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Ageing and Non-Formal Care for Elderly Persons in Croatia
Get PDFStarenje i depopulacija temeljni su demografski procesi razvoja stanovništva Hrvatske. U ukupnome stanovništvu 2001. godine dobna skupina 65 i stariji činila je 15,7% ukupnoga stanovništva. Dobna struktura stanovništva jedna je od bitnih odrednica kvalitete života pojedinaca, posebice unutar obitelji. Cilj ovoga rada jest analizom demografskih pokazatelja (biološki sastav, koeficijent feminiteta, indeks starenja, koeficijent starosti, prosječna starost, koeficijenti dobne ovisnosti, bračno stanje) i kratkim pregledom migracijske povijesti druge polovine 20. stoljeća procijeniti kvalitetu neformalne skrbi o starima u odnosu na potencijalne pružatelje skrbi. Starenjem ukupnoga stanovništva Hrvatske, sve manjim brojem djece u obitelji i odvojenim stanovanjem odrasle djece i njihovih ostarjelih roditelja smanjuje se krug glavnih pružatelja skrbi starijima. Smanjenjem broja članova i sve češćim oblicima nepotpunih obitelji te zaposlenošću žena, koje su tradicionalno najvažniji pružatelji svih oblika neformalne skrbi, javlja se problem nedostatka skrbi o starijim članovima unutar obitelji. Usprkos promjenama u načinu života, obitelj je i dalje osnovni izvor emocionalne, informativne i praktične potpore starim ljudima. Prijateljska pomoć i potpora starima podjednaka je u gradu i na selu, dok je dobrosusjedska pomoć nešto veća u izvangradskim područjima (primjerice u Istri i na otocima). Ipak, istraživanja potvrđuju da se socijalna mreža potpore i pomoći među seoskim stanovništvom promijenila od devedesetih godina prošloga stoljeća. Prijateljska i dobrosusjedska potpora mogu u određenoj mjeri nadomjestiti nedostatak skrbi djece, ali slabija mreža domova za starije i nemoćne u izvangradskim prostorima, a time i slabije organizirana izvaninstitucionalna pomoć, zahtijevaju bolju organizaciju formalne skrbi o starim ljudima, i to posebice u slabije naseljenim i manje razvijenim područjima.Ageing and depopulation are the fundamental demographic processes in the development of the population of Croatia. In the total population in 2001 the age group encompassing persons 65 years of age and older made up 15.7% of the total population. The age structure of the population is one of the essential determinants of the quality of lives of individuals, especially within the family. Based on an analysis of demographic indicators (the population structure, the ratio of females, the ageing index, the age coefficient, average age, age-dependency ratios, marital status), and a brief review of migration history in the second half of the 20th century, the goal of this paper is to evaluate the quality of non-formal care of the elderly in relation to potential care providers. Due to ageing in the total population of Croatia, due to a reduction in the number of children per family and separate residences of adult children and their elderly parents, the circle of main care providers for the elderly has diminished. With the decrease in the number of family members, increasingly frequent forms of single-parent families and the employment of women, who were traditionally the most important providers of all forms of non-formal care, insufficient care for the elderly within families has become a problem. Despite changes in the way of life, the family is still the basic source of emotional, informational and instrumental support for elderly people. The help and support that the elderly receive from friends is roughly equal in the city and in villages, although neighbourly help is somewhat greater in non-urban areas (for example in Istria and on the islands). However, researches confirm that the social network of support and help among the rural population has changed since the nineties of the last century. To a certain extent the support of friends and neighbours may substitute the lack of care by children, but a weaker network of homes for the elderly and the infirm in non-urban areas, and thereby also poorer organization of non-institution help, calls for the better organisation of formal care for elderly persons, especially in less populated and less developed areas
The Relationship towards the Other: Research on Ethnic Borders in the Example of Petrinja
