Formal education vs. informal education in the Roma community—a silent confrontation where nobody wins

ObjectivesOur main aim was to identify the advantages and disadvantages that the Roma relate to formal education vs. informal education, a discrepancy in the balance between the two can enrich the explanations regarding their low level of schooling—which hinders their social inclusion.MethodThere we...

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Main Authors: Margareta Herțanu, Camelia Soponaru, Ancuța E. Păduraru
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1225113/full
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author Margareta Herțanu
Camelia Soponaru
Ancuța E. Păduraru
author_facet Margareta Herțanu
Camelia Soponaru
Ancuța E. Păduraru
author_sort Margareta Herțanu
collection DOAJ
description ObjectivesOur main aim was to identify the advantages and disadvantages that the Roma relate to formal education vs. informal education, a discrepancy in the balance between the two can enrich the explanations regarding their low level of schooling—which hinders their social inclusion.MethodThere were 28 participants of Roma ethnicity, aged between 19 and 52 years old, who took part in the study: 15 were married, 13 were single, all of them school graduates. The design of the study is a qualitative one and the data was collected by means of three focus groups, based on a semi-structured interview. The data was analysed by using the method of content analysis.ResultsIn addition to the disadvantages related to institutional and economic factors, the Roma encounter in schools that belong to the cultural majority difficulties related to language and a lack of elements belonging to their culture. While they get used to the culture of the majority, they feel that they lose their own identity and that they are silently excluded from their community.ConclusionFormal education is seen as a way of personal development and as a path to an advantageous job, a door of access to the majority culture. However, informal education seems to win all the time, as a result of the family sovereignty and the fact that it is the central factor in the transmission and preservation of the Roma culture.
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spelling doaj.art-b47430d7ade440cc8b34d45f80763ca02023-08-25T07:32:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2023-08-01810.3389/feduc.2023.12251131225113Formal education vs. informal education in the Roma community—a silent confrontation where nobody winsMargareta HerțanuCamelia SoponaruAncuța E. PăduraruObjectivesOur main aim was to identify the advantages and disadvantages that the Roma relate to formal education vs. informal education, a discrepancy in the balance between the two can enrich the explanations regarding their low level of schooling—which hinders their social inclusion.MethodThere were 28 participants of Roma ethnicity, aged between 19 and 52 years old, who took part in the study: 15 were married, 13 were single, all of them school graduates. The design of the study is a qualitative one and the data was collected by means of three focus groups, based on a semi-structured interview. The data was analysed by using the method of content analysis.ResultsIn addition to the disadvantages related to institutional and economic factors, the Roma encounter in schools that belong to the cultural majority difficulties related to language and a lack of elements belonging to their culture. While they get used to the culture of the majority, they feel that they lose their own identity and that they are silently excluded from their community.ConclusionFormal education is seen as a way of personal development and as a path to an advantageous job, a door of access to the majority culture. However, informal education seems to win all the time, as a result of the family sovereignty and the fact that it is the central factor in the transmission and preservation of the Roma culture.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1225113/fullRomaformal educationinformal educationsocial inclusiondiscriminationethnic self-exclusion
spellingShingle Margareta Herțanu
Camelia Soponaru
Ancuța E. Păduraru
Formal education vs. informal education in the Roma community—a silent confrontation where nobody wins
Frontiers in Education
Roma
formal education
informal education
social inclusion
discrimination
ethnic self-exclusion
title Formal education vs. informal education in the Roma community—a silent confrontation where nobody wins
title_full Formal education vs. informal education in the Roma community—a silent confrontation where nobody wins
title_fullStr Formal education vs. informal education in the Roma community—a silent confrontation where nobody wins
title_full_unstemmed Formal education vs. informal education in the Roma community—a silent confrontation where nobody wins
title_short Formal education vs. informal education in the Roma community—a silent confrontation where nobody wins
title_sort formal education vs informal education in the roma community a silent confrontation where nobody wins
topic Roma
formal education
informal education
social inclusion
discrimination
ethnic self-exclusion
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1225113/full
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