Abstract
Roma are one of Europe’s largest and most vulnerable ethnic minority groups, currently making up nearly 12 million people, and have historically experienced severe marginalization and discrimination. Roma children and youth in particular are globally recognized to be in need of support and their successful adaptation and optimal outcomes are of major interest to practitioners and policy makers. This chapter addresses resources within proximal contexts, such as peers and family contexts that have the potential to foster positive youth development in Roma ethnic minority populations in Europe. Roma are mainly a sedentary indigenous ethnic minority group characterized by strong family, community and peer bonds, thereby creating a unique and underrepresented context to study PYD. In this chapter, we provide a brief historical overview, current research and empirical findings on Roma children and youth within peer and family contexts. We draw on core theoretical models of PYD as well as selected developmental theories of normative development to highlight the applicability of these traditional frameworks to Roma ethnic minority groups. In so doing, we pay careful attention to the cultural, ethnic, and economic characteristics of Roma youth and their family context. In the conclusion, we explored the implications of the reviewed evidence to the development of resource-oriented policy and practice for Roma youth.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abubakar, A., van de Vijver, F. J., Mazrui, L., Murugami, M., & Arasa, J. (2014). Connectedness and psychological well-being among adolescents of immigrant background in Kenya. In R. Dimitrova, M. Bender, & F. van de Vijver (Eds.), Global perspectives on well-being in immigrant families (pp. 95–111). New York: Springer.
Abubakar, A., & Dimitrova, R. (2015). Social connectedness, life satisfaction and school engagement: Moderating role of ethnic minority status on resilience processes of Roma youth. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, Special Issue on Resilience, 13, 361–376. doi:10.1080/17405629.2016.1161507
Babakova, D., Kolarcik, P., Geckova, M. A., Klein, D., Reijneveld, S. A., & van Dijk, J. P. (2012). Does the influence of peers and parents on adolescents’ drunkenness differ between Roma and non-Roma adolescents in Slovakia? Ethnicity and Health, 17, 531–541. doi:10.1080/13557858.2012.678305
Barany, Z. (2002). The East European gypsies. Regime change, marginality and ethnopolitics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Benson, P. L., et al. (2012). Beyond the “village” rhetoric: Creating healthy communities for children and adolescents. Applied Developmental Science, 16, 3–23.
Berthier, J.-C. (1979). The socialisation of the Gypsy child. International Social Science Journal, 4, 3–12.
Bowers, E. P., Geldhof, G. J., Johnson, S. K., Lerner, J. V., & Lerner, R. M. (2014). Special issue introduction: Thriving across the adolescent years: A view of the issues. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43, 859–868. doi:10.1007/s10964-014-0117-8
Brosig, M. (2010). The challenge of implementing minority rights in Central Eastern Europe. Journal of European Integration, 32, 393–411. doi:10.1080/07036331003797539
Brown, R. (2001). Intergroup relations. In M. Hewstone & W. Stroebe (Eds.), Introduction to social psychology. A European perspective (pp. 479–517). Oxford: Blackwell.
Catalano, R. F., et al. (2002). Prevention science and positive youth development: Competitive or cooperative frameworks? Journal of Adolescent Health, 31, 230–239.
Council of Europe. (2010). Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/romatravellers/default_en.asp
Crowe, D. M. (2008). The Roma in post-communist Eastern Europe: Questions of ethnic conflict and ethnic peace. Nationalities Papers: The Journal of Nationalism and Ethnicity, 36, 521–552. doi:10.1080/00905990802080752
Daily Mail. (2012). 21st century Gypsies: Stunning pictures show how new-age travellers are now adopting traditional horse-drawn caravans. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210747/21st-century-Gypsies-New-Age-Travellers-adopt-horse-drawn-caravans-love-Facebook-long-solar-powered.html#ixzz3iVFwjRH2
Derrington, C. (2007). Fight, flight and playing white: An examination of coping strategies adopted by Gypsy Traveller adolescents in English secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Research, 46, 357–367. doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2007.06.001
Derrington, C., & Kendall, S. (2004). Gypsy traveller students in secondary schools: Culture, identity and achievement. London: Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books Ltd.
Dimakos, I., & Papakonstantinopoulou, A. (2012). Providing psychological and counselling services to Roma students: A preliminary report for a three-year longitudinal project. In P. Cunningham & N. Fretwell (Eds.), Creating Communities: Local, National and Global (pp. 94–103). London: CiCe.
Dimitrova, R. (2014). Does your identity make you happy? Collective identifications and acculturation of youth in a post-communist Europe. Tilburg: Tilburg University. ISBN 978-90-5335-784-2.
