The name is absent

Appendix 1

benefited Greek Roma economically and, to a lesser extent, strengthened Romani claims
to equality in law with dominant society, this historically embattled group has also
experienced increased hostility from non-Romani Greeks now in the grips of new-found
nationalist zeal conflated with modem European aspirations. The opportunity for
increased stability and prosperity provided by extra-national forces contrasts sharply with
the increased social exclusion of and violence against Roma perpetrated by local
populations. It is within this space that my work as ethnographer has unfolded and within
which I developed a dual role as both academic and NGO worker.

This article, composed during my fieldwork as reflections on the evolution of my
status as researcher among Athenian Roma, will reflect on the purpose and functioning of
the NGOI со-founded, the navigational ability it afforded me in formal Greek public life
and within the Romani private sphere, the various (gender-related) communicative
opportunities and hindrances NGO consultation with Roma presented, and will also
explore a number of theoretical concerns associated with what can be termed “research
perspective” in complex field settings. Additionally I will consider a number of cases
from the field to illustrate my various observations and arguments.

The Athens of “an irreducibly plural effect” James Faubion so eloquently
described in his seminal Modern GreekLessons (1993:55) is changing, and Greek Roma,
a population largely unrepresented in the literature on Greece in general, are facilitating
this new reality. The various significances and anthropological subtleties at work within
this complex field are fascinating, and so too has been the process of their discovery.

My departure for the field was, per standard anthropological practice, preceded by
lengthy, careful planning. I had prior experience with the Athenian Romani community,

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