Constructing Identities over Time

"Where the book by Jekatyerina Dunajeva differs from others is in its combination of historical and ethnographic study, in the richness of the material explored and analysed and in the ways in which it problematizes the very labels it analyses. The key strength of the book lies in its attempt to offer new and critical perspectives in the study of Roma identity and Roma ethnicity, over time. It thus provides a wonderful addition and contribution to the field of Romani Studies, while also being of interest to scholars of ethnicity, nationalism, European history and minorities more broadly."
https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2022.2078390—Raluca Bianca Roman, Ethnic and Racial Studies

"This is a profoundly interesting book, if also not, in its argumentation and conclusions, an especially original one. Written in an accessible style and intended for a general audience, Dunajeva's monograph is based on a solid documentary base. Her ethnographic research in Roma communities makes the work a substantial contribution to Romani scholarship."—Steven Usitalo, The Russian Review

"Constructing Identities over Time is a ground-breaking book both in its breadth and depth. Jekatyerina Dunajeva boldly compares the construction of Romani identities in Hungary and Russia from the vantage point of both states/institutions and communities. Her thorough historical research on socialism/postsocialism in two locations show how Roma have strategized around stereotypical labeling embedded in multiple exclusions. Combining political theory with fine-grained ethnographic fieldwork, Dunajeva takes us inside school classrooms, playgrounds and lunchrooms, and into NGOs and community life, while always honestly reflecting on her own positionality. This book should be required reading for all students and scholars of Eastern Europe."—Carol Silverman

"An important contribution to the study of politics and the lived experience of identity on the margins. Dunajeva weaves together impressive historical and empirical research of Romani communities in Hungary and Russia to teach us about nationhood, state power, and the negotiation of belonging. This is a must-read book for students, policy-makers, and activists interested in how identities are shaped and sharpened in schools and why patterns of Roma marginalization persist."—Karrie J. Koesel

"Jekatyerina Dunajeva's very important book provides an excellent and unique historical analysis of ethnic stereotypes developed and mobilized through formal and informal educational institutions. While educational oppression of the Roma population has received considerable attention, few studies provide a rich historical background and tackle the way education shapes and distorts identities. Dunajeva's research fills this gap by exposing the role of education in the creation of the 'other'. A great contribution to the field that still shies away from combining historical analysis with contemporary narrative and inductive methodology."—Joanna Kostka