In the previous chapter my focus was on the state and its interaction with minority groups. Now the emphasis shifts to the other side of the equation as I concentrate on two phenomena that are crucial to the understanding of the minority experience in general and the Romani existence in particular: marginality and ethnic mobilization. The concept of marginality provides the most appropriate theoretical handle to understanding the Gypsies' centuries-long plight in European societies. Therefore, I want to examine the various dimensions and components of marginality to appraise their utility to my inquiry. As I shall show, marginality is in many cases a multidimensional situation with separable economic, social, and political faces. Although a marginal situation may be reduced through numerous ways, perhaps the most effective method to alleviate political marginality is political mobilization, the second concept to be reviewed in this chapter.

Ethnic political mobilization is a complex process that has become an important dimension in the political lives of postauthoritarian and postcommunist politics. This concept is particularly important for this study because political mobilization has been a significant new element in the lives of Gypsy communities across Eastern Europe in the last decade. Ethnic mobilization does not happen in a vacuum. It has historical, political, social, and economic prerequisites and criteria one ought to be familiar with. The purpose of this discussion is to create a framework in which the Romani political mobilization may be properly considered.