Based on 165 in-depth, narrative life story interviews with first generation graduates, fieldwork with educational support initiatives and auto-ethnography, this article contributes to the literature on whether and how structural educational inequality can be compensated by talent support programs and whether and how these programs can mitigate the price of education-driven upward social mobility for those Roma and nonRoma Hungarians who come from socio-economically disadvantaged families. Upwardly mobile Roma who achieve social ascension through academic high achievement usually travel vast social distances that straddle class and ethnic context. Many of their mobility trajectories are accompanied by a set of challenges that are unique to college educated, racialized, underrepresented minorities. To overcome these challenges, and to compensate for the inequality of life chances that originate from their socially and economically disadvantaged family backgrounds and from an unequal and highly selective educational system, upwardly mobile minority students join educational support initiatives or organisations. This paper, drawing on the narratives of our research participants, argues that particular types of these initiatives or charitable foundations that deploy an ethnically targeted complex approach, can equip their beneficiaries with different types of capital. Amongst these, one of the most important is the Roma cultural capital. The newly gained capitals are necessary for the first-in-family Roma mentees to get through higher education and succeed in the labour market in the context of the specific challenges they face. These initiatives mitigate the price of social ascension the most. The paper uses a case study of Romaversitas to demonstrate its main findings.
In my presentation, the research results of the career guidance model program (operating 1994-2000, within the framework of the Amrita OBK Association) promoting the educational and social mobility of the Roma population living in the Southern Transdanubia Region of Hungary are presented. The aim of the research (2016-2017) is to take a "snapshot" of the group called "Roma elite" of the Hungarian Roma population. It is to portray the group members, their jobs, their place of living, where do they stand in achieving their goals in life, in social mobility, in the process of social integration. Roma adults through qualitative and quantitative methods, who are part of civil support programs, who used to be being members of the same community, but while pursuing their own aspirations, in reaching their aims they leave their communities, and continue their life paths elsewhere. The life-interview featured (20) Roma people, and the half-structured interview will feature professionals, altogether 12. In my research I will position my argument pro the support programs and institutions set up in the 1990s, mentoring activities were of great support for Roma youth in enhancing opportunities for pursuing higher education studies or creating better opportunities for social mobility. Their effect on these aims and aspirations were evident and resulted in bringing a knowledgeable youth with marketable professions to the job market.
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