” (Moussa and Ron Scapp 1996, 88).

The most recent Routledge Handbook of Counter-Narratives (2020) defines the concept of counter-narratives as
 

“resistance and opposition as told and framed by individuals and social groups. Counter-narratives are stories impacting on social settings that stand opposed to (perceived) dominant and powerful master-narratives.”

It is important to explain this topic in a student-centered way focusing on minority representation and issues concerning discrimination and explain historical narrative from multiple perspectives. For teachers, it is advisable to first familiarize with theory and concept of counter-narratives, in order to be prepared to answer students’ questions related to the concept. To that end, teachers may wish to collect questions that students may ask at the beginning of the class and write them on a flipchart, to discuss them together.

Ethical considerations

This module touches on issues of past discrimination with contemporary implications. Discrimination, especially of the Roma minority, may be a contentious topic, which may require some preparation before the class. The module itself deals with historical reinterpretation, and addressing historical injustice. The topic of the Holocaust might be a sensitive issue for many, in addition to “Roma” minority being a potentially sensitive issue in the history.

Students might need to be prepared or sensitized to some topics before this module. However, it is also important to note that the module intentionally is not discussing contemporary forms of racism as it might alienate some students. Instead, the module is setting the foundation for reinterpretation of the potential societal biases and challenging them. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the language that is sensitive to non-discrimination and show how important context and perspective are in understanding the global/local history.