Gyermekvédelem és iskola

Author(s): Aranka Varga / Language(s): Hungarian

INTRODUCTION The lives of children and youngsters who grew up without family has been handled in various ways throughout history. From the Middle Ages social provision was spreading continuously, and in modern times new orders were made in protection of the children. Nowadays the main question is what kind of care those children receive who are forced to live without their families. Whether we are looking at national or international research concerning child welfare, we can see that their life is harder than those children who live with their family.In this work we are examining how people’s lives change. in their transition from family life to being raised in the child welfare system. Can they make up for their backwardness, and will they have a chance to fit into the society by the time they are adults? These days one of the main concerns in fitting into society is how well educated one is when entering adulthood. This is already important when one starts life with a strong family background, but even more so if that is missing. The work will explore those factorss that promote or inhibit successful learning in the lives of people who grew up without family, and on this basis it will list some suggestions in order to give a solution for the problems. THE EXAMINED GROUP In colloquial Hungarian the term 'államigondozott’(’lookedafter by the state’) is used for all children and youngsters who grow up without family under the government's supervision. This term has been legal for decades, although the latest childcare law, which was introduced in 1998, does not use this expression. According to the law ’child welfare provision providing one with home’ (Gyvt. 52. §) (children's home and foster parents) we can talk about where children, who were taken from their family and brought up by the government are placed. In this dissertation the expression 'children in care' will be used when discussing children living in provision as the examined group. Children and youth in this group often refer to themselves as zacis ('pawnshop') and gyivis (a slang and pejorative abbreviation coming from the Hungarian name of the child welfare system). Those outside the system refer to the young people as ' állami gondozott’(’looked after by the state’)19 Szeretném megköszönni Karcagi Szilviának és Heather Tidrich-nek az angol nyelvű összefoglaló¬hoz nyújtott segítséget.• According to the protection of children law: ’Child welfare provision supplying one with a home (data from December 2006)• Temporary (~10%), transitional (~80%), permanent (~10%) foster• In children’s home (~50%), living with foster parents (~50%)• 0-18 years compulsorily provided (~eighteen thousand people), 18-25 years after- care (~four thousand people)’ THE TOPIC The reason for the choice of the topic of dissertation is complex. Currently in Hungary there is not enough research providing countrywide statistics and a closer look at the reasons for educational failure among children in child welfare. The research studies that were completed after the political transformation concerning the issue were limited and dated.We are lacking national social and educational policies that would specifically focus on increasing educational success among those growing up in child welfare. In the meantime we can see from the national statistical data prepared yearly by the social sphere, that most foster care youth start life with a type of education that they can hardly manage in the labour market. As a consequence the social integration of children growing up in child welfare is probably barely successful.A further aim of the dissertation is to make a more precise observation about children living in child welfare and about their education and their social integration, with the help of an empirical study. Another goal is to try to make a connection between the services provided in child welfare supply system and the educational success of the foster care youth. Another important purpose is to find out howthe educational and the civil spheres complement the work of the social sphere, and what type of opportunities do they use or fail to use in order to help children growing up in child welfare. RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS The basic question of the study is what educational strategies the state uses during the socialization process for children and youth in the child welfare system, who are lacking social and economic capital, in order to facilitate the youths’social integration.- While looking at this question we shall see what kind of services the social supply system provides on a legal and professional basis.• Here we take into consideration that the social supply system has its historical heritage and a continuously changing nature, with a special emphasis on how it tries to respond to failures occurring in the field of education.• Another crucial aspect is to examinewhether there is any opportunity in the social supply system that takes into account the special educaional situation of those living in child welfare.• While answering the questions we relied on the opinion of the concerned (people living and working in child welfare) with the help of the regional empirical research mentioned above.- We further inquire how the educational, civil, and social sectors relate in the care of children in the child welfare system. To what extent is this connection systemetized: are the roles and responsibilities organized and shared among the different players, or are they deflected from one sector to another?• We will also touch on the role civil organizations or other players in the civil sphere can play in school success. We also examine what additional features are provided through the involvement of such organizations in the development of these youth. We hypothesize that only through the systematic involvement of all three sectors will they find success.• Different sources help to get closer to the issue such as: the above mentioned empirical research, the strategies on national educational policy and the documents of civil organizations.Besides these research questions we pose several additional questions, outlined below.1. We think that the reasons thatpeople living in child welfare have low education and an educational level rarely applicable in the labour market are because they already have backwardness when they enter the system, and the system is missing developmental services. So, the dissertation started from the assumption that although the child welfare system underwent transformations after the state socialist period that have created the conditions for successful education, in practice the services related to professional development are still incomplete. It means that the structure is suitable for children to get into a favourable placement (whether in foster care or in a children's home), but the necessary financial and human resources are still unavailable for the support of successful schooling. We looked for proof for this assumption within the empirical research.2. Another of our zero-hypotheses is that there are verifiable differences in the education and career of children living in various environments (i.e. with foster parents or in a children's home). The difference originates from the social opportunities and limits of these two types of accommodation. The foster parents' provision has a higher chance of providing family socialization and offers more options for successful education than does the institution of a children's home. However, this success also requires that the workers (foster parents, teachers) at both types of placement be well prepared and cooperative. We assume that implementation of the child welfare system, does not currently realize the full possibilities and advantages of the available types of placements and this problem is evidentin the degree of educational success among children living in child welfare. These statements were provenwithin the empirical research.3. We assume also that the educational policy took notice of the schooling problems of those living in child welfare, yet it does not have a well organized plan. There is not a wide range of cooperation either regularly or in the daily practice between the social and educational sector to improve the schooling situation of those living in child welfare. The review of the documents on educational policy gave a general answer and the empirical research gave a daily practical one for this topic.4. Our presupposition regarding civil sphere, namely that in civil organizational frame it is possible to give additional services, which efficiently and successfully completes the state supply system in order to help the social integration of those living in child welfare. On this field - primarily with the analysis of documents - we examined what are the activities possible to be carried out in civil organizational frame which work well in practice. We wished to prove our presupposition with this. RESEARCH METHODS The following gave the basis for the empirical research: the theoretical background and the results of research outlined in the previous chapters, the data of child welfare statistics and political documents. We wished to discover the reasons for school success and school failure. The purpose was to learn how those involved in the system (youngsters growing up in child welfare, young adults who are already out of child welfare as well as the workers in the system) see the question of schooling, from the perspective of their own life situation and experiences.Our presuppositions before the research included the following:1. That the the present tools and resources of the child welfare supply system is unable to compensate for the backwardness showed before getting into the sytem - which might be directly or indirectly connected to schooling -2. We also thought that the foster parents’ network is more suitable to make up for the absence of the child’s family, though the present foster