Get PDFPredmet istraživanja ovoga rada četiri su kategorije etničnosti: domicilni Hrvati, bosanski Hrvati, domicilni Srbi i domicilni Srbi povratnici u naselju Petrinji. Istraživanjem se nastoje utvrditi čimbenici koji utječu na uspostavljanje granica između etničkih kategorija i otkriti mehanizmi putem kojih se odvijaju procesi isključivanja. Želi se utvrditi u kojoj mjeri sociokulturna obilježja istraživanih kategorija uvjetuju odnos prema Drugome kao pripadniku određene etničke kategorije te utječu na uspostavljanje granica među njima. Istraživanjem se potvrdilo da se granice između etničkih kategorija sužavaju ili proširuju u skladu s interakcijskom situacijom među njima te da sociokulturna obilježja katkad u većoj mjeri od etničkih uvjetuju odnos prema Drugome kao pripadniku određene etničke kategorije. To posebno dolazi do izražaja u kategoriji bosanskih Hrvata, čije pripadnike većina domicilnoga stanovništva percipira kao Druge. Procesi razgraničavanja i uspostavljanja granica prema načelu Mi/Oni između domicilnih Hrvata, domicilnih Srba i domicilnih Srba povratnika ne temelje se na etničkome ključu, iako su s njime povezani, već najčešće polaze od razvrstavanja prema načelu »tko je bio na čijoj strani za vrijeme rata«.The research topic in this paper focuses on four categories of ethnicities: local Croats, Bosnian Croats, local Serbs and local returnee Serb migrants in the settlement of Petrinja. The research attempted to identify factors influencing the establishment of borders among ethnic categories and to discover mechanisms through which processes of exclusion took place. The intention was to determine to what extent the sociocultural characteristics of the categories researched condition the relationship towards the Other as a member of a specific ethnic category and influence the establishment of borders between them. The research confirmed that borders between ethnic categories diminish or stretch in accordance with the interactional situation between them and that sociocultural traits, more than ethnic traits, sometimes condition the relationship towards the Other as a member of a specific ethnic category. That was revealed especially in regard to the category of Bosnian Croats whose members the local majority population perceived as Others. Processes of demarcation and establishing borders according to the principle We/Them between local Croats, local Serbs and local return Serb migrants are not based on an ethnic key, although they are linked to such a key, but rather most often derive from the principle “who was on which side during the war”
The Populations of Vinkovci and Vukovar during the Period of Their Moulding into Urban Entities: The End of the 18th Century and Beginning of the 19th
Get PDFU radu se uspoređuju demografske značajke dvaju slavonsko-srijemskih gradova tijekom razdoblja njihova oblikovanja u urbane cjeline krajem 18. i početkom 19. stoljeća. Autorica primjenjuje komparativni pristup i nastoji utvrditi sličnosti i razlike između Vinkovaca i Vukovara u demografskoj strukturi i oblicima naseljavanja tih dvaju naselja tijekom njihove »početne urbanizacije«. Polazeći od opravdanosti komparacije tih dvaju gradova – prostorna blizina, slične povijesne okolnosti, usporedivi ekohistorijski sustavi u kojima nastaju, kao i njihovi različiti statusi unutar Habsburške Monarhije – autorica njihovom usporedbom uočava velik utjecaj države i apsolutističkih reformi na urbani razvoj u tim pograničnim naseljima hrvatskoga i habsburškog prostora. Osim toga veliku važnost u njihovu urbanom oblikovanju imao je demografski aspekt i uloga migracija te organizirana politika naseljavanja. Potrebe Vinkovaca i Vukovara kao urbanih središta za novim stanovništvom bile su uglavnom pokrivane naseljavanjem stanovništva iz drugih krajeva Monarhije, kao i iz hrvatskih zemalja pod drugim jurisdikcijama te iz drugih zemalja pod osmanskom vlašću. Doseljavanje novoga stanovništva iz različitih krajeva omogućuje oporavak i jačanje tih naselja nakon osmanskoga razdoblja. Unatoč pritjecanju novih demografskih elemenata cijeli prostor Slavonije i Srijema, kao Vinkovci i Vukovar, u usporedbi s drugim dijelovima Monarhije predstavljaju područja slabe naseljenosti. Važnu ulogu u životu tih gradova igrale su najbrojnije etničke odnosno vjerske skupine, katolici i pravoslavni.In this article, a comparison is drawn between the demographic characteristics of these two Slavonian-Srijem towns during the period of their moulding into urban entities at the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th. The author applies the comparative approach and endeavours to establish the similarities and differences between Vinkovci and Vukovar in the demographic structure and forms of settlement of those two centres during their »initial urbanisation«. Starting out from the justification for comparison of these two towns – their spatial proximity, similar historical circumstances, the comparable eco-historical systems that gave rise to them, as well as their diverse status within the Hapsburg Monarchy – when comparing them, the author sees the great influence of the State and absolutist reforms on urban development in those border settlements in the Croatian and Hapsburg region. Apart from that, the demographic aspect and the role of migration, along with the