Social reproduction and contestation of racialized Roma exclusion: The role of civil society organizations in the Czech Republic

Anti-Roma racism remains a persistent concern in numerous European countries. Despite sustained efforts by both the European Union and national governments over the past two decades to promote Roma inclusion, the effectiveness of these integration policies has largely been perceived as inadequate. This has been evident in the widespread exclusion experienced by Roma communities. Focusing on the Czech Republic, this article moves from examining state policies to the actions of civil society. In this context, the article explores the role played by Czech civil society organizations (CSOs) in both challenging and perpetuating racialized Roma exclusion. Building on Bourdieu’s concept of social habitus, this article expands it to a racialized social habitus framework. Through online interviews with CSOs and ethnographic fieldwork in four Czech cities, it explores the complex interplay between integration policies, civil society, and the racialized exclusion of the Czech Roma. The article illuminates how these organizations simultaneously contest and reinforce racialized perceptions of the Roma, thereby enriching scholarly dialogue on the complex dynamics of race and racism within civil society.