On Tue, Sep 12, 2017 at 11:58 PM, Annastacia Mueni <[email protected]> wrote:
Michelle_Michy
STUDENTa1.docxTo define the individual of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities can be can be a very difficult task. The reasons behind this are, Roma, Gypsy and Travellers are exogenous groups, the identity of these three communities is always an imposed aspect informed by the fantasy and stereotypes of by the settled population. The title Gypsy, Roma and Travellers is a general title used to illustrate a large diversity of cultural and ethnic groups. Many ways can be used to fix ethnicity. This ways include, Language they use, self-identification, itinerate way of life and crucially. To define an individual as a Roma, Gypsy and Traveler is a concern of self-recognition and it also include the ones living in the homes. If the community members are settled in houses, the ethnic identity is not lost but it persists and conforms to the ways of life.
These three communities, Roma, Gypsy and Traveller generic term, covers a number of different groups of people. These groups include, English and Welsh Gypsies, Scottish and Irish Travellers, Fairground people that (showmen) and circus people, bargees, the occupational boat dwellers and New Travellers. Majority of these communities have a tendency of travelling style of living, despite the fact that, their history and customs change from one community to another. The title, Gypsy, Roma and Travellers is accepted by most members of these groups though most English Gypsies opt to be called Gypsies. On the other hand, the term Gypsy can be anticipated as a negative undertone and is not accepted by some people. This is similar case with Eastern and Central Europe communities and Roma is the general term which is preferred to define the people in both areas. Fairground people who prefer the term showmen have a different customary history that can be drawn back middle ages during the time royal chatters were given for fairs and before then, the Roman trade gathering times.
Circus people have their independent established movements of travel and they are very proud of the history of their family connected with the traditional skills of the ‘Big-top’. Circuses is likely to be owned by a particular family who may employ a number of acts, and they may poses a different international backgrounds.
The term Bargee is used more accordingly in Europe specifically in Netherlands, where doing a job in canals is considered as an industry. In the UK, a few number of people settled on the waterways exist. These people call themselves bargees although they prefer to be called boat dwellers. This is good evidence that, there exist a small number of families dwelling on sea-going coastal boats which travel during summer times between the small harbors and ports.
A great percentage of the whole population of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people live in houses. By living in the houses, they do not default their ethnicity when they start living in houses. Other people live on local authority or in caravan sites which are owned by private individuals and others live in their own plots of land. Roughly a fifth of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller population who do not live in houses lack secure place to live and they move between illegal encampments.
History of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
It is not easy to fully understand the current situation of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities without the knowledge of the history of these three groups. The Roma, Gypsy and Traveller communities have suffered social exclusion, marginalization as well as genocides in some cases for five centuries. A recent analysis has shown that Roma, Gypsies and travelers are victims of the great number of discriminations and are the largest minority ethnicity group without a state in Europe. The background of this social and racial divide can be viewed back to the sixteenth century where communal attitudes in relation to the behavior of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers altered from compassion to mistrust and animosity. This is to great extend attributed to the reality that their healing practices and their telling of fortune was seen as an contrast to the church teachings which was becoming more dictatorial in responding to the threats of well-known uprising. In this situation of political, social and religious state of constant change, the Roma, Gypsy and Traveller communities become the very most target for racism as well as entire prejudice of the communities and their way of life was at same position by the end of the sixteenth century.
The repercussions of this historic and communal divide are still present today. While these three groups, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are comprehended within educational policy, practice on the ground can as well cause discriminatory results.