organised settlement policy, was of great importance in their urban moulding. The needs of Vinkovci and Vukovar as urban centres with new inhabitants were largely covered by moving in people from other parts of the Monarchy, and also from the Croatian lands under other jurisdictions and other countries under Ottoman authority. Bringing in new inhabitants from various regions enabled the recovery and strengthening of those settlements after the Ottoman era. Despite the influx of new demographic elements, the entire region of Slavonia and Srijem – as was the case with Vinkovci and Vukovar – represented a poorly inhabited area in comparison with other parts of the Monarchy. An important role in the life of those towns was played by the largest ethnic and/or religious groups, the Roman Catholic and the Christian Orthodox believers
The Stigmatisation of Croats and Serbs before, during and after the War
Get PDFProces raspada jugoslavenske države pratili su socijalni konstrukti Drugoga. Stereotipi, predrasude i stigme, koji su bili prisutni i u socijalističkom razdoblju, multiplicirani su u tranzicijskome i osobito ratnome vremenu. Simbolički imaginarij posebno je opterećen nacionalnim/nacionalističkim konstrukcijama zbilje na bivšemu jugoslavenskom sociopolitičkom prostoru, uključujući i Hrvatsku. Pritom je, kao zamjena za socijalističku ideologiju, snažno aktiviran nacionalni identitet. Favoriziranjem etnonacionalnoga identiteta u odnosu na sve ostale subidentitete u sociopolitičkom i simboličkom prostoru s prevladavajuće etničkim modelom nacije potisnuti su demokratski procesi, a na javnoj sceni na djelu je bila autoritarna nacionalna država. Stvoreno je kulturno i sociopsihološko ozračje pogodno za aktiviranje etničkih/nacionalnih stereotipa, predrasuda, a onda i stigmatizacije Drugih. U Hrvatskoj su u simboličkom, a djelomično i u praktičnopolitičkom prostoru aktivirani »ustaše« i »četnici«, što je samo pojačalo međusobnu stigmatizaciju Hrvata i Srba. Različiti akteri u ratnim su sukobima aktivirali simbolički imaginarij za svoje (često vrlo različite) ciljeve, a veličina zloporabe nacionalnoga ovisila je o (ne)legitimnosti političkih ciljeva i ponašanja političkih i vojnih organizacija i pojedinaca prema Drugima u danim situacijama. Empirijsko istraživanje provedeno u zapadnoj i istočnoj Slavoniji, Baniji i Dalmaciji na populaciji Hrvata starosjedilaca, Srba starosjedilaca i useljenika pokazuje da je stigmatizacija nacionalno Drugoga uvelike prisutna u prijeratnome razdoblju te da se intenzivirala u ratnome a vrhunac dosegnula u poslijeratnom razdoblju. Sve to otežava (re)konstrukciju lokalnih zajednica na bivšim ratnim prostorima. Postupna dekontaminacija sociopsihološkoga ozračja označit će odmak od ratnih »slika« i etničke čistoće države te okretanje prema multietničkoj koegzistenciji i tolerantnijemu komunikacijskom ozračju.The process of disintegration of the Yugoslav state was accompanied by social constructs in regard to the Other. Stereotypes, prejudices and stigmas, which had existed during the socialist period, were multiplied during the transitional and especially during the war period. The symbolic imagery was especially burdened by national/nationalist constructions of the reality in the former Yugoslav socio-political area, including in Croatia. In this context, national identity was forcefully activated, as a replacement for socialist ideology. Favourising ethno-national identity over all other sub-identities in the socio-political and symbolic area, and the prevalence of an ethnic model of the nation, suppressed democratic processes, and an authoritative national state came into effect on the public scene. A cultural and socio-psychological atmosphere was created that was conducive to the activation of ethnic/national stereotypes, prejudices, and subsequently to the stigmatisation of Others. In Croatia, images of “ustaše” and “chetniks” were activated in the symbolic and practical-political sphere, which only increased the mutual stigmatisation of Croats and Serbs. Various protagonists during the war conflicts activated symbolic images for their own (often very different) goals, and the extent of misuse of national contents depended on the legitimacy or non-legitimacy of political goals, as well as on the behaviour of political and military organisations and of individuals towards Others in given situations. The author’s empirical research, conducted in West and East Slavonia, Banija and Dalmatia among populations of indigenous Croats and Serbs and immigrants, indicates that the stigmatisation of the nationally Other is still largely present in the post-war period. It gained intensity during the war and reached a maximum in the post-war period. All this aggravates the (re)construction of local communities in former war areas. The gradual decontamination of the socio-psychological atmosphere implies a move away from war “images” and from the notion of an ethnically pure state, and a shift towards multiethnic coexistence and a more tolerant atmosphere for communication
