The Emerging Aspects of Children’s Social and Educational Problems in the New Members States EU
Laima Abromaitienė
KaunasUniversity of Technology
Institute of Educational Studies
Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University of Crete, 22-25 September 2004
Introduction
In order to theoretically and practically found socio-educational problems of the children whose parents left to live and work abroad, the analysis of scientific literature was carried out. It should be stated that no theories, which could be the methodological basis to research this problem, were identified. Thus in the research more attention is paid to the reasons, due to which children’s socio-educational problems related to migration and family transformation conditioned by it rise. In analysing children’s socio-educational problems emerging due to parents’ migration, it was referred to Lithuania’s experience and the research carried out in the country.
Various authors analysed migration tendencies, importance and peculiarities in different aspects: Sipavičienė (1997), Grigas (1988), Matonytė (1999), Junevičius (2002), Makaraitytė (2002), Kole (2003), Delisle (2004) and others. Most authors emphasise economic, demographic aspects of migration, however migration as one of the reasons of family transformation is not analysed.
Psychosocial situation of the children, whose parents have gone abroad for a long period, is compared to the children who experienced bereavement, as independent of the loss form they face similar problems of their development, similar psychic and behaviour troubles are characteristic to them (Leliūgienė, 1997; Abromaitienė, Bitytė, 2004). The term temporal loss is more and more used in respect to the children whose parents went to work abroad (Leliūgienė, 1997).
Bagdonas (1997), Rimdeikienė (1999), Navaitis (1999), Remeikienė (2001), Jacikevičienė (2001), Litvinienė (2002), Raslavičienė and Zaborskis (2002) and others analyse the development problems of the children experiencing different forms of parents’ loss.
There is no precise statistics how many people go to work and live in other countries each year, how many children whose parents or one of the parents work or live abroad there are in Lithuania; there are no thorough researches what these children experience and how it can influence their further socio-educational development. Accordingly in order to more thoroughly disclose socio-educational problems of the children whose parents work abroad/have left abroad, the paper refer to the results of small volume local qualitative research.
1. Theoretical background
1.1.Transformation of Family Institution
In the tenth decade of the XX century family institute began to change essentially. The social tension of the environment accumulates in a family, changes its life, social needs, behaviour. According to Lamontague (1999), in the modern world more and more couples work, live separately or divorce, economical decline influences them, they face the need to seek the goal and improve in their professional activity; in addition, they have to grow up children. Children become less and less important for their parents both economically, and psychologically (Tamošiūnienė, 1997). Due to these reasons a traditional form of the family changes as well as family traditions: foundations of family economic functioning, possibilities of activity and self-expression, relationship of family members, value orientations and life priorities change. At present children often become luxury or even interference, when seeking for personal happiness, freedom and benefit. Such attitude most frequently touches the children, who choose not themselves when to come to life.
Similar tendencies are characteristic to social situation of a family in the EU countries: decrement of family institution, decrease of birth-rate, increasing number of divorce, spread of non-institutional partnership forms (living together without marriage), decreasing marriage values, growth of the number of illegitimate children (in Sweden it makes 55%, Denmark, Great Britain, France – around 40%, Lithuania – 28%, Greece - around 3% of all born children) ( Specific socio-economic situation, especially – migration processes sharpens these problems of the family institution in the new EU members possessing post-communistic experience.
1.2. Migration as One of the reasons of Family Transformation
Migration is not a new phenomenon: after 1945 almost all countries of Western Europe began to attract the workers of other states. Hence already earlier people from Eastern Europe went in search of better life abroad. The collapse of communistic regime and later political as well as economical transition periods also made some influence upon the migration tendencies in the region (Delisle, 2004). The basic reasons of immigration from East Europe countries – high level of unemployment, lack of social guarantees, self-realisation possibilities, constant tension and uncertainty for one’s future (Kole, 2003). At the beginning of the XXI century migration becomes a global phenomenon: one of thirty-five people in the world is an international migrant. It is supposed that in the world there are around 175mln. of international migrants, who make almost 2,9% of all world population. For the migration of the latter period it is characteristic that it seldom is coercive, most frequently – voluntary. During recent 35 years, the number of international migrants increased more than twice. Every year the borders of the EU countries are crossed by from 120 thousand to 500 thousand people („Facts and Figures on International Migration“, 2003).
Having entered the EU, migration streams from new EU members to economically stronger old countries especially grew. Citizens of new EU members strive to use one of basic liberties of the Union, hoping for secure social guarantees and searching for the possibility to earn European pension.
Official statistics show that almost 3000 residents of Czechia, 10 000 – Hungary, 20 000 – Slovenia, 18 000 – Estonia, 33 000 – Latvia, 12000 – Lithuania emigrated in 1996-2000. Real volume of emigration is much larger. Only from Lithuania 280 000 people emigrated during 1990-2000 (Sipavičienė, 1997). It is supposed that out of ten new EU members around 1,4 mln workers or 2,9 mln population will emigrate to better economically developed countries till 2010 (Boduszynski, 2003).
