The family as a pillar of culture in Roma Family prosperity is also a prerequisite for the balanced development of society. From the point of view of social policy, it is the basic unit of the state and in it the most essential relations of solidarity, mutual social assistance are fulfilled and the personal responsibility of the citizen for his own destiny is formed. Basically, every person, regardless of race, skin color, nationality or other differences, goes through a family and takes on different roles in it at individual stages of life. The family is a model workshop of human behavior, in it he acquires a "moral code" of behavior that is specific to each family, imitates parental models and forms a value system. (1) 1 Roma family

In general, it can be said that the Roma family even today represents a traditional type of multigenerational family. This is also the most significant difference between the Roma family and the majority family - the traditional Roma household breaks up into a nuclear form only nowadays and not like the non-Roma population in the first half of the 20th century. Thus, the Roma family represents a different type of family up to the present, but its difference is not conditioned by ethnicity, but rather by a shift in time.(2)

Under the thin shell of adaptation of the Roma to the environment in which they lived, you could feel the pulse of a completely different life, a different rhythm of life. To understand the "otherness" of the Roma community means to realize that their tradition is far removed from the tradition of settled peoples. Those who consider the Roma as parasites do not realize that they have an important role in many areas. Roma culture can only be understood by understanding the "gypsy soul". Their cultural dispersion and access to the environment did not allow them to create permanent values, and therefore they did not build buildings, cities or monuments, as other communities did. They have created their own world, which is the image of their soul. Among the Roma, a strong habit and need for physical proximity dominates. "The willingness to share is also part of the essence of Roma. Respect for the guest is in the first place and still belongs to the Roma virtues, even in the most backward settlements. The emotional spontaneity and lively temperament of the Roma is manifested in their gaiety, fun and dance. City and love are expressed more by body language."(3)

The marriage union, "officially" confirmed, is largely not recognized by the Roma. They often live in a partnership from the age of 16. The mother of her son has a big role in choosing a future bride. Nowadays, young people are more progressive, but even so, sons are waiting for the mother's approval, whether the girl is suitable. If the response is positive, the son is very happy.(4)

However, we can state that during the last generation the Roma family has weakened. It is primarily about her being torn from the traditional extended family. The disaster for them was the well-intentioned efforts of social workers who, seeing a hungry and dirty child, decided that it must be taken away from its parents. The orphanage ensured quality food, hygiene and regular school attendance, but it damaged the ability to establish strong emotional relationships. He could not replace the family. Today, we can record violence against children in Roma families, which according to historians was an exception. Neglect due to alcohol and drug addiction is also common. Rarely, we can also encounter cases of "incest", where a father and daughter, a mother and a son, or a brother and a sister are married.(5)

"The social status, cultural level of the Roma and the degree of their "Roma - Roma identity" are very diverse: from Roma millionaires to socially dependent families, from closed communities with a strong internal gender hierarchy to relatively adapted, individualized families, not belonging to the original community, looking for a new identity."(6)

At the beginning of the interest in the culture and social life of the Roma, we must realize that the raised topic must be understood and reflected not as a problem of an asocial and poor group of people with which society "doesn't know how to deal", but as a problem that results from the diversity of cultural traditions, norms, values, cultural models, institutions structuring the Roma community. Studying the culture of the Roma in our countries also means reflecting on the changes in our own majority culture, especially its cultural patterns. We have been living here together or next to each other for several centuries. Awareness of the relationships between traditional, political, economic, in-group and out-group communication models in recent decades in the Roma minority and non-Roma majorities encourages further reflections and studies on cultural change.(7) 2 Roma's view of education

Roma perceive school as a closed space compared to the "open space of their life context". Stairs, closed rooms that require a certain kind of behavior: don't scream, don't run, etc. Roma children are brought up freely in the family group, while at school they are forced to respect external norms and obligations that do not make sense to them.(8) "The school restricts and punishes the child if the language and the world he has to learn about are far from his world. The behavior he was taught and which his family supported and recognized are plundered and made impossible at school. The child feels that his culture is forbidden and he is mistaken and uncertain."(9).

