Negotiating stuckedness: micro-decolonial pedagogy in a segregated Roma school

Our article examines the condition of stuckedness [Hage, G. 2009. “Waiting Out the Crisis: On Stuckedness and Governmentality.” In Waiting, edited by G. Hage, 97–106. Melbourne University Press] experienced by Roma children in a segregated Hungarian school, and the role of critical and drama pedagogy in creating moments of micro-decolonial agency. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, it contextualises the school within longstanding patterns of educational segregation. Using the concept of stuckedness from critical migration studies, the article highlights how students and teachers reflect upon restricted social mobility. Through portrayals of Roma teachers and drama educators employing methods inspired by Freire [1970. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Herder and Herder] and Boal [1979. Theatre of the Oppressed. Translated by C. A. McBride and M.-O. L. McBride. Urizen Books], the study shows how these professionals foster positive Roma identities and temporarily disrupt structures of exclusion. The article argues that these small-scale pedagogical acts provide vital spaces for self-affirmation and resilience. the study contributes to debates on decolonial strategies in marginalised communities in Eastern Europe by emphasising micro-decolonial agency within structural constraints.