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Gypsies and Travellers in Housing: The Decline of Nomadism
Author(s): David M. Smith (Author), Margaret Greenfields (Author)
- Publisher: Policy Press
- Publication Date: 17 July 2013
- Language: English
- Print length: 280 pages
- ISBN-10: 9781847428738
- ISBN-13: 9781847428738
Book Description
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.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“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
“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
About the Author
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 marginalized groups. He was winner of the 2007 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.
