11/29/19

1

The case of the Roma: quest for the inner resources and supportive mechanisms across Europe

1

Symposium guests

IntroductionAljoša Rudaš, International Step by Step Association, NetherlandsKateřina Sidiropulu Janků, Masaryk University, Czech Republic

Analytical perspectives 15:40Ioanna Strataki, Hellenic Open University, Patra, Greece

Promising practices 15:50Petra Sitárová, Romaňi Kereka/Ostrava City Library, Czech RepublicMilan Bindatsch, ZŠ Ibsenova & Ostrava City Library, Czech RepublicIsabel Cordeiro, Agrupamento de Escolas de Coruche, PortugalMarek Kapusta, SUPERAR, Slovakia

Workshop 16:30Ivan Šiller, Slovakia Comenius University & SUPERAR, Slovakia

Discussion 16:40

2

11/29/19

2

Analytical frame

Who is Roma?

The exact answer is not available, but:• Still bears social stigma• Still concentrates social disadvantages• More or less complex pieces of independent linguistic and habitual social sphere• Differs alongside the formal iron curtain

• SW EU travelers' communities, no assimilation wave of the 1970s• CE EU settled, and re-settled urban communities, upbringing in 1960s and

assimilation in 1970s

3

ISOTIS input• Quantitative and qualitative studies, especially focused on Roma mothers• Overview of promising practices• Child study in schools with Roma pupils• Design-based research using the VLE in classrooms and home environment• All this analytically confronted with the data from native low-income and immigrant

background families

• What works?• Interdisciplinary approach• Trust relationship with children AND parents• Symbolic acknowledgement of Roma culture, and treating it as a resource• International overreach

4

11/29/19

3

Inner resources and supporting mechanisms for education in the case of Greek Roma families

STRATAKI I., PETROGIANNIS K.HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITY

UTRECHT – NOVEMBER 29TH, 2019

5

Roma community o One of the largest non-immigrant minority groups in Europe, either due to their ethnic or cultural and socio-economic

status, are the Romani communities (Dimitrova et al., 2017; Dimitrova & Ferrer-Wreder, 2017; Triantafyllidou, 2011)

o Greek Roma population:

o High levels of marginalisation (European Commission 2013; FRA & UNDP, 2012 )

o Limited research in psychology and lack of empirical studies (Dimitrova et al., 2017)

o Lack of information about children's environment and how their daily lives are organized

o Greek Roma families are characterized by collectiveness. Family is the core and the source of assistance and cooperation

(Nova-Kaltsouni, 2004).

o Formal support: programs for improving living conditions (1996), Education Program for Roma Children (by Universities,

1997-2014, 2016-2018, 2020-) etc..

6

11/29/19

4

Developmental Niche of Super & Harkness (1986)

The child(personal

characteristics e.g. age, gender)

Physical and social settings of daily life – The way the child’s environment is organized.

-Physical setting: household size and organization, availability of objects, nutrition

- Social setting: family structure and composition, languages

Customs and practices of child care Caretaking

practices, routines, parent-child interactions

Psychology of the caretakers Parental ethnotheories, cultural

belief systems

To describe the inner

resources and

supporting mechanisms

for education in the

case of Greek Roma

families.

Aim of the present study

7

o In-depth narrative interviews comprising biographical narrative and semi-structured parts designed at the Department of Education, University of Oxford (Nurse & Melhuish, 2018).

o Content: Type of support in bringing up children, Experiences with the education system, Home environment, Identity, Life-styles and interests/family’s pastime, Aspirations regarding child’s future

o Duration 60-90 minuteso Data collection: 03/2018 – 7/2018o 2 sites: West Athens (Municipalities of Aghia Varvara & Ilion)

sector & West Attica region (Municipalities of Fyli & Acharnes)o The interviews were conducted in Greek and were audio-

recorded, fully transcribed and anonymized o Use of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) – use of NVivo 11

Method

3-6 9-11Ν 13 14Age (M, SD) 30.15 (4.24) 32.07 (4.99)Educational level

Low 12 14Medium - -High 1 -

Employed 4 3Age of TC (M, SD) 4.31(.75) 9.79(.97)N of children (M,SD) 2.85(1.21) 2.64(.93)

Socio-demographic characteristics of parents

8

11/29/19

5

Nodes compared by number of coding references

Findings

9

Informal support

Family seems to be the main support of Greek Roma mothers‘I'm with my family, that is since my husband left, I'm with them. I have seen a lot of support with my family. And it makes me happy, I don't want anyone else. <…> Both psychological and financial and (...) and with the kids, they help me, they make me, that is my family. I have nobody. Friends, okay, I have, I can't put friends above my family. Friends are friends. This. Nothing else.’ [4ROO2_02 ‘Petroula’]

