Materiální past: Geneze sociálního nápětí v lokalitě Litvínov - Janov ve vztahu k privatizaci bytového fondu

Abstract

This article is based on the anthropological fiel-dwork research in the Litvínov–Janov neighborhood (located in northwest of the Czech Republic), which was conducted bythe students of the Department of Anthropological and Historical Sciences (University of West Bohemia). In theoreticalperspective of multi–sited ethnography this article interpretsthe situation of the "ethnic conflict" among non–Gypsy and Gypsy inhabitants of the neighborhood in 2008. Thisapproach highlights the multi–local genesis of the social si-tuation and conflict in relation to the economical and politicaltransition in the field of housing policy and realty ownership,together with processes of gentrification and segregation inthe Czech Republic. Our anthropological research avoidsethnical definitions of situation and discourses of socialexclusion. Instead it focuses on economic, political and socialgenesis in concrete details. The main conclusion is, that this situation is primarily socially and economically determined and ex post ethnically interpreted by the extreme nationalistic movements and consequently accepted as such by inhabitants of Litvínov and by a significant number of ethnic Czechs – not surprisingly in agreement with essencialistic picture of the Gypsies.

Keywords

• multi–sited ethnography
• gentrification
• segregation
• social and housing policy
• realty ownership
• Gypsies
• nationalistic riot
• migration trajectories