Gypsies and Travellers in Housing: The Decline of Nomadism

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.

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.

"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