The »Harsh Inhabitants of Hvar« in the Speech of Vinko Pribojevi} (A. D. 1525)
Get PDFThe aim of this paper is an analysis of the genesis and representation of local group identities of the island of Hvar,
based on the information from the oldest historiographic and literary source dating to the 16th century. The speech by the
Croatian Dominican monk Vinko Pribojevi}, entitled »De origine successibusque Slavorum« (»On the Origin and Glory
of Slavs«), was held in the Latin language in the town of Hvar on the island of Hvar in 1525. It was published in 1532 in
Venice, and represents one of the most famous works of Croatian literature in Latin language. The speech consists of
three parts. Most locally specific information on Hvar and its inhabitants can be found in the last part of the speech. The
island itself is divided into three geographical parts in Pribojevi}'s speech (the eastern part, consisting of the high plain
plateau, the western part, consisting of the Hvar plain, and the town of Hvar). The division of the island's inhabitants
corresponds to this division. In the description of the islanders and their supposed characteristics we can recognize many
of the stereotypes still ascribed to many inhabitants of islands even today. People from the eastern part of the island,
mostly shepherds that came to the island as refuges before the Turkish army, are referred to as »the others«. They are described
in quite negative context and stereotyped as being different from the rest of the island's population. In contrast,
the inhabitants of the western and central part of the island are presented as ideal, homogenous, and harmonious community.
Shepherds from the mountainous area in the east part of the island have been excluded from the collective representation
of idealized indigenous population, the Mediterraneans that lived in the western part of Hvar. In Pribojevi}’s
speech we find the oldest form of the stereotype on the island’s highlanders, the ever present »others« and »different« people
of the island of Hvar, a view still present to this day
The role of state in prevention of consequences that diseases had on economy of northen Dalmatia in the 18th century
Get PDFRad predstavlja analizu geografskog pejsaža sjeverne Dalmacije u 18. stoljeću, specifičnih bolesti koje se pojavljaju na tom području i ekonomije koja se u takvim uvjetima razvija. Način na koji država nastoji asanirati i iskoristiti takve vlažne i neiskorištene prostore »lošeg zraka« ukazuje na etapnost njezinih interesa i akcija, a način zaustavljanja širenja bolesti organizacijom sanitarnih kordona nerijetko predstavlja izazov daljnjem polaganom demografskom rastu i prosperitetu ekonomije uopće. Siromaštvo, zaostalost kraja, glad i bolesti potiču lokalno stanovništvo na sivu ekonomiju i pljačku te ga guraju u apatiju koja dodatno unazađuje privredu.The analysis of the northern Dalmatia in the 18th century as the geographical area of specific diseases and specific economy. By the way the state (the Venetian Republic) reclamated the lowland and swampy areas to prevent the spread of diseases (the sanitary cordons) challenged demographic increase and the while economic production. Poverty, starvation, apathy and diseases supported the illegal commercial and business activities of the local inhabitants as well as the local criminal activities
Political Changes in Croatia and the Croatian Emigrant Press in Chile
Get PDFU radu se daje pregled hrvatskog iseljeničkog tiska u Čileu kroz pet povijesnih razdoblja (do Prvoga svjetskog rata, Prvi svjetski rat, između dva svjetska rata, Drugi svjetski rat, nakon Drugoga svjetskog rata) te se povlače paralele utjecaja političkih promjena u Hrvatskoj na sadržaj i teme iseljeničkog tiska. Metodom analize sadržaja za svako povijesno razdoblje analiziraju se jedne iseljeničke novine, a kao jedinica analize uzimaju se tekstovi s naslovnih stranica. Osim sadržaja poruke, analizira se i oblik poruke kako bi se ocijenio stav koji pošiljatelj poruke odašilje primatelju. Na osnovi analize novina zaključeno je da su političke promjene u Hrvatskoj imale važan utjecaj na iseljenički tisak, a to je posebno vidljivo u doba Prvoga i Drugoga svjetskoga rata. U razdoblju od Prvoga svjetskoga rata iseljenički tisak nazivima i temama kojima se bavi propagira jugoslavenstvo kao pripadnost jugoslavenskoj naciji i državi. Pod utjecajem političkih promjena u Hrvatskoj, mijenja se i identitet iseljenika. Do Prvoga svjetskog rata uglavnom su antiaustrijski orijentirani, a u sljedeća četiri razdoblja prihvaćaju države i vlade