parents’ capacity is not yet prepared to satisfy the needs for school success.3. From the overview of the educational policy it could be seen that there is not a systemic strategy to help the school success of those living in child welfare. We assumed that the emphasis of school in the young people’s progress is occasional even in daily practice and the youths’ cooperation with the workers in social and educational sectors is incidental.The areas for the empirical research were Baranya, Somogy and Tolna counties. When choosing the research sites a main factor was whether a study made among young people from one county would not provide us with comparison and show the differences in the counties’ child welfare systems. By having chosen these three counties we can get a picture about one region. This image may be different in some ways from the nationwide situation; however, we believe that the structure of the research makes it possible to draw some conclusions from the results regarding characteristics of other child welfare sytems in other parts of the country.The child welfare sytem of these three counties will be demonstrated through statistics, written documents and interviews made with the directors.After this we made a questionnaire. The sample is complete: all young people in the region in children's home from age twelve to eighteen got into the sample. The adults (foster parents, teachers) who look after these children served as sub- samples. They were asked their opinion about the children affected.The reason for the choice of the age group is that the young people aged between twelve and eighteen are most probably students and in the age where they can answer the various self-filling questions in the questionnaire without help. The questionnaires sent out for the adults working in child welfare were served to complete the answers of the young person and to represent the pedagogical aspect.The questionnaires were sent out for 1204 young people living in child welfare and for adults working with them. In Baranya county, 449; in Somogy county, 507; and in Tolna county, 248 young people received a questionnaire. When an adult was dealing with more young people he or she received as many questionnaires as young people he or she was involved with in the sample. From the county child welfare we received, crosschecked and checked the lists of the addressees.We sent out the questionnaires through the post in September 2006 and they were returned at the end of November the same year. About half of the questionnaires were sent back to us and out of these 99% were valid. (According to the technical literature this is a very good result, which can be explained by our previous contact with the individuals.) The questionnaires were processed with the help of SPSS software in the spring of 2007.When putting the questions together we relied on the ideas put forward in the study of Mrs. Veress (2004).- The first part of the questions were focused on how the young people's affections and their social network were shaped. We assumed that social capital of those living in child welfare were damaged, and this is one of the reasons for their failure in school. The research question explored how a stable social network could be re-established in this situation, and which persons had the potential to serve as social capital for the young person.- With the next group of questions we were trying to discover to what extent certain personal characteristics established in primary school - openness, interest, independence of decisionmaking - remain characteristics of the examined group.- We assumed that due to the barriers of the system, those growing up in child welfare, especially those living in children's homes, get have fewer opportunities in which their decisionmaking strategies concerning their lives would be shaped.- The third group of questions were examining what kind of role models the examined group had available in their environment at the age of self-identity formation, and in what ways they influenced the character they need for successful social integration. The conjecture behind this series of questions is that the points of reference of those growing up in child welfare are more insecure and varied than they are for their peers growing up in a family environment.In all the aspects of the questionnaire the emphasis was educational opportunities and failures. These series of questions were still crucial at the time that we later conducted deep inteviews, which also explored individual life events and with questions of ethnic identity.The questionnaire that was given to the caretakers included the same questions as that for the children, albeit from an adult and worker point-of-view. In addition, we asked the caretakers about their professional proficiencies and possibilities for cooperation with other sectors, in order to examine what kind of services the child welfare system can offer in the way of human resources.The interviews comprised the other empirical part of the research. Our purpose was to gain further answers from the research made up of questionnaires. We chose the interviewees with the ’snowball’ method. THE RESULTS OF THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH THE FEELING OF INSECURITY One of the characteristics of the examined young people is that they repeatedly had to change accommodation, which reduced their feeling of security. In addition, their relationship with the caretakers responsible for them was no longer than three years. The reason for the unstable emotional connection of those living in child welfare is that at least half of them do not remember their caretaker from their childhood, and most of those that do remember do not keep any connection with their caretaker. Their relationships with their families are highly complex, ambivalent and intense: theycontain disappointment, love and lack thereof at the same time. According to the youth, they easily make friends with their peers, although from the number of their friends it is inferred that these relationships are neither very deep nor very long-lasting.When naming rolemodels, foster parents, fellow friends and blood-related members of family appear in high proportion, which suggests that in those cases where a lasting emotional connection is formed, the relationship is significant and meaningful..It plays a part in the relationships that most of the questioned young people have already had personal experiences facing negative discrimination. This leads to further separation, feelings of insecurity and barriers in personality development. The results of the research show that the child welfare supply system is unable to create emotional security for those living there, which could be a basis for their successful learning. ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND SERVICES Young people between the ages of twelve and eighteen who live in the child welfare system of the regionlive in smaller settlements at a higher rate than the national average. This factor can limit their access to education. As a consequence, the young people’s disadvantage is increased by the settlement’s limitations.The members of the examined group take part in the public education system just as such youth do in nationwide child welfare. So they are overrepresented in the education with different curriculum. In the course of their primary education their failure rate (repeating school year, retake exam, absence) is much higher than the national average. Their further studies are characterized by their choosing such professional directions thatare unlikely to be applicable in the labour market.The examined students have more free time than their peer group, they sacrifice less time for their study and their results fall considerably behind those of their contemporaries. This is the case in both types of placement (foster parents, children’s home), despite the fact that the foster parents are better supplied with materials, children may feel more at home, and these parents receive children with fewer existing problems. According to these facts you can therefore state that the emergence of a foster parents’ network has only created the frame for more home- like accommodation, but professional preparedness and awide range of services are still lackingin this field. This assertion is supported by the low educational level of the foster parents seen from our research data as well as the high number of young people answering the questions who neither ask nor receive help from their foster parents. YOUNG PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS AND MOTIVATION We should also point out that most of the caretakers did not report school-related problems despite the fact that the schooling data in our study lags behind the nationwide average. We conclude based on this contradiction that the caretakers do not emphasize higher educational attainment Additional services are necessary for these young people, who start with multiple disadvantages, in order to improve their educational attainment in this environmentBoth the young people and their caretakers outline a picture of those growing up in child welfare that shows repeated tendencies of assimilation into the lowest social strata. As long as this is the realistic image of the future - and why should it be otherwise? -, it means that both the young people and their caretakers are aware of the fact that the child welfarey system is unable to create instruments of socialization that would result in social mobility, and this also works as a self-fulfilling prophecy. INCLUSIVE PEDAGOGICAL ENVIRONMENT Most of the young people interviewed could recount a school experience when they were negatively discriminated because of their life circumstances. They experienced this discrimination primarily from peers but occasionally from teachers. This means that in many cases, a school environment without stereotype has not yet been developed, one which would result in the real acceptance of those growing up in child