Stereotyping Roma people in Italy: IRT models for ambivalent prejudice measurement

‘Gypsy’ is a name that conjures up a wide variety of images in peoples’ minds. Romanticised for their freedom or reviled for their antisocial behaviour, Roma people have in turns been the subject of both exotic myth and virulent prejudice. Roma are depicted as romantic or criminal outsiders: anything from thieves to talented and artistic people. Exploiting the potentiality of Item Response Theory models, this study aims to assess the level of consolidation of positive and negative stereotypes on Roma people in Italy. In addition, we investigate how socio-demographic covariates affect the degree of acceptance of a clichéd depiction of Roma. Results suggest that images and representations of the ‘Gypsies’, which confirm a distinction between nature and culture, persist in our culture. On the one hand, Roma are perceived as ‘free’ from societal constrains (nature); on the other hand, they are portrayed as criminals and untruthful, relational qualities that arise in a societal organised condition (culture). This distinction continues to be misused to delegitimise minority groups, especially Roma.