Identity markers and social rituals in the Roma ethnicity

Abstract

The paper aims to build an identity profile of the Roma ethnicity by identifying a series of defining identity markers in this regard and the way in which they are found in a series of social rituals. Our desire was to highlight the survival over time of deep identity elements that refer to the origins and history of this ethnic group. In this regard, we pay attention to the following identity markers: 1. territoriality; 2. solidarity in the family and community; 3. Craftsmanship and talent; 4. religion and rituals; 5. orality, honor and speech. Starting from the existing literature, we have identified in addition to these identity data, a series of social rituals that are associated with them. The paper highlights the fact that these identity marks are camouflaged under different faces and that they can acquire different meanings and connotations over time and thus contribute to shaping an identity profile from the perspective of cultural patterns.