For many years we have been trying to introduce life into the body from the outside. We are attacking a castle that we don't know who is in it and what its power is. We discover the phenomenal aspects of things, but we do not discover and do not know the depth of the problem of the Roma nature, the Roma soul. We lack a vision of how the Roma are supposed to change, how the rest of us are supposed to change... Such a perspective requires patience, systematicity, it must deliberately neglect the current political effect or overspending of designated financial resources. This requires a continuous effort independent of which government is in power. In connection with this situation, among the basic problems characteristic of all actors participating in the improvement of the social and socio-economic status of the Roma in Slovakia, we can include precisely the lack of coordination of individual activities, fragmentation of efforts and spent financial resources, which only increase the overall ineffectiveness of solutions.(10)

One of the signs that reflects the improvement of the situation of the Roma in Slovakia is the self-awareness of the Roma nation. It consists primarily in the increased demand for our own press, media, political parties, as well as organizations ensuring the protection of the rights of national minorities. Roma media must reflect the internal structure of the community with its structure. For the Roma, it is not only a matter of fulfilling the standard needs of the nation within the framework of the development of their own culture, but at the same time it is also about the possible removal of unnecessary tension in society. It is appropriate to mention at least the most important ones that enable Roma to participate fully in society:

  • In 1992 The Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic supported the establishment of the Roma professional theater ROMATHAN with its decree. The creation was motivated by the effort to equalize the conditions for the spread, development and consolidation of the culture and culture of national minorities (especially the Roma) living in Slovakia
  • In In 1998, the Secretariat of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic to solve the problems of the Roma minority was established. As of July 1, 2001, the Government of the Slovak Republic appointed Klára Orgovánová as the new Government Plenipotentiary for Roma communities.
  • In In 1998, the Government of the Slovak Republic established the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights, Minorities and Regional Development, which is a coordinating body for issues of national minorities and human rights.
  • In In 1999, the Council of the Government of the Slovak Republic for National Minorities and Ethnic Groups was established - it is an advisory, initiative and coordinating body of the Government of the Slovak Republic in the area of ​​state national policy. The Council recommends solutions to the situation of national minorities in Slovakia to the Government of the Slovak Republic.
  • "Romano Nevo Ľil" (Roma new paper) - Independent cultural and social newspaper of the Roma in Slovakia. The goal is to provide Roma (and majorite) with truthful information about Roma in the Slovak Republic, but also abroad.
  • Roma Press Agency RPA - Its aim is to promote respect for the rights of the Roma community, the education of Roma journalists and ultimately support the integration of the Roma minority into society.(11)

When we take into account the fact that the Roma have lived in the territory of Slovakia for almost 700 years, we must state the enormous power of their self-preservation, which led them to the fact that they did not merge with another culture. "Which other nation has maintained and not lost its own identity for long centuries without its own territory and written language?" It is necessary that we stop seeing the Roma as something negative and focus on many positive facts. However, we still need to have a clear goal in mind. In this case, it is the coexistence of two different and yet equal cultures. Roma and non-Roma.

Conclusion

Every nation, every nationality, every person has its own, mysterious inner feeling of beauty. The greatest beauty and wealth lies precisely in their originality. Each ethnicity has something that is unique to it. It is mentality, culture, customs, traditions, written and unwritten rules of life. There are many things that could put up barriers between us. However, the worst ones are not among us, but in us. Prejudice and ignorance prevent us from loving the Roma as they are. People form an image of the Roma based on tabloids, the media and other rumours. We prefer sensation to real truth. We cannot see anything positive about them. We still perceive them as something else that does not belong in society, but somewhere else, on the edge. Roma are really different from other ethnicities, but the fact that someone is different does not mean that they are worse than me, that I am better. You can find something good in every person. If we don't find it, there is a fault in us.

