Positive Impact of Teacher Activities on the Educational Career of Roma and Gypsy Women in Hungary

Roma and Gypsy women in Europe suffer from multiple deprivation (Council of the European Union 2011): Firstly, a large part of Roma and Gypsy people live in poverty. Secondly, their different cultural/ethnic traditions often lead to discrimination in school education. Thirdly, they also have disadvantages through the gender aspect, because the traditional Roma/Gypsy culture defines the place of women to be at home with the family and an educational career is not necessary for that (l. Forray, Hegedűs 2003; Durst 2015). That is why Roma and Gypsy women are often called the “minority of the minority” (Vincze 2010: 195). Despite of this multiple deprivation, Roma and Gypsy women are (not only in Hungary) more and more successful in the education system (Forray; Hegedűs 1991) and they increasingly take part in the political life as well (Bak., T.th 2008; K.cz. 2010). The research study focuses on Roma and Gypsy women who have come from a background of multiple deprivation but managed to achieve successful educational careers (defined by their university degree). To answer the research question “Which factors are regarded as beneficial for success in education from the perspective of Roma and Gypsy women?”, we chose the method of biographical narrative interviews. Additionally, we analysed statistical and empirical studies and used expert interviews as well. The aim of the research was to learn about the subjective theories of the interviewed women. The selection of the respondents was done through the snowball-system. The analysis of the interviews was based on the methodology of Fritz Schütze (Schütze 1983). The underclass theory of William Julius Wilson (Wilson, 1978; 1987) adapted by Iv.n Szel.nyi and J.nos Lad.nyi for the Hungarian situation (Lad.nyi; Szel.nyi, 2004) and the theory of Helmut Fend about the functions of the school in society (Fend, 1980; 2003) served as the theoretical framework for this study. For the interpretation we used the categorisation of factors for school success of Hungarian Roma and Gypsy women from Katalin Forray R. and Andr.s Hegedűs T. (Hegedűs, 1996; Forray, Hegedűs, 2003). The study shows that all interviewed women had a very strong learning motivation and were ready to have conflicts with the traditional female role model. Their parents and teachers played mostly a very positive role in this success, but the most important factor was their individual learning motivation.

Kobiecość a płeć żeńska. Komediopisarki dwudziestolecia międzywojennego wobec dyskursu emancypacyjnego

Femininity and the Female Gender: Female Comedy Writers of the Interwar Period in Relation to the Emancipation Discourse The article presents an analysis of selected interwar comedies written by women – Marcelina Grabowska, Maria Morozowicz-Szczepkowska, Maria Pawlikowska- -Jasnorzewska and Magdalena Samozwaniec – and dealing with issues related to the emancipation discourse: motherhood, abortion, shaping a new female role model, and relationships in women’s groups. The heroines of those plays, increasingly liberated and self-aware, demanded the rights traditionally assigned to men, while trying to free themselves from widespread stereotypes. The authors of the dramatic works used various comedic techniques and traditions: satirical, ludic, or Young Poland’s “black comedy.” Comedy influenced the construction of the depicted world and its individual elements as well as the linguistic forms. The amusing heroines became negative characters, going beyond the limits of femininity accepted by the society or postulated by the authors, and their awkwardness evoked compassion in the audience or revealed the malfunctioning of social institutions.

Gender Responsive Pedagogy: Practices, Challenges & Opportunities - A Case of Secondary Schools of North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia

The purpose of the current study was to examine the general secondary school (GSS) science teachers’ gender responsive pedagogy (GRP) implementation status. To do so, descriptive survey research design was employed. Teachers, department heads and school principals were taken as respondents of the study comprehensively. And students were also participants of the study conveniently. Questionnaire, interview, and focus group discussion (FGD) were considered as the principal data collection tools. The collected data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively: the data collected through questionnaire was analyzed via mean, std., one sample t-test. And the data gathered by open ended items, interview, and FGD as well was analyzed via words, phrases, statements and narration. The analyzed data noted that GSS science teachers of the North Wollo Zone had facilitated GRP fairly. Thus, they found as effective in relation to language usage, classroom setups, classroom interaction, and addressing sexual harassment. To do so, availability of qualified school supervisors and principals, and realization of new education training policy (NETP) were considered as possible opportunities. However, teachers as well ineffective to prepare gender responsive (GR) lesson plan, to prepare and use GR instructional materials and to have GR management of sexual maturation. This vanity of teachers was sourced from ranges of challenges: economic, culture, school and teacher related. Therefore, extra support in natural sciences should be given for girls beginning from lower primary education; Confidence building dialogues through involvement of female role model need to be initiated in schools; Gender based counseling, information and remedial learning programs like tutorial classes should be strengthened in schools; Since they used as experience sharing center, gender-sensitive expansion of ICT facilities, including computer labs and internet delivery infrastructure should be expanded in schools.

