INCREASING EQUITABLE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR MEMBERS OF ROMA COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Objective

To escape racial violence and discrimination, many Roma people moved from the Czech Republic (CR) to the United Kingdom (UK) in the 1990s. Using an interdisciplinary, phenomenological approach, the Fellow will conduct up to 30 in-depth, personal interviews with Roma people who hold higher education degrees, and whose life-chances improved significantly as a result of their migration. Compared with similar data recently collected in the CR, and complemented by a documentary review of relevant policies and practices in the UK and the CR, the findings will highlight strategies that Roma people use towards inclusion in educational and social settings, and how institutional/policy approaches may aid or hinder this in both countries. This study goes beyond state-of-the-art research by counter-balancing the large body of deficit-focused literature, which pathologises marginalised groups. It will use the intersectionality lens, and novel cultural psychology insights to explore not only how structural and systemic conditions that create inequalities increase vulnerability, but also how policies which leverage the potential inherent in Roma cultures and identities can facilitate resilience, well-being and educational attainment. Understanding how strengths-based models can be built on target populations’ perspectives, and interventions designed in culturally consonant ways, is of interest not only to practitioners and policy-makers, but also to racialised/marginalised minority individuals. By facilitating educational attainment of marginalised persons, to enhance their employment prospects, this project will contribute to fulfilling the Europe 2020 Strategy for New Skills and Jobs. It will enable UK education professionals to better understand their students’ socio-cultural backgrounds, and aid higher education institutions in promoting diversity across Europe. The proposed research, training and knowledge transfer will enhance the future prospects of both the Fellow and ARU.