Kontakt 2022, 24(4/2022):324-330 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2022.031

The influence of social exclusion on the cognitive abilities of Roma childrenSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Tomáš Mrhálek1, Alena Hricová2, *, Stanislav Ondrášek2
1 University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Education, Department of Psychology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
2 University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Institute of Social and Special-paedagogical Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

This article aims to analyse the connection between factors of social exclusion and cognitive development in Roma children.

Methods: The research group included 400 Roma children aged 7-11 years (ethnicity based on self-identification) and their parents. They were quota selected from all regions of the Czech Republic, from socially excluded localities and beyond. We used the Woodcock-Johnson IV COG comprehensive intelligence test battery as a research tool to measure cognitive abilities. We measured social exclusion with the newly created Social Exclusion Scale test. We used the SPSS programme to process the data using correlations and regression analysis.

Results: Research shows a connection between social exclusion and the cognitive abilities of Roma children in the Czech Republic, but the correlation is not very strong. The cognitive abilities primarily include insufficient language skills and related communication skills in offices, schools, and other institutions. Another important factor are cultural specificities and differences of the Roma minority. For practical social work, working on developing knowledge of the Czech language among Roma families and helping with incomprehensible communication with the authorities seems crucial.

Keywords: Cognitive abilities; Education; Roma children; Social exclusion; Socially excluded locality; Woodcock-Johnson IV COG
Grants and funding:

The paper is a partial output of the TAČR project TL2000187-Standardization of the WJ IV (Woodcock–Johnson IV) for the population of Romani children, which focuses on the reliability of this instrument in diagnosing the target group.

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.

Received: June 14, 2022; Revised: September 7, 2022; Accepted: October 3, 2022; Prepublished online: October 25, 2022; Published: December 19, 2022  Show citation

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Mrhálek T, Hricová A, Ondrášek S. The influence of social exclusion on the cognitive abilities of Roma children. Kontakt. 2022;24(4):324-330. doi: 10.32725/kont.2022.031.
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