prve i druge Jugoslavije, identificirajući se s Jugoslavijom, te svoje potomke odgajaju se u jugoslavenskom duhu.The paper gives an overview of the Croatian emigrant press in Chile through five historical periods (before World War I, during World War I, between the two world wars, during World War II, after World War II). Parallels are drawn between political changes in Croatia and changes in the contents and themes of the emigrant press. One emigrant newspaper is analysed for each historical period, via the content analysis method, and front-page articles are taken as the units of analysis. Apart from the messages’ contents, their form is analysed, so as to assess opinions that the messages’ senders transmit to their receivers. Based on the analysis of the newspapers, the author concludes that changes in Croatia had an important influence on the emigrant press, which was especially visible in the period during World War I and World War II. In the period from World War I onwards, headings and themes in the emigrant press were used to propagate Yugoslavism and a sense of belonging to the Yugoslav nation and state. The identity of the emigrants changed under the influence of political changes in Croatia. Up to World War I they were mainly anti-Austrian oriented, and in the next four periods they accepted the state and the government of both the first and the second Yugoslavia, identifying themselves with Yugoslavia, and raising their descendents in a Yugoslav spirit
The Effects of Transition and War on the Construction of Some Segments of National Identity among Croats and Serbs (An Empirical Survey in the Former War Areas of Western and Eastern Slavonia)
Get PDFAutor analizira utjecaj tranzicije i rata na oblikovanje nekih segmenata nacionalnog identiteta Hrvata i Srba. Predložak za analizu čini empirijsko istraživanje provedeno u zapadnoj i istočnoj Slavoniji. Analiza je obuhvatila tri skupine ratnih migranata i ratnih stradalnika, Hrvate starosjedioce, Srbe starosjedioce i useljenike. Istraživanje je provedeno od rujna do prosinca 2004. u selima i gradovima zapadne i istočne Slavonije, pri čemu se služilo anketnim upitnikom od 48 pitanja zatvorenog tipa. Istraživanjem su obuhvaćena sljedeća obilježja ispitanika: socioprostorni status, dob, spol i školska sprema. Istražena je varijabla socioprostorni status ispitanika u korelaciji s percepcijom nekih segmenata nacionalnog identiteta Hrvata i Srba. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju razlike u stavovima i ocjenama ispitanika iz zapadne i istočne Slavonije. Hrvati starosjedioci više od Srba starosjedilaca ističu značenje i važnost vjeroispovijesti (katolicizma) za nacionalni identitet. Hrvati starosjedioci isključiviji su od Srba starosjedilaca kada je riječ o mogućnosti potpune participacije bivših komunista u nacionalnom korpusu Hrvata i Srba. Odgovori useljenika radikalniji su i isključiviji u odnosu na odgovore starosjedilaca, a pritom su oni u zapadnoj Slavoniji (pretežno etnički Hrvati) radikalniji u odgovorima od useljenika u istočnoj Slavoniji (pretežno etnički Srbi). U odgovorima je, iako su donekle prožeti isključivim stavovima o mogućnostima uključivanja različitih subidentiteta u nacionalni identitet Hrvata i Srba u poslijeratnom razdoblju na bivšim ratnim prostorima, u značajnoj mjeri prisutna i tolerancija, izraženija unutar skupine nego prema drugim nacionalnostima.The author analyses the effects of transition and war on the formation of some segments of national identity among Croats and Serbs. The basis for the analysis was an empirical survey conducted in Western and Eastern Slavonia. The analysis included three groups of war migrants and victims of war – indigenous Croats, indigenous Serbs and immigrants. The survey was conducted between September and December 2004, in villages and towns of Western and Eastern Slavonia. It used a survey questionnaire with 48 closed-type questions. The survey took account of the following variables among respondents: sociospatial status, age, gender and level of education. The analysed variable: respondents’ sociospatial status, proved to be in correlation with the perception of some segments of national identity among Croats and Serbs. The results of the survey showed differences in the opinions and evaluations of respondents from Western and Eastern Slavonia. Indigenous Croats, more than indigenous Serbs, stressed the meaning and importance of religion (Catholicism) in national identity. Indigenous Croats were more exclusive than indigenous Serbs as to the possibilities of full participation of former Communists in the Croat and Serb national communities. The responses of immigrants were more radical and exclusive in comparison with indigenous persons, and in this regard responses of immigrants in Western Slavonia (mostly ethnic Croats) were more radical than responses of immigrants in Eastern Slavonia (mostly ethnic Serbs). Although they were somewhat laced with exclusive opinions on the possibilities of including various subidentities in the national identities of Croats and Serbs, the respondents’ answers indicate that in the post-war period, in former war areas, tolerance is also quite present, more noticeably within one’s own group than towards the other nationality
