Fassin, Éric

The politics of (non) representation - 2018.


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The notion of representation paradoxically implies both the absence of that which is represented and the presence of representation. In order to approach this discourse of power from the perspective of minorities, particularly the Roma, a second paradox accounts for the proliferation of images and the lack of representatives: the overrepresentation of imaginary Roma and the underrepresentation of real Roma. Another distinction serves to formulate a third paradox: the hyper-representation of the “Roma question” in the public sphere and at the same time the non-representation of the treatment of this group by the state. First-hand experiences of public advocacy help us to analyze the way political anti-gypsyism is made invisible in the media. The final section focuses on a shift in the politics of minority representation, from image to voice, and thus from visibility to audibility, when those who are primarily concerned, such as the Roma, start speaking up on their own behalf.