Vasiliki Brouskeli & Evagelia Loumakou (2017) “Early Childhood Education Students’ Perspectives on the Greek Economic Crisis”

Abstract

In this study, we investigated Early Childhood Education students’ perspectives on the Greek economic crisis. We used purposive sampling of students at a Greek University. We enrolled four focus groups of six participants each plus moderators, and transcripts were analysed using thematic content analysis. According to the results, students confront the crisis as a restriction, concerning mostly hedonistic habits of the past that were called on to cease. They extensively recognised the importance of the financial support and sacrifices of their parents, in order not to be deprived of necessary things, and expounded on the possible causes of the economic crisis. They focused on the citizens’ approach, and not particularly on the politicians’ approach, both for subjects regarding government official selection and for issues regarding bad financial management including utilitarian behaviour. Their proposals for the country’s exit from the crisis focused on activating the citizens, working and co-operating, producing innovative ideas, agricultural development, and tourism. They agreed on the discomfort caused by the political system while emphasising the periodicity that characterises the prosperity of a country. Finally, they implied that beyond any adverse effects, the crisis could lead to post-traumatic growth.

Keywords: Economic crisis, students, Greece, consequences, post-traumatic growth

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