Dimitrova, R., Chasiotis, A., Bender, M., & van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2013). Collective identity and well-being of Roma adolescents in Bulgaria. International Journal of Psychology, 48, 1–12. doi:10.1080/00207594.2012.682064
Dimitrova, R., Chasiotis, A., Bender, M., & van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2014a). Collective identity and well-being of Bulgarian Roma minority adolescents and their mothers. Journal for Youth and Adolescence, 43, 375–386. doi:10.1007/s10964-013-0043-1
Dimitrova, R., van de Vijver, F. J. R., Taušová, J., Chasiotis, A., Bender, M., Buzea, C., Uka, F., & Tair, E. (2017). Ethnic, familial and religious identity and their relations to well-being of Roma in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Kosovo, and Romania. Child Development, Special Issue on Race and Ethnicity, accepted for publication & forthcoming in 2017
Dimitrova, R., & Jordanov, V. (2015). Do family ethnic pressure and national identity enhance psychological well-being among Roma youth in Bulgaria? Special Issue on Roma youth, The Journal of the International Network for Prevention in Child Maltreatment, 40–41, 23–35.
Dimitrova, R., Ferrer-Wreder, L., & Trost, K. (2015a). Intergenerational transmission of ethnic identity and well-being of Roma minority adolescents and their parents (manuscript under review).
Dimitrova, R., Johnson, D., Adams, B., Thelamour, B., & Sankar, S. (2015b). The influence of ethnic discrimination and identity on emotional and academic Outcomes: A mixed-method study of Roma ethnic minority adolescents (manuscript in preparation).
Dimitrova, R., Sam, D., & Ferrer-Wreder, L. (2015c). (Eds.), Roma minority youth across cultural contexts: Taking a positive approach to research, policy and practice. Oxford University Press.
Dolgozat, T. D. (2013). Minority towards majority—What makes Roma students change their self-reported ethnic identity?. Hungary: Corvinus University.
Doubek, D., & Levinska, M. (2015). Us and them: What categories reveal about Roma and non-Roma in the Czech Republic. In P. Smeyers, D. Bridges, N. C. Burbules, & M. Griffiths (Eds.), International handbook of interpretation in educational research (pp. 599–622). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Science + Business Media.
Durst, J. (2002). Fertility and childbearing practices among poor gypsy women in Hungary: The intersections of class, race and gender. Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 35, 457–474.
Elamé, E. (2013). Discriminatory bullying. A new intercultural challenge. Italia: Springer-Verlag.
Erikson, E. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York, NY: Norton.
European Commission (2013). Roma Integration Concept for 2010-1013. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/roma_czech_republic_strategy_en.pdf
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2010). Addressing the Roma issue in the EU. Retrieved from http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/roma/roma_en.htm
Filipescu, C. (2009). Revisiting minority integration in Eastern Europe: Examining the case of Roma integration in Romania. Debatte: Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe, 17, 297–314. doi:10.1080/09651560903457915
Font, J., & Méndez, M. (2013). Surveying ethnic minorities and immigrant populations. Methodological challenges and research strategies. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
García Coll, C., Crnic, K., Lamberty, G., Wasik, B. H., Jenkins, R., García, H. V., et al. (1996). An integrative model for the study of developmental competencies in minority children. Child Development, 67, 1891–1914. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1996.tb01834.x
García Coll, C., & Marks, A. (2009). The immigrant paradox in children and adolescents: Is becoming American a developmental risk?. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Gaylord-Harden, N. K., Burrow, A., & Cunningham, J. A. (2012). A cultural-asset framework for investigating successful adaptation to stress in African American youth. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 264–271.
Greenfields, M., & Home, R. (2006). Assessing Gypsies and traveler’s needs: Partnership working and ‘The Cambridge Project’. Romani Studies, 16, 105–131.
Hawke, L., Seghedi, A., & Gheorghiu, M. (2008). Learning from America’s mistakes: A proposal for closing the education gap between children and Roma descent and the national averages in the European Union. Bucharest: Asociata Ovidiu Rom.
Index Mundi (2012). Country facts. Retrieved from http://www.indexmundi.com
Ivanov, A. (2006). At risk: Roma and the displaced in South-East Europe. UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe.
Kroger, J. (2007). Identity development: Adolescence through adulthood. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kyuchukov, H. (2011). Roma girls: between traditional values and educational aspirations. Intercultural Education, 22, 97–104. doi:10.1080/14675986.2011.549648
Kárpáti, A. (2004). Travellers in cyberpace: ICT in Hungarian (Romani) schools. Retrieved from http://edutech.elte.hu/karpati/en_sajat_irasok/s-5cfaf6458b.pdf#page=140
Lee, K. W., & Warren, W. G. (1991). Alternative education lessons from Gypsy thought and practice. British Journal of Education Studies, 9, 311–324.
Lerner, R. M., et al. (2005). Positive youth development, participation in community youth development programs, and community contributions of fifth grade adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25, 17–71.
Macura-Milovanović, S., & Peček, M. (2013). Attitudes of Serbian and Slovenian student teachers towards causes of learning underachievement amongst Roma pupils. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17, 629–645. doi:10.1080/13603116.2012.703247
Marc, A., & Bercus, C. (2007). The Roma Education Fund: A new tool for Roma inclusion. European Education, 39, 64–80.