welfare. Meanwhile, their disadvantages are increased by exclusion and as a consequence by a lower sense of self-esteem.This is supported by the the fact that only a small number of the young people interviewed indicated that in the other series of questions (regarding learning, choice of career, free time etc.) they primarily received help from the school. So, for the school it is not a major task to create an individual educational (inclusive) environment for those living in child welfare. The education they receive in the schools is rather traditional and uses the homogeneous strategies that characterize the Hungarian educational system. This problem is intensified by the fact that some of the young people are placed in segregated education in lower qualified schools. COOPERATION WITHIN SECTORS The questionnaires made with the caretakers, the deep interviews and the discussions made with the focal group clearly demonstrate that there is no systemic cooperation between the educational and the social sectors. If the caretaker felt the need to contact the school then she or he will, but the school did not initiate connection with the caretakers, during the time that the research was carried out. This mirrors the view that those in the education system believe that the child is secure in all fields since he is in the child welfare system. This is supported by the fact that in the answers the young people provided concerning helpful characters in their school success, teachers hardly appear. A SUMMARISED CONCLUSION OF THE RESEARCH On the basis of our research results, we can draw the conclusion that the Hungarian child welfare situation is quite similar to the one in England.The similarity of the two systems would suggest similar results. Based on more comprehensive research in the UK, we conclude that the children and young people brought up (temporarily or permanently) in the Hungarian child welfare system, regardless of the their type of placement, will most likely be distributed in the bottom ten percent of society, as the UK researchers found was the case in their study Therefore, they will have a high chance for social exclusion. If we also take into account the fact that more than half of these young people will start their individual adult life without any family support or social assets, their successful social integration appears even more doubtful.The initial hypotheses were proved.• The child welfare system does not have the appropriate quantity or quality of resources for services supporting school success. This is demonstrated by the tightness in financial resources.• This can be observed in shortcomings like the limitations in human resources, especially in the areas of professional and educational attainment, which is principally manifested in the foster parents network.• There is not a systemic cooperation between the social and the educational sector. The education does not involve itself in the solutions of the problems in the amount that it could be represented in the school success of those living in child welfare. CONCLUSIONS The initial question of the dissertation was: what educational strategies the state uses during the socialization process for children and youth in the child welfare system, who are lacking social and economic capital,. in order to facilitate the youths’ social integrationThe school success or failure of children living in child welfare was first looked at on the basis of statistical data. These data clearly indicate that the degree of educational attainment of the examined group falls far behind the national average.While these outcomes reflect problems in educational attainment and inadequate support of education for youth in the child welfare system, the policies tell a different story. Support for school success is an important feature of the documents (laws, orders, conceptions) concerning child welfare.Through illuminating the situation and the needs of the affected (those growing up in child welfare and the workers in the system) and analysing national and international innovation, the main problems and solutions become visible, which empowers us to transform the system and decrease the distance between intention and reality.Our hypotheses were proved by the research1. It was proved that the low educational attainment of those living in child welfare is caused by their falling behind when getting into the system as well as the time spent in the system without adequate services. Although changes in the attitude and structure of the child welfare system already reflects the conditions of successful education, the services concerning professional development are still deficient. The necessary human resources are not available.2. The absence of human resources (absence of cooperation and professional preparedness of foster parents and other caretakers in the system) is reflected in the fact that even being taken care of by foster parents will not lead to the child’s demonstrable success in education. The reason for this could be that the preparedness (educational, professional) of the foster parents is not adequate.3. We proved that the relationship of the different sectors is unsystematic in child welfare; there is not an attuned plan of action and achievement, neither generally nor in daily practice.4. As partly introduced in the dissertation, the cases of the English child welfare development and the Hungarian civil service sector showed that there have already been some positive examples of attempts that have led to improvement in the educational success of those living in child welfare. In all cases, the additional services are characterized by sensitivity to the needs of individuals and cooperation, namely to make those kind of sytems work. Thus, we considerthese solutions to be inclusive, and we consider this inclusivity to be of crucialimportance in many ways for those growing up in child welfare.- For the perfection of a person, for self-actualization, one needs to be surrounded with an inclusive environment across different sectors. If we take the levels of hierarchy of needs written down by Maslow and well known as the basis of personality psychology, then as a first step for reception one's physiological needs must be met. (Carver-Scheier 1998). For a child, it means that his basic needs must be met. This is truly the first task, especially in the case of those children who were regularly suffering from hunger because of the social situation of their families or because they were neglected. It seems that on this level the child welfare system is able to do its job.- The next step is the satisfaction of the living needs, which gives a foundation for one's feeling of security. This is basically achieved while getting into the child welfare system, since soon after the placement in temporary accommodation the child's permanent placement should be organized. This can mean foster parents or a children's home and from a legal sense can be either transitional or durable. As our research has demonstrated, the accommodation that must make up for the family home may be changed many times, and with this instability the feeling of security decreases. As reported by the respondents living in child welfare, these youth have lost the secure environment of their family at least once, and they perceive that their placement in the child welfare system is temporary and can change any time. Being admitted to a children's home can mean a temporary solution for the children and even the most favourable form of accommodation will not result in total stability.- This is made stronger by the fact that at the next level of needs is love and the idea of belonging somewhere, which are uncertain factors during the process of getting into child welfare. The social relations of the child will be automatically disrupted when leaving the family and it will only get worse if he also has to change caretaker many times. The reason for this can be - as the research presented - that either the child changes places or the people change within the environment of the child. As a consequence, a close emotional relationship based on mutual, unconditional trust and acceptance cannot take shape and as a result the child's social capital will be harmed. The needs for esteem could be built on this, through which the individual could experience that his abilities are appreciated, his positive features are recognized and his self-confidence is strengthened by those important to him. The weak and continuously changing system of social relations stop the formation of self-esteem, since there are not any stable points of reference (people, groups) which would steadily keep up the feeling of respect. This absence of self-esteem and respect is exacerbated by experiences of negative social judgement, which surrounds the children under state care especially if they are of Gypsy ethnicity.- The process of self-actualization that sits at the top of the hierarchy of- which we can also interpret as the successful merging within society - cannot becompleted without satisfying the needs at the lower levels. According to Maslow the fulfillment of the needs at the lower levels is primary and the activities directed to them draw the attention away from the needs located at the higher levels. As a result only the needs from the lower levels - that are optimally satisfied - are able to make it possible for the individual to be engaged in his own self-actualization.For the young people living in child welfare this inclusive environment should be created which helps their understanding of themselves. They need an environment that effectively helps to get rid of the unpleasantness of the gaps in the lower levels and which secures the experience of self-actualization.- In order to fulfil the needs of physiology and security the child must get into accommodation which is not only supplied with appropriate tools but also which is seen permanent for the child. It is clear for those living in children’s home temporarily - their getting back to their family should be continuously supported - that creating a feeling of permanence is not simple but that uncertainity can be reduced if the child does not have to change their accommodation.