Self-Awareness of Gypsies: Traditionality and Modernity

Abstract

A large number of gypsies have been living in Bukhara, one of the ancient ethnographic regions of Uzbekistan, since the XIV century. Today, there are about 10,000 Gypsies, and many aspects of their traditional culture have changed as a result of the ethnic processes that have taken place for a long time. These changes were reflected in the self-awareness of gypsies too. As a result of close ethno-cultural dialogue with the surrounding Uzbeks, there have been cases of Uzbekization in the culture, economy and way of life of the Gypsies. However, changes in self-awareness have taken place at different levels in different parts of Bukhara region. For example, the ethno- cultural identity of the gypsies of Kogon and Gijduvan districts of Bukhara differs from each other. Because Gijduvan of the city of Bukhara, gypsies and gypsies themselves as Gypsies, but Uzbek knew , Kogon admitted that Romany gypsies who live and not hide it. This article analyzes why there are such differences between Gypsies living in the same region and what these differences are. The author conducted sociological surveys and compared the traditional and modern in self-awareness of gypsies.