MEANINGS of BULLYING in the GREEK CONTEXT an Exploration
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
MEANINGS OF BULLYING IN THE GREEK CONTEXT An exploration of the meanings of bullying from the perspectives and experiences of 11-12 yr old pupils attending a primary school in Greece. By Varvara Nika This thesis is submitted in candidature for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Cardiff ( School of Social Sciences) January 18, 2010 UMI Number: U585565 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U585565 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Dedicated to Greece ii Acknowledgements I am grateful to the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs in Greece. Without being granted job leave and financial support, this thesis would not have been completed. I am grateful to my supervisors, Raya Jones and Emma Renold. Without their encouragement and advice every difficult step would not have been taken. I am grateful to the University of Cardiff for all the support I have been offered. I owe a big ‘Thank you’ to Mrs. Liz Renton whose behaviour made me feel ‘at home’. I am grateful to all those friends who shared in my concerns. Without their patience, every moment of unhappiness would not have been terminated. I am grateful to all those people who believed in me, although they never said it. Last but not least, I owe a lot to those people who participated in the present research study: the children, the teachers of the school, and the inhabitants of the city in which the school is cited. Without their cooperation, my endeavours would have been in vain. DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed (candidate) Date JQAw&fifTS.) JLDW STATEMENT 1 This ihesis is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of (insert MCh, Md, MPhil, PhD etc, as appropriate) Jigned (candidate) Date STATEMENT 2 This thesis is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources-crresacknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. Signed . 1 .................................................................... (candidate) Date MO STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loan, arjdfor the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed (candidate) Date STATEMENT 4 - BAR ON ACCESS APPROVED I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loans after expiry of a bar on accessapproved bv the Graduate Development Committee. Signed ................... (candidate) Date SUMMARY The phenomenon of bullying has been recognized as a reality within Greek schools; however, the underlying concept seems to be still enveloped by ambiguity and confusion. The present piece of qualitative research aims to offer insights into the meanings that bullying is assigned within the Greek context. Throughout the fieldwork, conducted in a primary school in southwest Greece, thirty one 11-12 year old pupils offered their perspectives on school bullying. Moreover, they wrote and talked about their related experiences. The children’s reports indicate that reaching a consensus of what constitutes a bullying act is unrealistic when real life incidents are concerned. The explanations offered by the children link bullying to a network of personal, socio-cultural, and organizational factors, thus confirming the multi-causal nature of the phenomenon. However, all of them shared the view that bullying is provoked by a deserving victim who transgresses the existing socio-cultural norms. On the other hand, the behaviour of the bullies was understood as conforming to the demands of the existing socio-cultural framework, rather than expressing feelings of malice and hostility. The pupils’ responses to bullying seem to constitute their struggle to safeguard desirable social identities, rather than to tackle the phenomenon itself. Additionally, this study highlights the power of the Greek terminology to mask bullying by reproducing existing socio-cultural meanings and practices, and discusses the related implications of this. The importance of language as a social means through which personal goals are achieved is emphasized. This is because through the rationales, excuses, and justifications offered by the pupils, meanings of bullying can be normalized so as to fit Greek socio-cultural requests. The findings of the present study stress that culture and context should not be overlooked when anti-bullying school programs are designed. ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS ORGANIZATION OF CHAPTERS CHAPTER ONE....................................................................................... 1 Introduction ..............................................................................................1 Intentions ............................................................................................ 5 Definitions and clarifications ............................................................. 6 Structure of the thesis ......................................................................... 7 CHAPTER TWO.....................................................................................12 Literature Review ..................................................................................12 Introduction ........................................................................................12 Bullying, an 'elastic1 concept .............................................................13 Bullying: a plethora of experiences .............................................. 15 Children’s definitions of bullying .................................................17 Repetition: Does it make bullying? ..............................................20 Malign or non-malign bullying? An inferential approach ........... 24 The related terminology: confusion and ambiguity .....................29 Theorizing bullying .......................................................................... 33 The pupils’ characteristics ............................................................ 33 Children’s explanations ................................................................ 38 Peer group: the social context of bullying ....................................46 The role of the school................................................................... 51 The situation in Greece ..................................................................... 54 Bullying: a difficult concept ......................................................... 54 The pupils’ meanings of bullying ................................................. 60 Bullying as a societal problem in Greece ..................................... 62 Bullying: deviance, "plaka” or “magkia”! ...................................66 Summary ........................................................................................... 70 CHAPTER THREE________________________________________ 72 Methodology......................................................................................... 72 Introduction ....................................................................................... 72 A qualitative paradigm .....................................................................73 Generation of research questions ..................................................74 Sampling decisions ........................................................................... 77 Selecting the city and the school ..................................................77 Selecting the pupils ....................................................................... 79 Broadening the sample: The key informants ................................80 Gaining access within the school ..................................................... 81 Formal procedures ........................................................................ 81 Access as an ongoing process....................................................... 82 Getting closer to the pupils ........................................................... 83 When, where and how: Mapping the process of the fieldwork 86 The Introductory stage: ..................................................................... 87 Introducing bullying to the sixth graders ......................................87 Writing about the video tape: The pupils’ responses ....................89 The 'personalized' stage: ................................................................... 91 Experiences of bullying:The pupils' reports .................................91 Administering a sociometric questionnaire ..................................94 The sensitive stage............................................................................ 96 Interviews with the key informants...............................................96 Formal interviews with the pupils of year six .............................96 Participant observation ....................................................................