Kontakt 2025, 27(1/2025):54-61 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2025.003

Roma community-based empowerment does matter! A qualitative study of social workers' experiences with the empowerment process of social workers in central SlovakiaSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Michal Kozubík1, Miroslava Tokovska2, Alena Hricová3, *, Jana ©olcová4, Magdalena Hanková5, Katarína Minarovičová1, Radana Kroutilová Nováková6
1 Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Department of Social Work and Social Sciences, Nitra, Slovak Republic
2 Kristiania University College, School of Health Sciences, Department of Health and Exercise, Oslo, Norway
3 University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
4 Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Faculty of Education, Department of Social Work, Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic
5 Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Faculty of Humanities, Research Centre of FoH, Zlín, Czech Republic
6 Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Pedagogical Sciences, Zlín, Czech Republic

This qualitative study examines the implementation of an empowerment approach in marginalised Roma communities from the perspective of social workers. Data from 11 semi-structured interviews were analyzed using selected analytical procedures of grounded theory, identifying the main categories: the socioeconomic background of clients (context), community needs and long-term goals (causal conditions), social support and external influences (intervening conditions), and educational projects and participation (strategic actions). The empowerment process leads to independence, sustainability, and improvement of the community environment (consequences). While social work at the micro and meso levels is crucial for the inclusion of the poorest residents of segregated Roma enclaves, significant achievements have not been made at the macro level, particularly in terms of political involvement and the fight against anti-Roma racism. The study also highlights systemic reliance on European structural funds and the lack of state support. Future research could map the perspectives and empowerment of emerging helping professionals.

Keywords: Community; Empowerment; Roma; Slovakia; Social Work
Grants and funding:

The research survey was carried out as part of the project of the Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak Academy of Science (VEGA), number: 1/0777/22 "Individual and collective empowerment of the population of marginalized settlements in the field of field and community social work".

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: August 27, 2024; Revised: October 13, 2024; Accepted: December 20, 2024; Prepublished online: January 23, 2025; Published: February 27, 2025  Show citation

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Kozubík M, Tokovska M, Hricová A, ©olcová J, Hanková M, Minarovičová K, Kroutilová Nováková R. Roma community-based empowerment does matter! A qualitative study of social workers' experiences with the empowerment process of social workers in central Slovakia. Kontakt. 2025;27(1):54-61. doi: 10.32725/kont.2025.003.
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