Gypsies and Travellers in Housing
The Decline of Nomadism
By David M. Smith and Margaret Greenfields
Published
Jul 17, 2013Page count
280 pagesISBN
978-1847428738Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy Press
Gypsies and Travellers in Housing
This original and timely text is the first published research from the UK to address the neglected topic of the increasing (and largely enforced) settlement of Gypsies and Travellers in conventional housing. It highlights the complex and emergent tensions and dynamics inherent when policy and popular discourse combine to frame ethnic populations within a narrative of movement.
The authors have extensive knowledge of the communities and experience as policy practitioners and researchers and consider the changing culture and dynamics experienced by ethnic Gypsies and Travellers. They explore the gendered social, health and economic impacts of settlement and demonstrate the tenacity of cultural formations and their adaptability in the face of policy-driven constraints that are antithetical to traditional lifestyles.
The groundbreaking book is essential reading for policy makers; professionals and practitioners working with housed Gypsies and Travellers. It will also be of interest to sociologists, anthropologists, social policy and housing specialists and anybody interested in the experiences and responses of marginalized communities in urban and rural settings.
Royalties for this book are to be divided equally between the Gypsy Council and Travellers Aid Trust.
"A ground-breaking investigation of the dynamic social, cultural and political forces which have impacted on the vast majority of indigenous Gypsies and Travellers in the UK in modern times." Journal of Social Policy
"a valuable resource for housing practitioners involved in the commissioning and delivery of services, planners involved in strategic housing issues, and researchers. It is also approachable for the general reader." - Housing Studies
"The study is at its best when describing the realities of life in housing in all its nuanced aspects and contextualising it in an informed narrative, often to powerful effect." Journal of Social Policy
David Smith is a Principal Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Greenwich. His interests include the social impact of industrial and economic restructuring, historical and contemporary class structures and the position of marginalised groups. He was winner of the 2006 Social Policy Association 'Best New Publication' for his book 'On the margins on inclusion' (Policy Press).
Margaret Greenfields is currently Director of the Institute for Diversity Research at Buckinghamshire New University. She has extensive experience of UK and international consultation, research and policy development on Gypsy, Traveller and Roma health and inclusion issues
Foreword ~ Judith Okely;
Introduction;
Space, Surveillance and Modernity;
Gypsies, nomads and urbanization a social history;
The Research Sites and Population Sample;
Routes into housing;
Housing Transitions;
Gypsies Travellers and Gorgers: conflict and cooperation;
Recreating Community;
Young People in Housing: Aspirations, Social Relations and Identity;
Conclusion;
Appendix.
