Skip to main content

Table 1 Material circumstances quotes. Quotes illustrating our findings regarding local health-endangering settings and practices (primarily material circumstances related) and the local consultants’ related ethnically framed reasoning

From: Health-endangering everyday settings and practices in a rural segregated Roma settlement in Slovakia: A descriptive summary from an exploratory longitudinal case study

Quotes

Exposure elements

‘I wish they [own children] would have more money than us… Why? So they’re not down like us, so they don’t have to steal wood, recycle metal.’ A., woman, 34, low social level [Sep 2005]

Household infrastructure; SEP

‘Do you know why Roma have always preferred the Žigulis over the Škodas [car brands]? Because of their acceleration! A Gypsy needs his engine to roar, you know what I mean?’ Z., man, 37, medium social level [Jul 2005]

Amenities

‘Of course it could be from the water [frequent diarrhoeas]. You’ve seen how we pulled water towards M’s house. It’s the same as with electricity and everything here. You want a new connection? You make it yourself [laughing]. [AB: But don’t at least the local public water taps get checked for quality? I asked around and they do this regularly in the village.] C’mon, nobody like that [public health authorities] would ever come up here.’ S., man, 32, medium social level [Sep 2005]

Household infrastructure; Community infrastructure; discrimination

‘What’s there not to like about it? [about rubbish in public spaces] This is normal here. We are Gypsies [sic] so we live like Gypsies. […] You don’t have to eat from the ground!’ M., woman, 36, high social level [Jun 2010]

Community infrastructure

‘Ok, they [the municipality] built this road here back then. When you are in need of Gypsy votes [for the mayor elections], everything is possible! But imagine you live back there [in the part of the settlement not connected to the asphalt road] like P. [low social level cousin]. No matter what you do, once it rains, you’re all mud. And now go and visit the paediatrician.’ K., man, 48, medium social level [Jul 2010]

Community infrastructure; social tolls; healthcare use

  1. In the adjacent column we list the exposure elements discussed