- The social segment of the feeling of security is the environment of the welfare- centre. Its stability is just as important as its location. It is here where the social net must be formed, which means stable and permanent relationships for the child in order to secure the real feeling of belonging somewhere. In this field two important groups can represent the basis of the social assets: the caretakers (foster parents, pedagogue at the children’s home) and their fellow peers.• Placements with foster parents provide more of a chance for the development of personal relationships than does the children’s home, where pedagogues are kept on changing shifts. This is why it is necessary to support a higher rate of children’s placements with foster parents. However, this can only be effective if the foster parents have truly prepared for the task. The research demonstrated that the foster parents’ educational level as well as their knowledge on pedagogy and psychology are lacking. This results in the fact that the upbringing of the children living in child welfare and arriving with a lot of problems often ends up in failure. In puberty - when the problems naturally occur due to the age of the child - a large number of young people go back to the children’s home. The reason is that in the absence of individual social and developmental skills for processing repeated life failures the young person experiences significant personal difficulties. That is why along with the repeated training of the foster parents it is also important to form a foster parents network, based on horizontal study that would help their professional work on a daily basis.• The other group serving social security is the contemporary group. As we have covered it previously, for those growing up without family the collectivity of the young people who have experienced similar circumstances entails a strong social asset and emotional connection. This does not neccessarily happen, especially in the case of those young people who are deeply injured emotionally. In most cases the basis of their social relationships, their 'ancient trust' - to use the term by Erikson -was lost in their childhood (Carver-Scheier 1998). The reseach showed too that spontaneous peer relations are not strong or long-lasting. It is necessary to have pedagogical planning and direction to create stable and deep contemporary relationships among those living in child welfare. With the help of this, the peer group can become the basis of norms and values that can create a real connection. The case study in the dissertation about the Faág Baráti Kör Egyesület (Tree branch Circle of Friends Association) is an example of that.- To satisfy the needs of esteem (at the next level in Maslow's pyramid of needs), it is an essential condition to experience the feeling of belonging somewhere. Satisfying these conditions (physiology, physical security and a loving atmosphere) guarantees a sense of acceptance for children, who also need to experience a feeling of being appreciated through positive evaluation of their behavior by others. The basis of the evaluation is individual accomplishment, which in order to be reached requires a cohesive pedagogical course. As long as we look at the caretakers as those who should substitute the family roles then their task primarily is to create such environment which serves to satisfy needs such as: physiological, physical and psychological. The respect (the improvement, strengthening and positive evaluation of the features of the individual) must also come from the wider environment. It is necessary that in addition to the social sector, the educational sector also take part in the work aiming to develop the child's personality, the way it was illustrated in the English example. SUGGESTIONS The formation of a life-path plan (a document called PEP in the English example) should be created by the young people growing up in child welfare, together with their teachers and caretakers. It should be based on continuous improvement, follow up, positive feedback and cooperation.This can be built into the system of services if the Hungarian educational policy truly pays attention to the situation of those living in child welfare and it involves these children in the circle of the disadvantaged students. The professional network supporting the school success of students with a disadvantaged background could be completed with the other sector. This sector could formulate new types of cooperation and pedagogical processes through cooperative, mutual learning.The civil sphere should also be connected to these other sectors in order to create this greater sense of inclusion for the youths. Two important fields of social psychology could be covered with the help of the peer group: the youth's increased self-esteem from relations with peers could serve as a point of reference in the process of developing personal values and decisionmaking strategies, which would help the young person to process the negative effects coming from outside. The involvement of the civil sphere strengthens the horizontal cooperation of the professional network of child welfare workers.An inclusive pedagogical environment could be shaped in this way for children growing up without their family, helping them to enhance their school success and gain cultural capital. When attention to the youth is multi-faceted, planned and personal, it takes the individual child’sneeds into account sothe conditions for self- fulfilment are available.The child living in child welfare is surrounded with an inclusive environment, which promotes social acceptance, a feeling of security and positive future prospects in all ways.One of the main conditions for shaping an inclusive pedagogical environment is that the cooperation of the characters within and among various sectors should be based on the best interests of the young people growing up in child welfare.In this cooperation the following principles simultaneously operate: equal participation, parallel interactions, individual responsibility and testing, building and motivating interdependence. These features listed are also known as the principles of cooperation.This cooperation can also result in the existence of quality criteria in the schools amd childcare and in this way the child development process for these youths could be more effective, successful and equitable.- The effectiveness could be seen in characters making simultaneous and organized efforts for a mutual purpose, for achieving the success of the children. The effectiveness is strengthened by the tasks that makes one active during cooperation. The interdependence and the continuous communication makes up for the individual responsibility. The effectiveness is also increased by the fact that the development process is made for individuals (both from the aspects of the tasks of the helpers and and from the children involved in the improvement) which gives way for knowledge, opportunities and strengths to be opened up.- The development process becomes more effective because the child receives multiple, individually tailored influences from those participants taking part in the cooperation. The child also involves himself in his own development process so we can count on long-lasting results. At this point the mutual evaluation plays a major improving role where the child receives a continuous feedback about his development and about his role in this development.- The development will be more fair if the basic democratic rights of equal participation and access will be provided for all participants on the grounds of the principles of cooperation. This way all the participants, children and young people taking part in the development can personally (according to their abilities, directions, capacities and attitudes) shoulder tasks and receive services. The practical realization of the development intention directed to young people living in child welfare is completed with the collective collaboration along the principles of cooperation. The active inclusive environment can be formed this way, which creates equal opportunities for successful socialization and social integration.We can summarize the fact that the members of the examined group - those growing up in child welfare - are in a special situation concerning their family environment. Their shared characteristics are that they do not grow up in families, so their primary space of socialization is varied and unusual. A difference between those in the group is that some they grew up without family from birth or while others went into child welfare at a later stage. Whether they live in an institution (in a children's home) or a more familial environment (with foster parents) can be another point of difference. We can also notice comparisons in other areas too, as long as we examine these children individually and not as a group. It is demonstrable that the individual youths experience damage to both their primary area of socialization and their social capital. This situation fundamentally influences their degree of success in education.It is observable that in the case of these children there are many features of their life circumstances about which we have very little knowledge. We cannot expect educational success without the knowledge of the individual life-stories, the creation of the inclusive environment and the pedagogical services.Only an inclusive insitutional space for socialization - with the qualities of the inclusive pedagogy outlined above - can stop the social exclusion of young people growing up in child welfare. This environment should secure the youth's existing capital and promote his or her lacking capital on the basis of the youth's individual abilities and social peculiarities.In this way can the child begin the process of successful social integration.

