Gypsies and Politics in Britain

Talking about Gypsies: The Notion of Discourse as Control

“…Although there are examples of research papers linking discourse, control and Gypsies and Travellers (e. g. Turner 2000Turner & 2002, this thesis develops the existing work in two ways. Firstly, the methodology does not rely on selective analysis of texts; it uses computer software to largely remove the subjective element of selection.…”

“…Turner's (2000 and articles discuss discourse in the media, but he does not link in with theories of power and control. Equally, Niner (2003) provides an extremely comprehensive look at the issues facing Gypsies and Travellers and suggests ways of meeting current and future accommodation needs; again though there is no link to theories on control as it is more of a tool for the government to use in developing future policy.…”

“…However, current research, such as Niner (2003) or Turner (2000Turner ( & 2002 does not engage with theories of control or discourse. The intention of current research, such as Niner (2003) is to provide policy advice to the government on how to improve accommodation on a practical level; its intention is not to engage with theories of control and discourse.…”

“…Turner's (2000) paper Gypsies and Politics in Britain, examines the treatment of Gypsies in politics and this includes an analysis of some of the things that Jack Straw has said about Gypsies. Turner looks at the labelling of `true' and `untrue'…”

Land-use Planning and Traveller-Gypsies: Towards Non-prejudicial Practice

“…There is significant evidence of the widespread nature of discrimination towards this group across Ireland and Britain (Fanning, 2002;CRE, 2006), often being far more entrenched than the prejudice against other ethnic groups (Connolly & Keenan, 2000). Such tensions are a constant, multi-dimensional, feature of Traveller-Gypsy life and are experienced through the indifference of public officials (Ellis, 2001), continually reproduced in the media (Morris, 2000;Turner, 2000;Richardson, 2006) and through direct hostility and even violence. 6 The most acute tension between the travelling and settled communities arises over unauthorized sites and the shortage of adequate accommodation (CRE, 2006), which are clearly issues mediated by the planning system.…”