Vocational publications

17. 10. 2015

Roma/Gypsies from the View of Existential Psychology

Klára A. Samková

The book is a translation of an original Czech study written by a Czech lawyer and expert in this issue, Klára A. Samková, in 2011.

In an entirely compact way, the authoress analyses the escalated problem of cohabitation of Romani/Gypsies with the majority society - which is still topical in many countries, especially in European countries - from the historical, legal, sociological and psychological viewpoint.

A methodological guide for this study is Irvin Yalom's work titled "Existential Psychotherapy" and the authoress, like this outstanding American psychiatrist, presents four big themes of the human life to her readers, namely death, freedom, existential isolation and a lack of meaning. She views these issues with the eyes of the Romani/Gypsies, its customs and value system, which the authoress knows very intimately. Thus, she discloses a completely new view of the Romani people as an independent nation with its own spiritual and intellectual life which, however, is inaccessible not only to the common majority society but also to those who say they "mean it well" with the Romani people.

The authoress comes to a conclusion that the main problem of cohabitation with the Romani does not consist in the social level, but it is, above all, a national problem and an issue of national emancipation of the Romani people. The authoress then criticizes the view of the Romani/Gypsies as a social group as a non-functional and simplified view of the state representatives.

In her work, the authoress draws from her own long-term cohabitation with the Roma community as well as from her deep expert knowledge. Top experts have testified to the high quality of this study.

available to FREE DOWNLOAD HERE

It shouldn't Happen to a Legal Beagle (stories from an attorney ́s office):