The Power of Community: Supporting the Learning Path of Roma University Students

Abstract

In some European countries, the educational attainment of the Roma population is very low compared to the majority society. This study focuses on what supports the higher education pathways of Roma youth by using empirical data. Thirty-one Roma students, whose academic advancement was supported by a Roma Student Society, and ninety-three students who did not receive support participated in the study. The students in the control group got further subdivided into three groups based on their socioeconomic backgrounds, so four groups in total were included in our analysis. The research was conducted using mixed methodology: we analyzed the texts of reflective essays and data derived from a questionnaire. The results show that the students in the support group have significant external and internal capital in all areas, except for financial capital, which is offset by the social capital provided by their schools and university. It is important to highlight the supportive role of family, in which there is no difference between the Roma Student Society members and the students in the control groups with higher socioeconomic status. In the control group, a minority group emerged with a similar social background as the supported focus group, and they noticeably remain invisible to the institution. Our research also draws attention to the importance of creating and developing an inclusive learning environment that results in significant social capital, not only to retain low socioeconomic groups but also to retain groups with higher social status.