Most Lithuanian population expect socio-economic situation will better in the country when Lithuania entered the European Union. But they hope that it will be easier to go to work and live in other states. According to some research data, during the primary period of Lithuania’s membership in the EU each year around 240 thous. people from Lithuania will work abroad, most of them – for a time (Delisle, 2004).
By the data of sociological research, around 16,2% of Lithuania’s people would like to go abroad (Voverienė, 2003), 75% of them identify “work search” as the main reason (Sipavičienė, 1997). Other reasons for emigration are mentioned as well, namely: insufficient conditions for the youth to acquire perspective education, to improve qualification, to find well-paid work, imperfect system of social care and taxes, corruption, particularly hard living conditions of middle class (Matonytė, 1999). Referring to the data of public opinion polls, only 8% of the respondents would like to leave Lithuania forever, but a small part of the respondents - only 23% - completely realise themselves in their native country.
Negative social changes occur in the countries, from which people emigrate, namely: community relationship interrupts, value priorities change, migration induces parents’ and children’s living separately, so the number of thefamilies, in which one of parents or both parents work or live abroad, most frequently leaving their children for the care of relatives or even self-education, increases. The results of the pilot study (Butvilas, 2004), during which 91 teacher of elementary classes was surveyed, showed that61 of them educate the children, whose parents have left to work abroad. Such form of the parents’ loss is in the second place after the parents’ divorce (81 teacher educates such children). This is only the pilot research, so it is likely that real figures are much bigger. What influence does the absence of parents or one of them make?
1.3. Socio-educational Problems of Children Rising due to Their Parents’ Migration
The separation of a child from his/her parents always is a stressful situation, which provokes neurotic troubles, asocial behaviour. The children, who lost or for a time missed the possibility to communicate with their parents or one of them, experience the loss of their parents or one of them and face similar problems. Referring to the research analysis by Bagdonas (1997), Rimdeikienė (1999), Navaitis (1999), Remeikienė (2001), Jacikevičienė (2001), Litvinienė (2002), Raslavičienė and Zaborskis (2002), Butvilas (2004), it is possible to assume thatthe troubles of psychic and social development are characteristic to the children experiencing different forms of parents’ loss:inability to properly orient in particular social situations; vivid troubles in personality, self-consciousness, intellectual development; emotional instability; greater nerve; sensibility; conflict relationship with contemporaries; difficulties in learning; the state of loneliness, insularity, self-chagrin and social exclusion; the sense of guilt, anger, revenge; troubles in behaviour - hyperactivity or apathy.
Both parents are necessary for normal development of a child. Communication with a mother is very important for child’s mental and emotional development, formation of security sense. The children isolated from his/her mother can break emotionally, their development disarrays, they feel abandoned and outcast, they experience the sense of guilt (Muksinov, 1990; Leliūgienė, 1997). The role of a father is not less important. When a father is not present, the family looses balance(Horis, 1996). Due to this child’s self-confidence staggers substantially, and this causes the fear of existence. Such the existence quite often accompanies him/her all life and when he/she is a grown-up can manifest in depressions. Namely a father is often going to work abroad, in this way attempting to materially provide his family. So the absence of the father near the child creates particularly negative outcomes.
The performed researches (Gučas 1990; Zacharovas, Navickas; cit. Litvinienė, 2002) showed that the lack of the communication with parents evokes child’s aggressiveness, aptitude for delinquency, and the children who grew up without their father often become passive, too sensible, show unstable mood, sometime are aggressive, rude, indisposed to order and discipline, they do not form firm approach to themselves, do not possess clear sense of their value; they face difficulties while communicating with their contemporaries, and their intellectual potential often rests unused. Negative influence of father’s absence often manifests after some time, when the application of intervention means becomes inefficient.
The children, whose parents live far from each other or from the children, form a perverted picture of family structure, interrelationship of family members. They do not have the possibility to observe the relationship between parents, children and parents, how the duties are divided in the family, what communication is between different genders, they lose the sample, according to which later they will conduct their life, family (Titarenko, 1980; Andriekienė, Seneckaitė, 2001).
In order that child’s personality would develop thoroughly, from the very birth he/she should be fostered, educated, and these processes should be coordinated and united. If poor attention is paid to child’s emotional feelings, learning results, education, the child becomes pedagogically derelict.
The researchers who analysed pedagogically derelict children (Aramavičiūtė, Bajoriūnas, Barkauskaitė, Jovaiša, Laužikas, etc.; cit. Jacikevičienė, 2001) state that limitation of spiritual world, emotional infantilism, psychic instability, the cult of physical power, the cynicism of relationship, the lack of value ideals, negative approach to learning and work, meaningful activity, aggression, addiction, destructive behaviour are characteristic to them. The children can namely acquire such features having their parents left abroad, as while the parents live in another country, the relationship of parents and children gets weaker or even breaks, close relationship between parents and school disappears.
