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HERJ Hungarian Educational Research Journal, Vol 9 (2019), No 1 Thematic Article Hungarian Educational Research Journal Romani women and their significance for the 2019, Vol. 9(1) 42–56 education of the Romani minority in Poland © The Author(s) 2019 https://akademiai.com/loi/063 Akadémiai Kiadó DOI:10.1556/063.9.2019.1.4 Agnieszka Świętek1 & Wiktor Osuch2 We entered a good road, What we have been told to do, we will do We want to settle And send our children to schools. The darkness and impurity of hearts will Then fall from us, And we will live beautifully Like any human being ::: And the old Gypsies cry. They remember the old days, They think about forests, about rivers, About mountains and fires. Because old Gypsies Have hearts like stones. In the forest they grew and fossilized ::: 1 Institute of Geography, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Krak´ow, Poland, Email address: agnieszka. [email protected], ORCID: 0000‑0002‑5049‑6476 2 Institute of Geography, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Krak´ow, Poland, Email address: wikosuch@up. krakow.pl, ORCID: 0000‑0002‑1889‑3762 Recommended citation format: Świętek, A., & Osuch, W. (2019). Romani women and their significance for the education of the Romani minority in Poland. Hungarian Educational Research Journal, 9(1), 42–56. DOI:10.1556/063.9.2019.1.4 42 Unauthenticated | Downloaded 09/25/21 10:19 PM UTC HERJ Hungarian Educational Research Journal, Vol 9 (2019), No 1 Papusza “Na dobrej drodze” (“Pre laccho drom”)(“On the good road”) [Papusza – Bronisława Wajs (1908–1987) – the first Polish–Romani classic poet and singer] Abstract The aim of the study is to present the current situation of Romani women in Poland and to define their contemporary role in educating the young generation of Romani. An important element of the research comprises the analysis of cultural conditions for the current educational situation of Romani women in Poland. The study used both a diagnostic survey and a questionnaire, which were distributed among the Romani community (Bergitka Roma), which is particularly concentrated in the Lesser Poland Province, the region with the largest Romani population in Poland. In addition, numerous interviews have been conducted with Romani assistants at schools. The objective of the given research has been focused upon questioning the stereotypes concerning the secondary role of women in Romani communities. The analytical attention has also been focused upon showing the increasing role of women in education and the education of the new generation of the Romani as well as indicating that the fate of subsequent generations of the Romani depends upon their involvement of women in the education of their children. The research results show that an increasing number of Romani women do indeed encourage their children to participate in school activities, regularly send children to school, have positive opinions of teachers’ work, and support them. Over half of the surveyed women endorse the importance of preschool education and send their children to kindergarten, which should be considered an immense change. The research and their results are in fact a positive testimony to the changes and a growing openness of the Romani community of Bergitka Roma group toward the education of next generations. Keywords: Romani education in Poland, Romani women, Bergitka Roma Introduction The social hierarchy in the Romani community situates women in an evidently lower position than men. The traditional division of duties between a woman and a man in a typical Romani family has offered her a wide range of chores, although they have invariably been limited to functions of both a mother and a wife (Nowicka, 2007). Contemporary Romani in Poland – in particular those belonging to the Bergitka Roma group living in the south – are less restrictive in observing numerous Romani principles related to women (e.g., purity principles). In these communities, Romani women are no longer required to wear long skirts; they marry later and they more often work professionally, performing jobs which were “forbidden” in the past. The role of women in Romani communities, regardless of how traditional their particular Romani group is, has always been significant. In truth, women have always taken care of 43 Unauthenticated | Downloaded 09/25/21 10:19 PM UTC HERJ Hungarian Educational Research Journal, Vol 9 (2019), No 1 children who are deemed the highest value in Romani families. One Gypsy proverbs says: “A lot of children – alotofluck” (Ficowski, 1985), the Polish one in turn says: “Enjoy like a Gypsy with a child” (Lubecka, 2005). Nowadays, the motherly role of Romani women and their decisive role concerning the issues of raising children take on an additional meaning. Education similarly includes education of children, including formal education in the Polish education system. Education is a decisive factor for the future of the next