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Abstract

French

Persecution of ethnic minorities, social exclusion and racism are phenomena that cannot be studied as isolated variables. Popular forms of these phenomena arise from multitudes of beliefs, values and images with long histories. In discussing the separation of facts and values, the ‘Eichmann experiment’ and obedience and disobedience towards authority, it is shown here that a mechanical obedience corresponds to scientific and technical practices, and to the disenchantment of the world with modern technology. Racism highlights the separation of facts and values and can be viewed as the process of transformation of ‘scientific’ knowledge into common sense and vice versa. The theory of social representations regards these phenomena as processes of anchoring and objectification and as networks of indices and symbols with an imaginary reflection. Drawing on our notion of themata, it is shown that in the case of Roma, themata are articulated around the long historical narratives artistic/criminal. In contemporary situations Roma have a tendency more towards emancipation than towards assimilation.

Keywords

‘the Eichmann experiment’facts and values obedience and disobedience towards authority persecution of minorities racism Roma themata theory of social representations

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An essay on social representations and ethnic minorities

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