The present paper explores approaches to the classification of ethnic identity. In the framework of research on comparative classifications, we analyse the contextual factors that influence classification in Hungarian education. We compared the number of students who self-reported as Roma with the respective number reported by the school heads (as…

In some European countries, the educational attainment of the Roma population is very low compared to the majority society. This study focuses on what supports the higher education pathways of Roma youth by using empirical data. Thirty-one Roma students, whose academic advancement was supported by a Roma Student Society, and ninety-three students…

Adapting to the expectations of educational institutions can be difficult for any students, but it is particularly difficult for disadvantaged, first-generation college students with a minority ethnic background. Our case study, employing a social network perspective, examines the role of small peer-communities in the academic adjustment of…

Our study presents the phenomena of inclusion and resilience through a Hungarian education programme (Arany János Programme) aimed at enhancing equity. The focus of the research conducted in 2017/2018 was to explore the family backgrounds and personal stories of disadvantaged Roma/Gypsy students and youth, as well as to examine the correlation…

This article explores how first-in-family-graduate Roma and non-Roma Hungarians from the working-class experience education-driven social mobility and reconcile the dislocation of their primary-habitus due to changing class through transiting a "third space." Drawing on Bhabha's and bell hooks' development of this concept, we aim to…

Using a unique database from Hungarian primary schools, this study investigates whether academic self-assessment and educational aspirations differ between Roma minority and non-Roma majority students with similar cognitive skills and abilities. I find that Roma students have lower self-assessment, on average, than their non-Roma classmates with…

It is estimated that only approximately 20 percent of adult European Roma have attained higher than primary education. Scholars have identified different potential causes of the unfavourable school outcomes achieved by Roma students. Cultural differences between the (traditional) way of life in Roma families and the values professed by the…

During their studies, Roma university students enter into a milieu different from their family environment and this can affect their identity. In our research, we used life story interviews (N 5 108) to study Roma university students who attended Roma College for Advanced Studies (RCAS). We were interested in how their identities were formed and…

Purpose: Teachers' ability attributions play an important role in students' educational outcomes. Perceptions of academic abilities, however, are subject to biases. This study aims to examine ethnic biases in homeroom teachers' ability attributions in Hungarian primary schools. Design/methodology/approach: Using a unique database combining survey…

This study investigates Roma undergraduates' partner selection patterns, examines the main factors in students' partner selection attitudes, and analyzes the structural role in students' network. We rely on data from semi-structured life-narratives and contact diaries of 67 Roma undergraduates. Three main partner selection patterns were…

The aim of our study is to present different kinds of obstacles that hindered the successful educational progress of our Roma university student interviewees from disadvantaged backgrounds. The theme is equality and equity, which is examined in the context of inclusion, empowerment, resilience and intersectionality (Varga, 2017), and to…

The interaction between doctoral education and social class is under-researched, yet is perceived to play an important part in securing social mobility. Research that does exist tends to focus on issues of access or transition, rather than considering experiences during the doctorate. This article focuses on doctoral students' experiences of…

Non-government organizations and policy makers agree that the best route to eradicating the widespread discrimination and poverty among the Roma is to improve the quality of and access to education. A cursory glance at the Hungarian Government website suggests that policy makers are on top of the problem with good laws and initiatives in place.…

It appears--and this is apparent from school documentation--that every school considers its duty to support career orientation. At the same time, it is obvious that guiding the process of making career choices exists only on the level of references. As we did not question teachers, we have only tiny fragments what is done for the sake of career…

This study aims to understand ways in which Hungarian high school students describe and articulate their civic identity, as members of varied civic communities. We conducted our study in Romania, an emerging democracy with an Hungarian national minority, as it provides a unique opportunity to examine the development of a democratic civic identity…