Child’s isolation from his/her family can cause some protest, negativism, anger, and revenge. Instability of emotional relations between children and parents as well as emotional deprivation often becomes the cause of children’s destructive behaviour (Dapkienė, 2001). The child can ‘revenge’ upon the parents who left him/her by his/her behaviour unacceptable in the society.
In summarising the theoretical analysis it is possible to assume that parents’ (or one of them) absence beside a child or non-participation in his/her socialisation process influences the socio-educational development of a child negatively. Having the parents gone to live and/or work abroad, the children experience temporal loss of their parents. This induces the following socio-educational problems: 1) a child experiences sorrow, anger, fear, sense of fear, as the outcome of which the troubles of psychic and social development manifest; 2) a child forms the perverted view of family structure, interrelationship of family members, which is the premise for unsuccessful personal family life; 3) insufficient mental, emotional, social education in a family, the lack of communication with one’s parents influences child’s pedagogical dereliction, failures in learning, troubles in behaviour.
2. The study
2.1 The purpose of the research– is to diagnose socio-educational problems of the children whose parents live or work abroad.
2.2 Sample. The research population is convenient, as the chosen respondents are easily reached. The population consisted of the pupils of one secondary school in Lithuania, the parents of whom live or work abroad, as well as school employees, who mostly communicate with these children and they have got acquainted with their problems. The research sample consisted of the respondents of three categories: the children whose parents live or work abroad; the tutors of the children; school’s social pedagogue.
While carrying out the research the non-stochastic selection of the sample was chosen. The surveyed children, the parents of whom live or work abroad and children’s educators as well as social pedagogue in order to compare the approach of both groups of the respondents to the problems, which the child faces after his/her parents have left abroad. The total sample of the respondents – is five respondents. The sample had to correspond the following criteria of the selection:
- The children – to learn at a secondary school and have the parents who work or live abroad.
- The teachers – to work with the children whose parents live or work abroad.
- The teachers – to be aware of the situation and problems of the children, whose parents live or work abroad.
An eleven-year old girl and a ten-year boy were questioned. The age of the children is an important criterion in interpreting the respondents’ answers. The father of the girl who participated in the survey has been abroad for more that two and a half years, the mother – for a year. The father of the respondent-boy died long ago, and his mother went abroad four years ago, i.e. when the boy was only six years old and his personality was in the period of intensive formation. The average of the surveyed children’s age – 10 years old, the employees of the school – 45 years old. All surveyed school employees possess higher education.
2.3 Methods. The research isof applied type as it solves particular practical problems. It is diagnostic and interpretative, for the experiences and problems of the children the parents of whom live or work abroad were diagnosed in the survey in the context of local sample.
2.4Data analysis. In orderto more objectively evaluate the problems, which children face when their parents have left to live/work abroad, the in-depth interview was carried out.
The interview content was analysed applying the method of qualitative content analysis, which includes four steps (Žydžiūnaitė, 2003): 1) exclusion of manifest categories referring to “key” words; 2) segmentation of categories’ content into subcategories; 3) identification of overlapping elements of categories’/subcategories’ content; 4) interpretation of content data.
3. Results
Children’s answers to the question „Did your parents asked you for your opinion before leaving?“ disclose that children do not have the possibility to choose and they just have to agree to their parents’ decision: „they told that they were leaving, that we would stay alone, we would have to live by ourselves“; „said that they were leaving ... they did not ask me... If she had asked,... I would have let her...If they told that there was no job and it was hard to live, I would have let them go...“ (see Table 1).
Table 1
The Ways to Inform Children about Their Parents Departure
Category / Subcategory / Confirmative statementVerbal conveyance / Conversation / „..we talked ... they said that they were leaving, that we would stay alone, we would have to live by ourselves...“
Saying that they are leaving / „...they said that they were leaving...“
Children do not have the possibility to choose / No inquiry for child’s opinion / „...they did not ask me...“
Making no sign against parents’ departure / „...If she had asked, I would have not said anything ... I would have let her to go...“
Perception of departure reasons / „...If they told that there was no job, it was hard to live, I would have let them to go...“
All respondents, speaking about main reasons, which induced the parents to go abroad and to leave their children, mentioned better possibilities to work and financial reasons, to which the conception of better life is related (see Table 2).
Table 2
The Reasons for Parents to Go Abroad
Category / Subcategory / Confirmative statementWorks as the factor to go abroad / Does not have any work in Lithuania / „...Here there is not much work...“ „they work there...“ „..I did not find any job here...“
Small salaries in Lithuania / „...They had some work in Lithuania too, but here the salaries are so low...“
A better workplace abroad / „...There the work exists, they earn more...“ „...they have left for the job...“
Pursuit for material well-being and better life / The need for money / „...only financial reasons...“ „...only due to material incentives...“
Hard material position / „...hard material situation..“
Easier earned money / „...search for easier earnings...“ „...people leave to earn ... they earn this way...“
Better life / „...it is better to live there...“„...it is much better there...“ „...search … for better life ...“
According to the opinion of children and teachers, only work and better financial conditions stimulate people to go to live and work abroad. Parents impart the attitude that work and money are more important than family to their children.