generations of Romani and one of the most important components of their standard of living (Świętek, 2016b). The fate of subsequent generations of Romani is therefore in the hands of women. The subject of the authors’ article is the education of Romani women in Poland and the role they play in educating the young generation of Romani. The objectives of the paper are as follows: – determination of the cultural determinants of the educational situation of Romani women in Poland, – determination of the educational situation of Romani women in Poland, and – defining the role that Romani women play in the education of Romani children. To achieve those objectives, the authors used the results of the literature analysis of the subject (Adamczyk, 2011; Jakimik & Gierlinski, ´ 2009; Kr´olikowska, 2011; Leśniak, 2009; Lubinska-Bogacka, ´ 2015; Nowicka, 2007; Prokop & Mach, 2016; Staniszewski, 2004) and the results of empirical research carried out among Romani women by Świętek (2016a, 2016b) using the diagnostic survey method. Empirical research was carried out by Świętek in 2013 in eight towns in the Lesser Poland Province (as part of the study of the standard of living of the Romani), the region most often inhabited by Romani in Poland. In their course, with the help of an interview questionnaire, Świętek conducted in-depth interviews with Romani women in their places of residence: Czarny Dunajec, Czarna G´ora, Krośnica, Limanowa, Maruszyna, Maszkowice, Nowy Sącz, and Ochotnica Dolna. Romani women came from various areas, such as a village, a medium-sized town, and a large city. In total, interviews were conducted with 45 Romani women aged between 19 and 63 years. The most represented group was women aged 31–40 years – in total 25 women. Other age groups were definitely less numerous. Among them were seven women aged 19–30 years, eight women aged 41–50 years, and five women aged 51–63 years. The average age of the surveyed women was 38 years of age. The deliberate selection of the research sample made it possible to capture the educational situation and attitudes toward education of women who were mostly at the peak of their productive age, which was particularly important for considering the role of women in the education of the young generation (these were mothers of either preschool or school-age children). The family situation of the surveyed women was also significant. Among them, only two people were singles and only three did not have children. 44 Unauthenticated | Downloaded 09/25/21 10:19 PM UTC HERJ Hungarian Educational Research Journal, Vol 9 (2019), No 1 The average number of children owned by the surveyed women was 3.8. Out of 45 surveyed women, 39 were married and have children. In addition, the second type of diagnostic survey was an interview with Romani assistants. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven assistants from: Czarny Dunajec, Czarna G´ora, Krak´ow, Krościenko nad Dunajcem, Limanowa, Ochotnica Dolna, and Szaflary. The research was carried out at schools – workplaces of assistants in 2013. Despite exceptionally extensive literature on the subject matter of the Romani in Poland, there are very few studies that addressed the issue of Romani women. A few of those published in recent years include the studies conducted by Jakimik and Gierlinski ´ (2009)andAdamczyk(2011). The situation of woman is presented in many publica- tions but mainly in relation to Romani traditions and customs (Bartosz, 2004). Although Prokop and Mach (2016) addressed about the situation of the Romani both in Poland and the Czech Republic concerning many social and educational conditions, there is no reference in their publication to the role and situation of Romani women. Cultural Determinants of the Professional and Educational Situation of Romani Women in Poland A variety of myths have arisen in Polish society regarding the place and role of women in the Romani community (Kr´olikowska, 2011). On one hand, there is a very positive reception defining the Romani woman as a person endowed with an extraordinary beauty with a characteristic multicolored outfit who displays outstanding dancing skills and is most often surrounded by a group of happy, despite noisy, children. Unfortunately, there is also another, pejorative stereotype, describing a Romani woman as a fairy and frequently thief whose presence is shrouded by magic and fear. Observing the Romani society, one can get the impression that a woman plays a secondary or servile role to her husband. In addition, she is dominated and ill-treated by her spouse (Adamczyk, 2011). This mistreatment of Romani women reinforces existing stereotypes. In order to thor- oughly analyze the situation of women in the Romani community, it is necessary to study the habits of individual Romani groups living in Poland in detail. It is thus necessary to attempt to assess the situation of women in a given group, although one should be aware of the fact that within these groups the situation may also differ.