A Comparative Analysis of the 16th Century Ottoman Mapping of the Croatian Coast and Islands
Get PDFRad je usporedbena analiza karata Piri Reisa iz šest različitih kopija Kitab-i Bahriye. U studiji se analizira isključivo hrvatski dio istočne obale Jadrana od Dubrovnika do Umaga na istarskom poluotoku. Korištene su metode opće i posebne vizualne usporedbe karata. Uočeno je da različite kopije Kitab-i Bahriye ne predstavljaju daljnji razvitak u poznavanju kartografskog sadržaja. Kasnije kopije predstavljaju napredak u umjetničkom smislu i impresivnije su zbog svoje dekorativnosti, a to se posebno odnosi na rukopisne primjerke iz Bolonje i Berlina.The paper is an analysis and comparison of maps of Piri Reis in six different copies of Kitab-i Bahriye. The study is only concerned with the Croatian part of the eastern Adriatic Sea from Dubrovnik to Umag on the Istrian peninsula. Methods of general and special visual comparison were used. Different copies of Kitab-i Bahriye show no significant further development of cartographic content. The later copies were improved in artistic value and decorative impression, especially the manuscripts from Bologna and Berlin
Stigmatisation and Identity in the Roma: A View from the “Outside” – The Case of Roma Pupils in the Settlement of Kozari Bok
Get PDFRomi su marginalna skupina u hrvatskom društvu, nedovoljno uključena u različite segmente socijalnog ustroja. U ovom radu analiziramo intervjue provedene u OŠ dr. Vinka Žganca, Kozari Bok. Intervjuirali smo osam (8) nastavnika u toj školi, koji izvode nastavu u razredima koji u svom sastavu imaju i učenike iz romske etničke skupine. Socioekonomski ambijent i kulturni obrasci u kojima se socijaliziraju mladi Romi znatno odstupaju od dominantnoga sociokulturnog obrasca, što pripadnike te etničke skupine dodatno marginalizira i »isključuje« iz lokalnih zajednica u kojima obitavaju, pa i širih socijetalnih struktura. Za učenike Rome, osim tih nepovoljnih ambijentalnih razloga, nepoznavanje ili slabo znanje hrvatskog jezika čini veliku prepreku u procesu integracije u školski sustav. Stigmatizacija Roma segment je sociopsihološkog ozračja u Hrvatskoj, koji je generirao i tolerirao takav oblik socijalne interakcije i u kojemu je takav oblik nastupanja bio toleriran u krugovima koji predstavljaju dominantnu kulturu. Stigmatizacija je primijećena i u školi, posebno u konfliktnim situacijama kada su Romi nazivani Ciganima. To je i napad na romski identitet, na što su učenici Romi posebno osjetljivi. Najteže pitanje/problem u procesu integracije Roma jest upravo pitanje identiteta. Kako i koliko mijenjati romski način života, kao pretpostavku kvalitetne integracije, ne ugrožavajući pritom identitet skupine?The Roma are a marginal group in Croatian society, insufficiently “included” into various segments of the social structure. This paper analyses interviews carried out in the elementary school “Vinko Žganec” in Kozari Bok (in Zagreb). Eight (8) teachers of that school were interviewed, who teach classes in which there are pupils of Roma ethnicity. The socio-economic milieu and the cultural patterns in which young Roma are socialised differs notably from the dominant socio-cultural pattern, which further marginalises and “excludes” members of this ethnic group from the local community in which they reside, as well as from broader societal structures. For Roma pupils, besides these unfavourable factors in the milieu, a lack of knowledge or a poor knowledge of the Croatian language represents a further obstacle in the process of their integration into the school system. The stigmatisation of the Roma represents a segment of the socio-psychological atmosphere in Croatia, which generated and tolerated such a form of social interaction and in which such a type of approach was tolerated in circles representing dominant culture. Stigmatisation can be noticed also in schools, especially in conflictive situations in which the Roma are called Gypsies. This is also an attack on the Roma’s identity, about which Roma pupils are especially sensitive. The most difficult problem in the process of integrating the Roma is precisely the question of identity. In what way and to what degree should the Roma way of life be altered, as a precondition for assuring high-quality integration, without in the process threatening the group’s identity