Abstract

The article starts from the interpretations by gagé about the romani marriages, to talk about marriage from an emic point of view and in light of a broader political, social and cultural relationship between Roma and gagé. A certain friction or dual-tracking in demography arises when considering the rapport between the family categories and models of fertility patterns (Solinas 2004). In this sense, the reference is to the irrelevance of «de-parentalizzazione» (ib.) or kinship network shrinkage - and the resulting loss of collateral blood ties - in Roma groups as opposed to the society at large. It is analysed in connection with the presence of marriage "forms" be they public or legal (with regards to the case of the trial in Pisa) as well as scientific (this last also includes the narrative of a clash between the author and some academics gagé). Finally, the interpretations of data from a demographic research are discussed since they are based on a new stereotype: the Roma as pre-modern people.