EquitableChance · INCREASING EQUITABLE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR MEMBERS OF ROMA COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

To escape racial violence and discrimination, many Roma people moved from the Czech Republic (CR) to the United Kingdom (UK) inthe 1990s. Using an interdisciplinary, phenomenological approach, the Fellow will conduct up to 30 in-depth, personal interviewswith Roma people who hold higher education degrees, and whose life-chances improved significantly as a result of their migration.Compared with similar data recently collected in the CR, and complemented by a documentary review of relevant policies andpractices in the UK and the CR, the findings will highlight strategies that Roma people use towards inclusion in educational and socialsettings, and how institutional/policy approaches may aid or hinder this in both countries.This study goes beyond state-of-the-art research by counter-balancing the large body of deficit-focused literature, whichpathologises marginalised groups. It will use the intersectionality lens, and novel cultural psychology insights to explore not only howstructural and systemic conditions that create inequalities increase vulnerability, but also how policies which leverage the potentialinherent in Roma cultures and identities can facilitate resilience, well-being and educational attainment. Understanding howstrengths-based models can be built on target populations’ perspectives, and interventions designed in culturally consonant ways, isof interest not only to practitioners and policy-makers, but also to racialised/marginalised minority individuals.By facilitating educational attainment of marginalised persons, to enhance their employment prospects, this project will contribute tofulfilling the Europe 2020 Strategy for New Skills and Jobs. It will enable UK education professionals to better understand theirstudents’ socio-cultural backgrounds, and aid higher education institutions in promoting diversity across Europe. The proposedresearch, training and knowledge transfer will enhance the future prospects of both the Fellow and ARU.