Public Opinion Research Sheds Light on Roma Attitudes

Discrimination against Roma has long been a fact of life in Central and Eastern Europe, where most Roma eke out meager existences in city slums and shantytowns. The Decade of Roma Inclusion* sets out to change this dynamic through policy initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of the Roma.  

 

In order to develop initiatives that yield positive results, it is critical to identify what fuels inter-communal prejudices, and the potential risks and opportunities that exist within these communities. To do this, the World Bank and OSI commissioned a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative opinion research study in the eight Decade countries.*

 

For the first phase of this effort, eight focus groups of both Roma and non-Roma were conducted last June in each country. The second phase will include national general population surveys in each of these countries. 

 

The focus group results reflect profound pessimism among Roma and non-Roma about their own political and economic circumstances. And most people hold their governments responsible. In an environment where there is little optimism about the future, sympathy for the Roma runs very low.

 

The prevailing perception is that the Roma are responsible for their low social and economic standing. It is no surprise that non-Roma express deep opposition to any government funding targeting only the Roma. The Roma themselves are skeptical of any such efforts, fearing a backlash from the majority population.

 

The views of the so-called majority populations exhibit several contradictions. They base their opinions about Roma on day-to-day observations, but many have only had superficial contact with Roma. All groups favor integration, but non-Roma bristled when specific examples of integrated schools and communities were raised. Non-Roma claim that Roma prefer segregation and thus are the ones who must take the initiative to integrate.

 

The Decade initiative was recognized by almost none of the respondents. While most reacted somewhat positively to its goals and objectives, non-Roma do not want significant funding to target only one segment of the poor.  

 

Despite the difficulty of improving attitudes toward Roma, some messages emerged that might move the Decade process forward. Many interviewed agreed that education is key to bringing people out of poverty, and particularly that young Roma deserve the chance to receive proper schooling. Although prejudice is pervasive, non-Roma feel that discrimination is unjust and believe Roma should have equal access to employment, and so on, but not preferential treatment. Messages on the importance of education and equal opportunity have the potential to resonate even among those with deep-seated prejudices.

 

These concepts and others will be further tested in early 2006 in a benchmark quantitative poll that will be conducted in all Decade countries. Findings from these studies can then be tracked over time to measure change in attitudes and perceptions.

 

For more information, please take a look at the following:

 

The Qualitative Findings Executive Summary gives a thorough, concise overview of the focus group results from all eight countries (Word document).

                   

This PowerPoint Presentation lays out the qualitative findings in an accessible format.

The focus group results are also organized by country, with six of them separated into Non-Roma and Roma focus group results, and the other three as one consolidated report (Word documents):

*The Decade of Roma Inclusion is an initiative launched in February 2005 by eight countries in the region, the World Bank, the Open Society Institute (OSI), and other international donors. The countries include Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, FYR Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovak Republic. Visit its official website for more information.