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HELSINŠKE SVESKE №14: Vlasi ili Rumuni iz istočne Srbije i “Vlaško pitanje”

Author(s): Dragomir Dragić / Language(s): Romanian,Serbian

(Serbian and Romanian edition) Uoči popisa stanovništva u Saveznoj republici Jugoslaviji, odnosno u Republici Srbiji, neophodno je detabuizirati tzv. “vlaško pitanje”. Naime, postoji neodrživo nasleđe u tumačenju forme i sadržaja ovoga pitanja. U ovoj brošuri Forum za kulturu Vlaha (na vlaškom: Forumu' pėntru Cultura a Rumâńilor) govori o Vlasima u istočnoj Srbiji, tačnije rečeno između Morave, Dunava i Timoka, kao produktu romanizacije, a ne o nekoj kategoriji “vlaha” koji nemaju takav etnički predznak. Nekih drugih “vlaha” i nema na pomenutom prostoru, sem ako se ne izmisle. Romanizacija kao fenomen započeo je sa rimskim zaposedanjem Ilirika, na istočnoj obali Jadrana, u III veku pre nove ere, a na prostorima gde i danas žive na jezicima nepripadnika tzv. Vlasi, posle 168. godine p.n.e. Tada je nestala antička Makedonija da bi se na jugu Balkanskog poluostrva instaliralo Rimsko carstvo. Ovo carstvo se u prvom veku nove ere proširilo do Dunava, a sa Trajanovim osvajanjima, od 101. do 105. godine nove ere, i preko Dunava. Tako je nastala Trajanova Dakija koja opstaje do 271. godine n.e. Te godine, iz strateških razloga, po odluci imperatora Aurelijana, Rimljani i deo romanizovane populacije napuštaju prostore severno od Dunava, pa se južno od Dunava uspostavlja Aurelijanova Dakija. Ovde se nastavlja proces romanizacije autohtone populacije Tračana, kao i onih koji su iz različitih motiva došli ili su dovedeni sa raznih drugih strana Rimske imperije. Verovatno je taj proces osnažen i promenom u rimskoj legislaciji kroz unifikaciju statusa rimskih građana Ediktom imperatora Karakale 212. godine. Tako su se u jugoistočnoj Evropi rodili “Vlasi”. Zbog intenzivnosti tog procesa na karpatsko-podunavskom prostoru, istorijski gledano ovo šire područje se može označiti prostorom gde su se pojavili “Vlasi”, tj. to je “vlaški matični prostor”. U današnje vreme, imajući u vidu istorijske i antropološko-kulturološke promene koje su se dogodile u proteklih dva milenijuma, tako se može kvalifikovati samo današnja Rumunija. U etnogenetskim procesima, za koje se smatra da su se okončali od VII-X veka, ovaj balkanski element je dobio novo ruho. Njegovom uobličavanju u novi etnički entitet doprinos su dali i Sloveni u svom pomeranju na Balkanskom poluostrvu. U toku ili pri kraju takvog procesa došlo je do razdvajanja severnog i južnog ogranka ove populacije, koja se pod imenom Vlaha pominje u istoriji 976. godine, povodom pogibije Davida, brata cara Samuila. Još iz najranijih vremena Germani su susedne Kelte i Rimljane nazivali WALHOS. Kasnije se ova etnička odrednica suzila na romanizovane populacije koje su dobile svoju latinsku identifikaciju ROMANUS. Od ova dva naziva nastale su hipostaze koje poznajemo i u današnje vreme, uključujući i slovenski naziv “Vlah, Vlasi”, odnosno “vlaški”, na rumunskom književnom jeziku “Român, Români”, na rumunskom narodnom govoru “Rumân, Rumâni” (kao npr. u Dosoftejevom Psaltiru u stihovima na rumunskom iz 1673., te u Šerbanovoj Bibliji na rumunskom iz 1688., itd.), naime na muntenskom, krišanskom, maramureškom, moldavskom i banatskom narečju rumunskog jezika.

