Social closeness and features that Roma school children assign to Serbs

Abstract

The results that we present here represent a part of the results of a repeated research, originally performed in one school and then extended to 23 schools in Belgrade, including a larger sample and a greater number of students-researchers. The subject of the research was: the quality of relations, the level of social closeness, and features that Rom children assign to children of the majority nation. Half the children gave neutral, a bit less of them somewhat less positive, and a very small percentage of children gave negative descriptions of the majority nation. All children included personality traits in their descriptions; almost all included behavior patterns; less than a half physical appearance; while only about ten children included material possessions. The frequency of particular features did not show any gender differences, although girls seem to have somewhat more positive views of the majority nation. Rom children demonstrated a high level of readiness to engage in relationships of various degrees with children of the majority nation. The results of re-examination were in accordance with the results of the original research. Rom children who are integrated in regular schools with children of the majority nation develop greater social closeness with them than the children who gain their education in segregated conditions (the first research). The results bear significant implications for work and education of different profiles of practitioners and call for application of positive strategies in Rom education at all educational levels.

Rezultati koje ovde saopštavamo deo su rezultata ponovljenog istraživanja koje je prvobitno izvedeno u jednoj školi, a potom prošireno na 23 škole na teritoriji Beograda, na većem uzorku ispitanika i sa većim brojem studenata-istraživača. Predmet ispitivanja bili su kvalitet druženja i osobine koje deca Roma pripisuju deci većinskog naroda, i socijalna bliskost s njima. Polovina dece daje neutralan, nešto manje pozitivan, a veoma mali procenat negativan opis većinskog naroda. Sva deca su u opis uvrstila osobine ličnosti, skoro sva odlike ponašanja, manje od polovine odlike fizičkog izgleda, dok desetina u opis uključuje posedovanje neke imovine. U učestalosti navođenja određenih osobina nisu utvrđene značajne polne razlike, iako devojčice češće daju pozitivan opis većinskog naroda. Deca Roma pokazala su visoku spremnost za stupanje u odnose različitog stepena bliskosti sa decom većinskog naroda. Rezultati ponovljenog slažu se sa nalazima prvobitnog istraživanja. Razlika je u većoj socijalnoj bliskosti dece Roma integrisane u redovni školski sistem sa decom većinskog naroda, u odnosu na učenike koji se školuju u segregiranim uslovima (prvo istraživanje). Rezultati imaju značajne implikacije za rad i obrazovanje različitih profila stručnjaka i sugerišu primenu pozitivnih strategija u obrazovanju Roma na svim nivoima školovanja.