Are we reaping what we sow? Gender diversity in surgery: a survey of medical students

BackgroundA survey of medical students from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) at Dublin, Perdana and Penang in Malaysia was undertaken in an attempt to explore attitudes towards a career in surgery and document potential differences between male and female students’ perceptions of a surgical career.MethodA hyperlink to an online, anonymised questionnaire was distributed to medical students in 3rd, 4th and final year at three RCSI campuses. Basic descriptive statistics were used to describe the responses to individual questions and appropriate statistical tests used to compare male and female responses to questions.ResultsA total of 464 completed questionnaires were analysed. Almost 40% (n=185) were male and 60% (n=279) were female. Males were significantly more influenced by remuneration than females (p<0.001) towards a choice of surgical career. Females were significantly more influenced in their choice of surgical career by part-time work (p<0.001), parental leave (p<0.001), working hours (p<0.001) and length of residency (p=0.003). During surgical attachments, females were significantly more likely to admit feeling intimidated than males (p=0.002) and males more likely to report feeling confident (p<0.001). Ninety-six per cent of students felt they would be more likely to pursue a career in which they had identified a positive role model, with female medical students three times more likely to have identified a female role model than males.ConclusionAccording to our study, preference for a career in surgery declines with advancing years in medical school for both males and females. Medical students report high levels of feeling intimidated or ignored during their surgical placements, and enthusiasm for surgery reduces during medical school with exposure to this. These findings, along with the importance of role modelling, add further urgency to the need to address factors which make surgery less appealing to female medical graduates.

Mary in Jewish Tradition

Since Jews rejected the miraculous account of Jesus' birth, they assumed that Mary conceived through illicit sexual activity, sometimes expressed in vulgar terms. Some Jews refuted the possibility of virgin birth by use of philosophical arguments, and others offered scriptural arguments against Mary's perpetual virginity. Despite generally negative views of Mary, there is evidence of an attraction to the idea of a semi-divine female role model and it is possible that certain Kabbalistic interpretations of the divine presence have Marian overtones.***Maria na Tradição Judaica***Uma vez que os judeus rejeitaram o relato milagroso do nascimento de Jesus, eles assumiram que Maria era concebida através de atividade sexual ilícita, às vezes expressa em termos vulgares. Alguns judeus refutaram a possibilidade do nascimento virginal por meio de argumentos filosóficos e outros ofereceram argumentos bíblicos contra a virgindade perpétua de Maria. Apesar das opiniões geralmente negativas acerca de Maria, há evidências de uma atração pela idéia de um modelo feminino semi-divino e é possível que certas interpretações cabalísticas da presença divina tenham mapeamentos marianos.

An Exploration of Experiences and Academic Challenges of African Female Student at University of Zululand, South Africa (UNIZULU)

Most African female students are weak in accounting. They feel that accounting is a male-dominated subject. Studies have shown that females consider accounting to be the masculine career. This study is an attempt to understand the academic challenges and experiences of African females at UNIZULU. With the aid of structured questionnaires, varied experiences and challenges of African female students at UNIZULU were captured and studied. Among the variety of experiences, few important ones are highlighted: academic support of lecturers, teaching and leadership style of lecturers, academic preparation of students, understanding of language and curriculum problems. In terms of challenges, students face problems related to language barriers, mathematical knowledge, time management, discipline and conduct, lack of female role model among others. The study suggested that UNIZULU should follow the gender-sensitive leadership and mentorship programs to improve female academic performance in the accounting modules.