In Search of the Self: Reconciling the Past and the Present in Immigrants’ Experience

Author(s): Larisa Fialkova,Maria Yelenevskaya / Language(s): English

This book is a follow-up to our project devoted to personal narratives of ex-Soviets in Israel. Our original plan was to collect previously published articles dealing with immigration issues but differing from the main themes of our book Ex-Soviets in Israel: From Personal Narratives to a Group Portrait (Fialkova & Yelenevskaya 2007). The themes of immigrants in the city, attitude to law, immigrants’ literature and humor were touched upon but not developed in depth in that volume.They were researched in a number of papers written later (Fialkova &Yelenevskaya 2006, 2006a, 2011, 2012, Yelenevskaya & Fialkova 2006,2008) and discussed in our presentations at 11 scholarly conferences.However, when we re-read the articles we realized that the situation in the Russian-speaking community was so dynamic that studies conducted three-five years ago should be seriously revised and updated.

KOBIETY (W) NAUCE

Author(s): Aleksandra Derra / Language(s): Polish

Przyglądam się krytycznie nauce, bo zależy mi, by jej praktyki były lepsze. Życzę sobie, naiwnie i utopijnie, by jej wytwory, niezaprzeczalnie obdarzone potencjałem emancypacyjnym, można było wykorzystywać do naprawiania świata, a przynajmniej jego kawałków.Feminizm rozumiany jako interwencje jest dobrą ilustracją zamiany pierwszoosobowego doświadczenia wykluczenia na działania, które służą poszerzaniu wolności innych, pomnażaniu wspólnego dobra. Jest doskonałym dowodem na to, że teoria filozoficzna może nie tylko usensawniać świat i współtworzyć kulturę, lecz także zmotywować do zmiany życia zbiorowego i panujących w nim praktyk.

Aktywizacja zawodowa osób z niepełnosprawnością. Aspekty ekonomiczne i społeczne

Author(s): Dorota Kobus-Ostrowska / Language(s): Polish

The main purpose of this publication is to characterize factors which determine the professional activity of people with disabilities in Poland and identify the types of activities necessary to increase the professional activity and employment of the disabled. The publication is of theoretical and empirical nature.

Genderovou optikou: zaměřeno na český vzdělávací systém

Author(s): Anna Babanová,Nina Bosničová,Kristýna Ciprová,Pavla Frýdlová,Lucie Jarkovská,Tereza Kynčlová,Helena Skálová,Irena Smetáčková,Linda Sokačová,Michaela Svatošová,Klára Vlková / Language(s): Czech

Vážení čtenáři, vážené čtenářky, dostává se vám do rukou publikace zaměřená na genderové aspekty vzdělávání v České republice. Jejím hlavním cílem je upozornit na to, že vzdělávací systém není genderově neutrální, nabídnout reflexi stávající situace a představit příklady dobré praxe a doporučení co a jak zlepšit v budoucnosti. Tato publikace je určena především pro tvůrce politik a systémových nástrojů ve vzdělávání, ale i pro odbornou veřejnost z řad vedení škol, vyučujících, ale i novinářů a novinářek. Měla by přispět k otevření široké diskuze o kvalitě vzdělávacího systému v ČR z hlediska genderové rovnosti. V první části publikace se jednotlivé autorky zaměřují na klíčové oblasti vzdělávacího systému z hlediska genderu, které zmapovala Kristýna Ciprová. Irena Smetáčková se ve svém příspěvku soustřeďuje na kurikulární reformu a možnosti, které pro zmenšení existujících genderových nerovností může znamenat. Zároveň ale upozorňuje na značné limity, které zatím tomuto příznivému potenciálu brání v plném rozvoji, a navrhuje postupy, které by mohly pomoci stávající situaci zlepšit. Samostatnou úvahu si zasluhuje i téma genderové segregace ve školství. Její symbolické významy v rovině horizontální i vertikální reflektuje Tereza Kynčlová, která zároveň upozorňuje na nástrahy esencializmu a inverzi genderových stereotypů, jež můžou vést k jejich opětovnému upevňování. Zmiňujeme-li klíčové aspekty vzdělávacího systému z hlediska genderu, nelze bezpochyby vynechat téma sexuální výchovy. Stávající situaci v této oblasti a také možnosti a limity pro budoucí změny rozebírá ve své stati Lucie Jarkovská. Linda Sokačová představuje nový Odbor rovných příležitostí ve školství, který funguje na Ministerstvu školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy od července roku 2008. Jeho zřízení i dosavadní činnost se jeví jako krok správným směrem, nicméně jeho role v systému i budoucnost v případě změny na ministerském postu jsou zatím nejisté. Ve druhé části publikace se v jednotlivých příspěvcích dozvíte podrobnosti o několika projektech neziskových organizací, které lze označit za příklady dobré praxe v posunu směrem k genderovému zcitlivění a rovnosti příležitostí žen a mužů a dívek a chlapců ve vzdělávání. A jak tuto problematiku vnímají sami studující a vyučující poodhalí krátká anketa. Na závěr jsme připojili i vybrané statistické údaje, které současnou situaci v českém školství názorně ilustrují. [...]

