In my thesis, I present Poverty among Roma, users of the Centre of social work (CSD) Pomurje. In the overview of the issue, I introduce the Roma people, the culture of poverty that develops through prolonged life in poverty, and survival strategies. In my thesis, I explore the social exclusion among Roma and society's attitude towards the Roma ethnic minority, emphasizing the importance of considering the history of Roma exclusion from European societies. I will present the challenges faced by Roma in accessing education, healthcare, and employment. I will also investigate the various survival strategies employed by Roma and the necessary systemic changes that would enable a more open and inclusive coexistence environment. Furthermore, I will examine and present the role of the Social Work Centre in reducing poverty and social exclusion among Roma. I will address the development of programs for Roma inclusion and the essential fieldwork in communities with social workers.
As part of problem formulation, I have formulated six research questions. I will conduct a qualitative study, which involves conducting interviews with Roma users of CSD Pomurje and social workers employed at the Centre of social work Pomurje. I will use convenience sampling. To assist with the interviews, I have prepared a guide or interview outline covering the main topics. The data collection method will involve oral, individual, and one-time questioning. The obtained data will be recorded, and I will use open and axial coding for analysis. The results of the conducted research will be presented in my thesis under the sections of "Results" and "Discussion." Based on the findings, conclusions will also be drawn. The research has shown that Roma recipients of social assistance live in material deprivation and experience a lack of acceptance, connectedness, and active engagement in the local community. Roma face discrimination in seeking employment, participating in local events, and interacting with educational institutions. Poverty and social exclusion are also felt by Roma children who are marginalized from other students in schools and consequently experience loneliness. Roma have expectations and desires for their children to succeed in school and later in employment, breaking the cycle of poverty. However, most of them struggle to provide support for schoolwork, as there is a low educational structure among older Roma. Centre of social work Pomurje implements several programs and activities that significantly contribute to improving cohesive coexistence between Roma and non-Roma individuals. However, there is still a need for the development of community actions, strengthening of fieldwork, and organizing more activities within Roma settlements. Multidisciplinary collaboration between the Social Work Centre Pomurje and other humanitarian, educational, and municipal institutions has been identified as crucial in the work of social work centers. By promoting multidisciplinary cooperation, centers can more easily provide comprehensive assistance to users and offer a wide range of services that meet the needs of multiple users.
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