Taking care/upbringing of children‘Eh (...) Advice (...). I don't know (laughter). Maybe (...) my husband. Does it count? I don’t know. Ok, I would discuss some things with my husband. I would like to hear his point for sure. And I would also like to hear my mother’s-in-law view that I consider as a reasonable person, not that we always agree or that I think she knows a lot, but (...) she's a person I can really communicate with, and maybe through having the conversation I listen to myself. Do you understand? That is, by having the conversation I listen to what I say, what [...] what I was thinking and how it looked. So, it is more in terms of communication, not so much as receiving the advice that I consider important, but to communicate what I have so that I can better process it. That, I don't have anyone else who I would really go to ask for advice. No, I haven’t.’ [4ROY1_02 ‘Metaxia’]

Quotations

10

11/29/19

6

Formal support

State/Benefits‘So in some cases after a year or two? We got some money from school, before these cards came out now. Some children gave some. They used to give then. But now they cut it. Every year, that is, Christmas, every year after Christmas, they gave, rather they used to give, an amount. <…> That is for food, for help, for clothes, for books, yes yes and then they cut it. This. And that money helped us a lot. With their clothes, their shoes, their books. There are cases we have no money. How will we feed them? Now they will need more books. I have no car, no house, no help. Don’t they want shoes? Don’t they want clothes? Don’t they want books? How am I going to do that? That's why he tells you. In some cases I want help. My sister, my mom, they will [...] help me.’ [4ROO2_06 ‘Eleni’]

School‘It is the behavior I told you (...) from the rounds. The school, the hospital, they are the same. For me personally. They do their job just to get paid. Here, in this area. That's why I told you A. hasn’t gone for a week (to school). She didn’t call me to tell me, and plus the incident that happened that he got hurt. That is, to say is he okay, isn’t he? They only called me at the time that I went to get him. She tells me his neck is gone during gymnastics. That's it. She didn't even ask me again why he wasn't coming, what happened, how he was doing. Nothing. This. [4ROO2_02 ‘Petroula’]

11

o Extended family seems to be the main support of Greek Roma mothers: financial & emotional support,

upbringing of children and instrumental

o Findings in line with previous research (Nova-Kaltsouni, 2004)

o Formal support: mainly by School, Health Sector, Social Services => depends on the area the mothers live

Summing up

12

11/29/19

7

Thank you for your attention!

13

ReferencesBraun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Dimitrova, R., & Ferrer-Wreder, L. (2017). Positive Youth Development of Roma Ethnic Minority Across Europe. In Handbook

on Positive Development of Minority Children and Youth (pp. 307-320). Springer International Publishing.Dimitrova, R., van de Vijver, F. J. R., Taušová, J., Chasiotis, A., Bender, M., Buzea, C., … Tair, E. (2017). Ethnic, Familial, and

Religious Identity of Roma Adolescents in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Kosovo, and Romania in Relation to Their Level of Well-Being. Child Development. European Commission (2013). Roma Integration Concept for 2010-1013.

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and UNDP. 2012. The Situation of Roma in 11 EU Member States: Survey Results at a Glance. Vienna/ New York, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights/ United Nations Development Programme.

Nurse, L., & Melhuish, E. (2018). Parent in-depth interview study: Technical report. Retrieved from the Inclusive Education and Social Support to Tackle Inequalities in Society (ISOTIS) project website: http://www.isotis.org/wp-content/uploads/

Nova-Kaltsouni, C. (2004). The Roma family in Greek society. (in Greek)Super, C. M., & Harkness, S. (1986). The developmental niche: A conceptualization at the interface of child and

culture. International journal of behavioral development, 9(4), 545-569. Triandafyllidou, A. (2011). Addressing cultural, ethnic & religious diversity challenges in Europe: A comparative overview of

15 European countries. Accept-Pluralism.Eu, 1–178.

14

11/29/19

8

Ostrava City Library

• 28 branch libraries• 48 000 readers, from them are children• every year visiting 561 thousand visitors• 1 900 000 items• www.kmo.cz

15

Romani Kereka

• created in 2006• Project partners: Goethe Institut Prag,

University Ostrava, Statutory City of Ostrava• a library aimed at meeting the minority with

the majority• morning educational events for schools,

afternoon leisure time activities• Romist Fund - books and periodicals

16

11/29/19

9

Our assistant – Milan Bindatsch• operates in two branches• helps us in activities with Roma children• we get practical advices from him• his feedback helps us to recognize the differences in minority culture• Assistant financing - funding assistant library does not have resources• In the Czech Republic libraries aren´t accepted like aeducational

insitutions, they are eccepted just like a culture institutions and this isthe reason, why they can´t také money for pay this assistants

17

Milan Bindatsch – school asisstent• works as an schooll assistant at Gebauerova elementary school• the school is mostly attended by Roma children• Mr. Bindatsch intermidiates communication with the community, family

and school• During extracurricular and leisure activities and provides support to the

teacher

18

11/29/19

10

We and ISOTIS• our experience for ISOTIS :• two branches works with children from excluded locations• education of Roma children• organizing educational and leisure activities for children• many years' experience of librarians working with children and

youth

• what ISOTIS gave us :• common goal: equal access to education• realization our ideas• new teaching thanks to new technologies• participate in the creation of the VLE application