Masten, A. S. (2014). Invited commentary: Resilience and positive youth development frameworks in developmental science. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43, 1018–1024. doi:10.1007/s10964-014-0118-7.
Messing, V. (2008). Good practices addressing school integration of Roma/Gypsy children in Hungary. Intercultural Education, 19, 461–473. doi:10.1080/14675980802531721
Moore, K. A., & Lippman, L. H. (2005). Introduction and framework. In K. A. Moore & L. H. Lippman (Eds.), What do children need to flourish? (pp. 1–9). New York: Springer.
Mudde, C. (2000). Extreme-right parties in Eastern Europe. Patterns of Prejudice, 34, 5–27. doi:10.1080/00313220008559132
Nesbitt, E., & Arweck, E. (2010). Issues arising from an ethnographic investigation of the religious identity formation of young people in mixed-faith families. Fieldwork in Religion, 5, 7–30.
Okely, J. (2008). Knowing without notes. In N. Halstead, E. Hirsch, & J. Okely (Eds.), Knowing how to know (pp. 67–70). London: Berghahn.
Phinney, J. S. (1989). Stages of ethnic identity development in minority group adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 9, 34–49. doi:10.1177/0272431689091004
Prieto-Flores, Ò. (2009). Does the canonical theory of assimilation explain the Roma case? Some evidence from Central and Eastern Europe. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 32, 1387–1405. doi:10.1080/01419870903006988
Ringold, D. (2000). Roma and the Transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Washington: World Bank.
Rivas-Drake, D., Syed, M., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Markstrom, C., French, S., Schwartz, S. J., et al. (2014). Feeling good, happy, and proud: A meta-analysis of positive ethnic-racial affect and adjustment. Child Development, 85, 77–102. doi:10.1111/cdev.12175
Rubin, K. H., Bukowski, W. M., & Laursen, B. (Eds.). (2011). Handbook of peer interactions, relationships, and groups. NY: Guilford Press.
Save the Children. (2005). Country Brief 2004/2005. Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-df91d2eba74a%7D/ar2005.pdf
Schwartz, S. J., Zamboanga, B. L., Weisskirch, R. S., & Rodriguez, L. (2009). The relationships of personal and ethnic identity exploration to indices of adaptive and maladaptive psychosocial functioning. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 33, 131–144. doi:10.1177/0165025408098018
Silbereisen, R. K. & R. M. Lerner (2007). (Eds). Approaches to positive youth development. London: Sage.
Smith, T. (1997). Recognising difference: The Romani ‘Gypsy’ child socialisation and education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 18, 243–256.
Spencer, M. B., & Spencer, T. R. (2014). Invited commentary: Exploring the promises, intricacies and challenges to positive youth development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43, 1027–1035.
Stuart, M., & Rövid, M. (2010). Multi-disciplinary approaches to Romani studies. Hungary: Central European University Press.
Sutherland, A. (1975). Gypsies-the hidden Americans. London: Tavistock.
The World Fact Book. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bu.html
Tremlett, A., & McGarry, A. (2013). Challenges facing researchers on Roma minorities in contemporary Europe: Notes towards a research program. European Centre for Minority Issues http://www.ecmi.de/uploads/tx_lfpubdb/Working_Paper_62_Final.pdf
Triandafyllidou, A. (2011). Addressing cultural, ethnic & religious diversity challenges in Europe. A comparative overview of 15 European countries. Italy: European University Institute.
UNICEF. (2011). The Right of Roma children to education: Position paper. Geneva.
United Nations Development Project. (2011). Roma data. Retrieved from http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/ourwork/povertyreduction/roma-in-central-and-southeast-europe/roma-data.html
Váradi, L. (2014). Youths trapped in prejudice. Hungarian adolescents’ attitudes towards the Roma. Fachmedien Wiesbaden: Springer.
Wood, M. F. (1973). In the life of a Romany Gypsy. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Books.
World Bank. (2014). Gender dimensions of Roma inclusion: Perspectives from four Roma communities in Bulgaria. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/eca/Bulgaria/Roma_Gender-ENG.pdf
World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous People. (2014). Overview of Europe. Retrieved from http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=317
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the support by a COFAS Forte Marie Curie Grant (Forte-Projekt 2013-2669) to the first author. We also thank members of the European Network for Romani Studies and in particular Margaret Greenfields, Judith Okely, Carol Rogers, Loizos Symeou, Rosamaria Cisneros, Sara Horlai, and Elisabeth Tauber for their help in providing literature on Roma included in the chapter.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 The Editor(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dimitrova, R., Ferrer-Wreder, L. (2017). Positive Youth Development of Roma Ethnic Minority Across Europe. In: Cabrera, N., Leyendecker, B. (eds) Handbook on Positive Development of Minority Children and Youth. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43645-6_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43645-6_19
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-43643-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-43645-6
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)