Roma and Moroccan Communities Together in a Diverse Democracy: Promoting Social Cohesion in the Neighborhood

• In Event: Beyond Traditional Family Engagement: Building Educational Communities to Foster Students' Academic Success and Social Cohesion

Abstract

1) The objective of this paper is to analyze how the engagement of Roma and Moroccan families in education may contribute to end with segregation and reduce school failure that students suffer Spanish highly deprived neighborhoods. This study presents a case study in an elementary school where the involvement of families with diverse ethnic minority background promoted social cohesion among their communities and generated social impact in the neighborhood.

2) In Europe, Roma students often attend ethnically segregated schools and they are overrepresented in special education schools (FRA, 2014). In Spain, less than 30% of young Roma has completed secondary education (Laparra, 2011). Immigrants (especially from Morocco) also suffer a serious situation of exclusion due to their origin. Research highlights several factors perpetuating educational exclusion of these minority students: low performance expectations; racist attitudes and cultural and linguistic barriers (Greenberg, 2010; Hancock, 1988; Nicaise, 2012; Rose, 1983). Conversely, when schools draw on research-evidence to boost Roma and Moroccan family’s engagement it is possible to succeed against the odds (De Botton, Girbés, Ruiz & Tellado, 2014). Other studies suggest that schools which meet the multiple needs of vulnerable groups are able to increase students' academic achievement (Sénéchal & Young, 2008) and coexistence (Lindsay et al, 2011).

3) & 4) We used the communicative research methodology (Mertens & Sordé, 2014), which enables building knowledge intersubjectively with the participation of vulnerable groups throughout the research process. This paper is based on one Spanish case study in a school with a high presence of minorities: 67% of students are Roma and 27% Moroccan. Data have been collected through 5 semi-structured interviews (2 mothers; 2 students and 1 teacher); 2 focus groups with teachers and school volunteers and 1 communicative daily life story with a family member. We also collected students’ grades throughout the whole period.

5) Almost all students whose families participate in this study improved their scores. Data shows that other students (whose families did not participate directly in the research) improved as well, along the study. Data analysis suggests a relation between the participation of Roma and Moroccan communities in family education provided by the school and the improvement of children’s learning in 2 areas: (1) Improvement of the students’ performance (SATs scores) and (2) Increase of the student’s motivation (own students’ perception). We also found evidence on (3) the increase of “cultural practices and spaces” where Roma and Moroccan families meet and interact (in and out the school walls), which build “common space” in a community for everyone.

6) This paper provides evidence on how schools can implement effective strategies aimed to overcome educative and social exclusion affecting Roma and Moroccan people from early years. Implementing such SEAs, which increase real democratic participation, the school may become a key setting to transform positively the neighborhood in terms of building a sense of “shared-community.”

Authors

• Vladia Ionescu, Universitat Rovira i Virgili

• Sandra Girbes, Universitat de Barcelona

• Oriol Rios, Universitat Rovira i Virgili