Reprezentace seniorů a seniorek v médiích

Author(s): Jiřina Šiklová,Linda Sokačová,Alena Králíková,Martin Vávra,Lada Wichterlová / Language(s): Czech

Téma seniorů nabývá v současnosti v souvislosti s fenoménem stárnoucí populace na důležitosti. Často je v tomto kontextu zdůrazňován význam demografických procesů. Je to pochopitelné: stále více lidí se dožívá vyššího věku, což s sebou přináší nové příležitosti, ale i omezení v ekonomické a sociální oblasti. Dané téma ovšem nelze redukovat pouze na demografii a ekonomii. To, k čemu dochází, je transformace stáří jako takového, nebo - přesněji řečeno -transformace představy o stáří. Fakt tzv. demografického stárnutí populace je často pojímán negativně. Stáří bývá spojováno s celkovou stagnací a regresí lidského života. V minulosti snad společnost měla jednotnou představu, tj. model pro život seniorů, který se samozřejmě lišil podle sociálního postavení i pohlaví, v takové situaci již nejsme. [...]

Volba povolání bez předsudků. Metodika projektového dne pro základní školy

Author(s): Anna Babanová,Jitka Hausenblasová,Jitka Kolářová,Tereza Krobová,Irena Smetáčková / Language(s): Czech

Vážené čtenářky, vážení čtenáři, držíte v rukou metodickou „kuchařku“ pro projektový den propojující téma kariérní výchovy a rovných příležitostí dívek a chlapců. Jejím cílem je pomoci rozšířit spektrum povolání a studijních oborů, o nichž dívky a chlapci uvažují. Rozšířit jej za hranice tradičních představ o tom, jaká povolání se hodí pro muže a jaká pro ženy. V základu této publikace totiž stojí myšlenka, že každý by měl mít možnosti uplatnit svůj talent a rozvíjet své sny bez ohledu na to, zda to zapadá do stereotypů o společenských rolích žen a mužů. Řada výzkumů z českého prostředí ohledně voleb oboru studia a povolání totiž ukazuje, že dívky a chlapci si svou budoucí dráhu nevolí ani tak na základě realistického zhodnocení svých schopností a dovedností, jako spíše na základě genderových stereotypů. Je tedy důležité nejen systematicky posilovat kariérní výchovu, ale také poukazovat na vliv genderových stereotypů. Lepší kariérní volby jsou totiž přínosem jak pro seberealizaci samotných dívek a chlapců, tak i pro zaměstnavatele, protože budou moci zaměstnávat lidi, kteří jsou pro danou práci opravdu kompetentní. [...]

Trans-local Lives.Class, Gender and Rurality in post-2004 Migration between Ireland and Poland

Author(s): Natalia Mazurkiewicz / Language(s): English

The book explores the phenomenon of post-2004 mobility between Ireland and Poland. In particular I examine the classed and gendered character of this migration wave, as well as its translocal character. I document and seek to understand the nature of this early 21st century human mobility, facilitated by the advances of internet, communication and travel technologies while simultaneously revealing “traditional” aspects of being away from home. I follow the migrants in their journeys and learn about the complex dynamics of their lives lived locally and on the move. Crucially, I try to apprehend my own positioning as a migrant/woman/researcher and figure out whether (e)migration lives up to the expectations of a “better life”. // ContentIntroduction.Chapter 1 Polish Capitalism and the Legacies of Communism and CatholicismChapter 2 Post-2004 Polish Migration to Ireland.Chapter 3 Theorising Contemporary Migration.Chapter 4 Researching Contemporary Migration: Methodological ConsiderationsChapter 5 The Trans-local Habitus: Reproducing Rurality in Migration.Chapter 6 Ordinary People Living Normal Lives: Formations of the Migrant Working ClassChapter 7 Making Migration Livable: Negotiations between Mobility and EmplacementChapter 8 Polish Masculinities and Femininities: Constructions of Gender Identities in MigrationConclusion.

Didaktički zid – Priručnik

Author(s): Mladen Miljanović,Irfan Hošić / Language(s): English,Urdu,Persian,Spanish

The basic idea of this handbook is that there is no unnecessary or misleading knowledge, but only the possibility of being misused. As an officer after military training and work with the young soldiers within the military service, I considered that the knowledge I had gained in the process of military education at its ultimate point implies destruction and inhumanity. However, the idea of knowledge is its ability to be timely, humane and transformationally applied in society. Art is a field that can transform any kind of knowledge into a positive context and thus the society within which it operates or intervenes. After all, where we experience failure as humans we can’t succeed as artists!

Salafism vs. Moderate Islam: A Rhetorical Fight for the Hearts and Minds of Bosnian Muslims

Author(s): Edina Bećirević / Language(s): English

The overarching goal of this research is to deepen understandings of underlying structural causes of radicalization in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also to discern the individual social and psychological factors that drive radicalization. Since September 11th, and especially with the rise of ISIL, this has been a growing field of research; however, international scholars and practitioners still grapple to properly define some basic terms. Radicalization, extremism, violent extremism, and terrorism are often used interchangeably. This conceptual confusion leads to stereotyping in media and among the general public, and sometimes even among government officials. Thus, it is important to stress that this study takes into account the differences between radicalization of belief, radicalization of behavior that does not lead to violence, and radicalization of behavior that does lead to violence. Indeed, most of the individuals interviewed for this research do not present a security threat to the country. However, in a vulnerable Bosnian society with a recent history of genocide and mass violence, even nonviolent radical behavior deepens fears of “others” and contributes to general social distrust and insecurity. [...]

