INTERGENERATIONAL SHIFT BETWEEN TRADITIONAL ROMANIPEN AND DIGITAL HYPERMODERNITY

Анотація

Global social changes – accelerated digitalization, socioeconomic insecurity, and individualization – are also affecting more closed communities. In the environment of marginalized Roma communities (MRK) in Slovakia, the traditional unwritten code of values (romanipen) is confronted with the norms and patterns of Western hypermodernity. The main objective of the study is to examine the transformation of the value orientations of the Roma minority in Slovakia under the influence of modernization and digital processes. The study focuses on intergenerational shifts, the transformation of family structures, the authority of elders, and the influence of social networks on the identity of Roma youth. The research was designed as a qualitative ethnographic study using in-depth interviews (n = 18) and focus groups (n = 4; N = 24) with three groups of actors: traditional authorities and seniors in settlements, Roma youth (Generation Z) and field social workers in selected locations in eastern and central Slovakia (Ntotal = 42). The findings show that while the older generation of Roma strictly adheres to the traditional values of family solidarity, respect for elders and the informal code of Romanipen, the youngest generation is subject to massive digital acculturation. Among Roma youth, there is a shift from collective norms to individual success, a consumer lifestyle and self-representation on social networks. However, this shift creates value uncertainty (anomie), as youth encounter a double barrier: rejection of traditional rules in the settlement and at the same time persistent ethnic discrimination in the majority society. The transformation of values in Roma communities requires sensitive bridging of the intergenerational gap. Social policies and inclusive education must reflect the specifics of Roma identity in the digital age and support projects that combine respect for the positive elements of Romanipen with the development of critical thinking and digital literacy.