Author: PhDr. Tatiana Zdravecká

(1) LEŠKOVÁ, Lýdia: Children from a disadvantaged family environment and its influence on the formation of their value orientation. In: Education for values ​​in school and family. Proceedings of the international scientific conference May 24-25, 2005 in Ružomberok. Ružomberok: Institute of Pedagogical Sciences of the Pedagogical Faculty of the Catholic University, 2006, p.291 (2) RADIČOVÁ, Iveta: Hic Sunt Romales. Bratislava: S:P:A:C:E: Foundation, 2001, p.64 (3) KUHNOVÁ, D.: http://putnici.sk/newsread.php?newsid=225 (February 4, 2007). (4) MAGDOLENOVÁ, K.: http://www.chantenet.sk/section=forum&x=146241 (February 4, 2007). (5) Cf.: ŘÍČAN, P.: We will live with Roma - it's a matter of how. Prague: Portal, 2000, p. 47-48. (6) POLÁKOVÁ, E. - FABIÁNOVÁ, V.: Status and role of Romani women in society. Nitra: Pub. Faculty of Education UKF, 2003, p. 102. (7) Cf.: DUBAYOVÁ, M. : Roma in processes of cultural change. Prešov: Pub. Faculty of Arts, University of Prešov, 2001, p. 8-48. (8) Cf.: EDUCATION: JOINT PROJECT: Key issues and strategies for the integration of Roma youth in education. Madrid: Fundación Secretariado Gitano, p. 5-20. (9) LIÉGEOIS, J.P. : Roma, Gypsies, Nomads. Bratislava: Pub. Academia Istropolitana, 1995, p. 194. (10) Cf.: VALACHOVÁ, D. – et al. : Education of the Roma. Bratislava: SPN, 2002, p. 11. (11) Cf.: VAŠEČKA, M.: Summary report on Roma in Slovakia. Bratislava: PaP, 2002, p. 171-190.

List of bibliographic references DUBAYOVÁ, M. : Roma in processes of cultural change. Prešov: Pub. Faculty of Arts, Prešov University, 2001. ISBN 80-8068-059-0 LEŠKOVÁ, Lýdia: Children from a disadvantaged family environment and its influence on the formation of their value orientation. In: Education for values ​​in school and family. Proceedings of the international scientific conference May 24-25, 2005 in Ružomberok. Ružomberok: Institute of Pedagogical Sciences of the Pedagogical Faculty of the Catholic University, 2006, ISBN 80-8084-065-2 LIÉGEOIS, J.P. : Roma, Gypsies, Nomads. Bratislava: Pub. Academia Istropolitana, 1995. ISBN 80-967380-4-6 POLÁKOVÁ, E. - FABIÁNOVÁ, V. : Status and role of Roma women in society. Nitra: Pub. Faculty of Education, UKF, 2003. ISBN 80-8050-738-4 RADIČOVÁ, Iveta: Hic Sunt Romales. Bratislava: S:P:A:C:E: Foundation, 2001, 318 p. ISBN 80-88991-13-7 ŘÍČAN, P. : We will live with Roma - it's a matter of how. Prague: Portal, 2000. ISBN 80-7178-41-9 VALACHOVÁ, D. – et al. : Education of the Roma. Bratislava: SPN, 2002. ISBN 80-08-03339-8 VAŠEČKA, M. : Roma. Bratislava : In: Kollár, M. – Mesežnikov, G. (Eds.) : Slovakia, 2001. VAŠEČKA, M. : Summary report on Roma in Slovakia. Bratislava: PaP, 2002. ISBN 80-88935-41-5 EDUCATION: JOINT PROJECT: Key issues and strategies for the integration of Roma youth in education. Madrid: Fundación Secretariado Gitano. Electronic Resources KUHNOVÁ, D. http://putnici.sk/newsread.php?newsid=225 (04/02/2007). MAGDOLENOVÁ, K. http://www.chantenet.sk/section=forum&x=146241 (04/02/2007).