Jurisprudential Analysis in Matters of Discrimination. Jurisdictional Competence of the National Council for Combating Discrimination

Author(s): Adina Georgeta Ponea / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Any person who considers himself discriminated against may refer to the National Council for Combating Discrimination which will investigate the alleged acts of discrimination and decide on their existence or non-existence. According to its legal consecration, the Council is the state authority in the field of discrimination, under parliamentary control and at the same time it is a guarantor of the observance and application of the principle of non-discrimination, in accordance with the domestic legislation in force and international documents to which Romania is a party. The jurisdictional activity of the Council, finalized with the pronouncement of a decision, can be censored by the administrative contentious court which, re-evaluating the administered evidence, will rule on its legality and validity.

Overambition as Disability: Discrimination of Excellence

Author(s): Julia M. Puaschunder / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

This paper draws attention to discrimination of excellence in order to propose an inequality alleviation strategy in connecting overachievers with discriminated-against minorities. Discrimination of excellence is the unjust treatment of outperformers and overachievers. Defining discrimination of excellence and describing the implicit mechanisms of aversion against excellence depicts overambition as handicap. Overambition may thereby become a disability. This article first introduces the concept of discrimination of excellence, to then draw inferences about overachievement being comparable to a disability. Lastly, discrimination of excellence alleviation strategies are proposed.

Inequality in the 21st Century: Climate, Digital Skills and Access to Education

Author(s): Julia M. Puaschunder / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

In the 21st Century, inequality has many faces. This paper addresses three inequalities in the domains of climate change, digitalization and social justice in the eye of unequal access to education. The inequalities are first presented and then creative inequality alleviation strategies. Climate change requires attention for fairness that the costs of climate change mitigation and adaptation are spread equally within society, between countries and over time inbetween generations. Inequality arises in the access to quality healthcare that varies dramatically around the world. Access to good education is another area of inequality concern and in order to breed social upward mobility, a bundling strategy is proposed that aids excellent and struggling students.

Ecofeminism: A Study at the Roots of Gender Inequalities

Author(s): Dipanwita PAL / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Ecocriticism is, as put forward by Diamond and Orenstein, ‘a new term for ancient wisdom’. It is a value system that explores the connections between androcentrism and environmental destruction. The theory emerged from various social movements, from both activist and academic fields during the 1980s. Ecofeminism, as a movement, developed from antimilitarist action movement in the United States while founding a political platform for the US Green party. The term was first used by Francoise D’Eaubonne (1980) in her article “Feminism or Death.” From the mid-1970s, ecological critique turned to play a significant role in the women’s movements worldwide.

OD SOCIÁLNÍCH INOVACÍ K ADVOKACII (SE ZAMĚŘENÍM NA MĚSTO BRNO)

Author(s): Mirka Wildmannova,KRISTÝNA ZÁRUBOVÁ / Language(s): Czech Publication Year: 0

Social innovation serves to eliminate differences in society, so their goal is to influence and correct social change. They include new methods, services or approaches to problem solving than those currently introduced and serve to improve and improve the social environment. Social innovation is crucial for the economic and social development of society. Advocacy is an activity that seeks to influence political, economic or sociual decisions with to a positive change in policy, practice or attitude and involves direct access to decision makers at different levels. In the Czech Republic, the introduction of social innovation is supported by projects from the European Social Fund. The aim of the paper is to find out the possibilities of advocacy tools supporting social innovation possibilities of functioning and implementation into public policies in the Czech Republic. The research was based on a questionnaire survey on the implementation of advocacy work for selected implementers and applicants for support from the European Social Fund, focusing on the project of the City of Brno. The survey showed that advocacy has its place in innovation projects and further support and development of this tool is desirable. The limits currently being addressed by the entities are mainly related to the limited capacities, financial demands and relatively low knowledge of the tools they can use in the advocacy.

Multiple Discrimination in Employment Relationships

Author(s): Dragos Lucian Radulescu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Discrimination in legal employment relationships involves the existence of differential treatment applied by the employer in violation of protected criteria established in the states’ national legislation to restrain or eliminate the use or exercise of employees’ rights. Discrimination involves the imposition of differentiation between employees, usually in comparable situations, and the application of identical treatment, even though they have different duties in the work process, with similar effects of excluding their rights. The article analyses multiple discrimination concerning the relevant European and national legislation, with reference to international and European regulations and relevant case law.

Addressing Female Discrimination

Author(s): Mihaela Agata Popescu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Although the anti-discrimination policy promotes the elimination of any differences, ensuring equal opportunities for women and men to the same extent, the simple provision of these things in the legal norms is not able to ensure the intended effect of gender policies. There is a need for changing mentalities, for a greater assumption by women of the roles that equal chances and opportunities imply for them, in all areas of public or private life.

Revealing Gendered Youth Lessons: Human Rights Revelations from Participatory Research in Lesotho during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author(s): Sonia Mairos Ferreira,Kimanzi Muthengi / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted children and adolescents, prompting UNICEF Lesotho to embark on innovative participatory qualitative research. This meta-analysis aims to uncover the unique contributions of participatory methodologies in understanding gender disparities among Lesotho's youth during this global crisis. Employing a gender-sensitive and human rights-based approach, this meta-analysis underscores the paramount importance of participatory research methodologies. Participatory research not only contributes to deeper and more comprehensive knowledge but simultaneously empowers young individuals to express their perceptions and beliefs using innovative tools like photovoice and storytelling. Engaging 101 participants aged 10 to 17 across three districts, this research sheds light on the intricate and gendered nuances of the pandemic's effects on Lesotho's youth. The findings, resulting from an extensive process of data synthesis and thematic analysis, provide profound insights into the differential experiences of young men and women. Photovoice, in particular, offers a unique perspective on how genders perceive their psychological and emotional challenges, highlighting disparities in coping mechanisms and emotional resilience. Moreover, the analysis of enforced isolation and other pandemic-related issues transcends mere data retrieval. It underscores young women's heightened domestic responsibilities, exacerbated difficulties in accessing education and pursuing life aspirations, and the prevalent feelings of seclusion and anxiety, distinctly contrasting with young men's experiences. This research underscores the imperative of participatory research in addressing the unique challenges faced by young women and men during a crisis. It fosters a profound and equitable understanding of their experiences, offering valuable insights for the development of more responsive interventions and policies.