19

Thank you for your attentionBc. Petra Sitárovásitarova@kmo.cz

andMilan Bindatsch

20

11/29/19

11

Agrupamento de Escolas de CorucheBehind and Beyond Glass Classrooms

28th and 29th november 2019

21

The educational intervention in the “Glass Classrooms” provides, visible tothe relatives and with their participation, pre-school education activitieswhich offer children the contact with diverse materials and experiencessimilar to the ones they develop in their Kindergarten. To make it possible, theEPEI team carries the materials needed and develops dynamics in a centraland “neutral” area of the Roma neighbourhood

22

11/29/19

12

Behind andBeyond GlassClassrooms

23

24

11/29/19

13

25

26

11/29/19

14

27

28

11/29/19

15

29

30

11/29/19

16

31

32

11/29/19

17

33

34

11/29/19

18

With the families

35

36

11/29/19

19

37

38

11/29/19

20

Parenting skills programme

39

40

11/29/19

21

41

42

11/29/19

22

43

Families awareness raising(Early Intervention)

44

11/29/19

23

Moment of informal sharing

45

Families sharing moment(Kindergarten)

46

11/29/19

24

47

48

11/29/19

25

Thank you!

49

SUPERAR< Superar > Abl., lat. < superare > to overcome (boundaries) – to surpass(oneself)

Equality & Inclusion Conference, Utrecht, NL November 28, 2019

50

11/29/19

26

Superar in Plavecky Stvrtok

A story how a music education program

Helped to break racial segregationAnd re-connected a divided

community.

51

Roma exclusion in Slovakia

52

11/29/19

27

SUPERAR IS:

•Music education program open to all children•Regular, intense, long term development program •Free of charge for all participating children•Focussed on age 6-12+ preschool preparation (3-6)•Program activities:

•Regular concerts and appearances•Common music camps•Multi-cultural repertoire•Celebrating diversity

Who we are

53

Superar is inclusive

Photo: Superar music lesson in A Vagac primary school, Detva

54

11/29/19

28

Regular, accessible, intense

• School children 4+ lessons / week• Pre-school min 1 lesson / week• In curicullum + after school• In locations divided by social or ethnic tension• Engaging excluded, segregated children – but always

integrating them with others• Free of charge for all• No pre-selection criteria, no “talent hunting“

Superar is:

55

Superar breaking segregation

Photo: joint rehearsal of children from PS Narnia and PS Plavecký Štvrtok

56

11/29/19

29

Inclusion

•Equal treatment and access for all children•We seek talent hidden in every child•We mix children with different background (social, ethnic, confessional, others)•Children with special needs are included and are part of allour activities, we help them to find role they feelcomfortable enough – but still challenging•Every child deserves to experience success and appreciation, everybody participates in performances

Key principles

57

07/2018 – Superar @ Austrian EU Presidency event

Shared success – important events

58

11/29/19

30

Active musicmaking

• engages nearly all brain areas into a „neural workout“ • enhances creativity, mainly via improvisation and

composition;• requires sustained attention, goal-directed behaviour and

cognitive flexibility which can transfer to other activities• increases social inclusion, pro-social behaviour, a sense of

belonging and team work; • encourages empathy, emotional sensitivity, tolerance and

the development of social ethics

The neuroscience of music

59

Learning in joy

Photo: Superar summer camp – children from segregated, „Roma only“ school in Plavecky Svrtok

60

11/29/19

31

Personal development

•Impact on focus, ability to learn complicated content, cognitive flexibility• Impovement of discipline, perseverance, joy of learning, well being•Enhanced motivation, self-awareness, understandinghis/hers own abilities•Learning to gradual improvements of own abilities, embracing long term goals•Improves self-presentation skills, self esteem

Results & Observations

61

Developing focus and attention of children

Small 2-3 minute games help us to re-gain attention of children

62

11/29/19

32

Re-connecting communities

TV newscast piece – children from Plavecky Stvrtok starring in Vienna

63

Photo: Superar lesson in Plavecky Stvrtok primary school

Thank you!

64

11/29/19

33

contact: Civic Association Superar Slovakia

Budkova 22, Bratislava 81103www.superar.sk

mail: marek.kapusta@superar.sk

65

The case of the Roma: quest for the inner resources and supportive mechanisms across Europe

66

11/29/19

34

Roma symposium DISCUSSION

IntroductionAljoša Rudaš, International Step by Step Association, NetherlandsKateřina Sidiropulu Janků, Masaryk University, Czech Republic

Analytical perspectivesIoanna Strataki, Hellenic Open University, Patra, Greece

Promising practicesPetra Sitárová, Romaňi Kereka/Ostrava City Library, Czech RepublicMilan Bindatsch, ZŠ Ibsenova & Ostrava City Library, Czech RepublicIsabel Cordeiro, Agrupamento de Escolas de Coruche, PortugalMarek Kapusta, SUPERAR, Slovakia

WorkshopIvan Šiller, Slovakia Comenius University & SUPERAR, Slovakia

67