On Living And Moving With Zor: Exploring Racism, Embodiment, And Health In Albania

ABSTRACT

Drawing on ethnographic research from Albania, I examine Romani and Balkan Egyptian women’s health inequities. While it has been well documented that Romani people, who constitute Europe’s largest socioracial minority group, experience racism and marginalization, how these forms of social exclusion shape health outcomes in the Balkans remains limited. I argue that racism is a root cause of social and health inequities, and that Romani and Egyptian women experience unique bodily fatigue marked by extreme zor (“difficulty,” “constraint”). An examination of zor can potentially provide an understanding of how racism and marginalization are embodied over time

KEYWORDS:

• racism
• marginalization
• Roma
• Albania
• health inequities
• Balkan Egyptians

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to numerous interlocutors in Tirana, particularly the residents of Shkozë who have shared their experiences with me. I would like to thank three anonymous reviewers and the editorial staff of Medical Anthropology, especially Drs. Lenore Manderson and Victoria Team.

Notes

1. This article is derived from parts of my dissertation (West Ohueri 2016).

2. Though many Romani communities are traditionally nomadic, a significant number of Roma and Egyptians in Albania have been sedentary for multiple generations and seek permanent housing in Tirana. A significant number of these families lack documentation to substantiate their property claims.

3. See Hancock (2010) for a longer discussion of the waves of Romani European migration.

4. The 2011 census in Albania was the first to allow respondents to choose an ethnic identity other than ‘Albanian’ or ‘Greek’. Official statistics listed 8300 people who identify as Romani, 3368 who identify as Egyptian, 2644 who marked ‘other’, and over 300,000 who stated that they preferred not to answer. Romani and Egyptian community leaders and activists often dispute these figures and argue that the number of Roma and Egyptians is closer to 250,000. Due to the frequency of data collection, mobility and displacement, stigmatization, and “unnamed policies to ‘forget’ about the Roma,” it can be hard to obtain accurate population totals (Miskovic 2009: 203).

5. In 2012, the Tirana Municipality constructed four toilet stalls in the Shkozë neighborhood. Prior to this, many residents relieved themselves in poorly constructed outhouses or the nearby river.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded in part by an Individual Advanced Research Opportunity fellowship from the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX).

Notes on contributors

Chelsi West Ohueri

Chelsi West Ohueri is an Assistant Professor of Slavic and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include race and racialization, belonging, and the social aspects of health and illness.