Housed Gypsy Travellers, Social Segregation and the Reconstruction of Communities

Abstract

This paper explores the 'accommodation careers' and social adaptations of Gypsies and Travellers living in 'bricks and mortar' accommodation and the implications of this trend for current concerns pertaining to social segregation and 'parallel communities'. The paper discusses the 'constrained choices' regarding accommodation that Gypsies and Travellers face, before considering the structure of social relations in their respective localities. The strategies by which cultural identities are sustained in housing and how the presence of kin and other Gypsy/Travellers helps to mitigate some of the difficulties experienced are explored. However, the argument is made that while frequent social interaction and the maintenance of a distinct cultural identity provides a crucial source of support, there is also the danger that social relations become restricted to close 'bonding' networks, thus intensifying the social isolation of Gypsy/Traveller communities and further fragmenting neighbourhoods along ethnic lines.

Outreach programmes for health improvement of Traveller Communities: a synthesis of evidence

“…For example, through a system of exchange, some Travellers living in houses keep a seminomadic lifestyle by moving house frequently. 160 In spite of this, the life expectancy of Travellers living on permanent sites is broadly similar to that of the surrounding settled residents, whereas those resident on unauthorised sites or living in conventional housing have poorer health and a lower life expectancy. 6 A move into housing often impacts negatively on the mental health of Traveller Communities.…”

“…More recently, Greenfields and Smith 160 have examined how, given the relentless pro-sedentary nature of policy towards Traveller Communities, many have moved into housing, but have nevertheless resisted assimilation and developed strategies to recreate their traditional lifestyle. For example, through a system of exchange, some Travellers living in houses keep a seminomadic lifestyle by moving house frequently.…”

The Health and Wellbeing of Gypsies and Travellers in Settled Housing: A Narrative Review of the Evidence and Policy

“…These negative social attitudes often manifest themselves in a desire for spatial separation among the sedentary population, particularly in terms of housing. Previous research also demonstrates a convincing link between the physical environment and poor health and wellbeing outcomes of Gypsies and Travellers (Greenfields and Smith, 2010;Smith and Greenfields, 2013). This considers, for example, the internal conditions of caravan sites and the external physical and social environments in which they are located.…”

“…According to Smith and Greenfields (2013), it was frequently the poorer sections of the Gypsy and Traveller community, who lacked the resources to purchase land or private housing, which located to social housing. Many participants in studies conducted by Greenfields and Smith (2010) and Smith and Greenfields (2011) claimed that their living standards had deteriorated following the move into housing due to higher living costs, which often led families into debt and enhanced stress. Particularly for families with limited literacy, the paperwork and bureaucracy involved in managing and retaining a property could be psychologically distressing, sometimes resulting in tenancies being forfeited and households returning to 'the road' or to stop with relatives on sites, precipitating further disruption (Niner, 2003;Parry et al, 2004;Power, 2004;Gidley and Rooke, 2008;Smith and Greenfields, 2013).…”

“…The criminalisation of unauthorised camping and a decline in public site vacancies following the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act has precipitated a drift into 'conventional' and 'settled' housing over recent decades as options to live a nomadic life, or to reside on campsites, have been significantly curtailed post-1994. Around two-thirds of the UK's estimated 300,000 Gypsy and Traveller population are now resident in 'bricks and mortar' (Greenfields and Smith, 2010). As a result, this article reviews the evidence base related to the health and wellbeing of Gypsies and Travellers in settled housing, using a narrative review.…”