Abstrakt
The article is based on the original research by authors and deals with the construction of the category of Roma. While it is common to speak about "Roma culture" as a single entity the questions posed by Roma culture in the context of Czech republic are more complex.
Authors unveil how the "Roma" is actually a family resemblance social category consisting of overlapping smaller groups that is not based on shared features but rather on a prototype that refers to a schema - cultural model which was developed, socially constructed and negotiated in various interactions between Roma and the majority in recent history. Besides own ethnographical research the authors also study how various scientific discourses informed the schema.
The schema doesn't seem to reflect the variable reality but it rather projects ideologies, insecurities and simplifications of both Roma and the majority. The way the category of "Roma culture" is constructed has profound implications for any emancipatory efforts especially for education that is the principal field towards which the social emancipation or integration projects are focused.