A critical discourse analysis of a Serbian Roma social inclusion strategy, its construction of Roma people, health and the implications for Roma people's access to health and healthcare in Serbia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Distance, New Zealand
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Date
2022
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Massey University
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Abstract
Roma communities often face vast social and health inequalities and inequities in Europe, including Serbia, and this could be due to several possible multi-level factors. Recent national, regional and international initiatives have sought to reduce these disparities by developing or amending policies, with limited success across countries. Past research on such Roma inclusion policies points to the need to consider the discourses in these texts. In this mixed-methods study, I explored how Roma health policy discursively constructs Roma people and health issues in Serbia and consider the social implications of such constructions for health justice for Roma. I used Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis (CDA) to critically analyse the current Serbian Roma social inclusion (health) strategy and the interview talk of those who have developed and implemented such policy. The strategy analysis found three dominant discourses of health: (1) neoliberal discourse, (2) neoliberal human rights discourse, (3) holistic human rights discourse. The discourses associated with neoliberalism contained the assumptions that raising awareness and providing information on health and health-related rights and economic integration into the labour market would enable better health access and health for Roma. These discourse types worked to individualise Roma health issues, placing most of the responsibility for achieving health on Roma people themselves. In comparison, the holistic human rights discourse worked with broader social determinants of health framework, which framed health and associated health-related resources as fundamental human rights and called for more government accountability. The interview participants’ talk analysis revealed that while a neoliberal discourse on health information dissemination was evident, there was also a significant emphasis on the macro-social constraints impeding access to health, namely poor infrastructure, discrimination and cultural bias. Findings thus indicate multiple, at times contesting, ways of constructing Roma people and Roma health issues within the policy circle. Such diverse constructions can have important implications for Roma health. Overall, findings extend discourse literature on European Roma health and inclusion policy, supporting and challenging dominant constructions of Roma health problems and solutions, and point to the need for more nuanced analyses of different countries’ Roma policy and the talk of key stakeholders.