Itinerant minorities in England and Wales in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries : a study of gypsies, tinkers, hawkers and other travellers
The term 'Romany' immediately conjures up notions of race and ethnicity, accompanied by images of a separate and distinct culture. Many writers, past and present, have contributed to this essentially mythical, racial construct. Although nineteenth-century travellers were varied in terms of their habits, aspirations, wealth, type of dwelling and the like, the attempt to draw between the travellersâ cultural lines of divide based on racial determinants contains serious flaws in assumptions, methodology and evidence. f, I- I Moreover, although varied, the travellers were bound together by certain common features, notably by their position as a minority group in relation to settled society. Resultant upon their travelling way of life was a conflict with the 'centre', or with the institutions and structures of a sedentary-based society, in this instance organised around a capitalist political economy. The nature of this relationship with the dominant economic, social and political structures can be explained summarily by reference to the attempts to christianise, educate, settle and sanitise the travellers, and which were carried 'out with various degrees of coercion and compulsion. Formal and informal upholders
Mayall, David
History
Itinerant minorities in England and Wales in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries : a study of gypsies, tinkers, hawkers and other travellers. The term 'Romany' immediately conjures up notions of race and ethnicity, accompanied by images of a separate and distinct culture. Many writers, past and present, have contributed to this essentially mythical, racial construct. Although nineteenth-century travellers were varied in terms of their habits, aspirations, wealth, type of dwelling and the like, the attempt to draw between the travellersâ cultural lines of divide based on racial determinants contains serious flaws in assumptions, methodology and evidence. f, I- I Moreover, although varied, the travellers were bound together by certain common features, notably by their position as a minority group in relation to settled society. Resultant upon their travelling way of life was a conflict with the 'centre', or with the institutions and structures of a sedentary-based society, in this instance organised around a capitalist political economy. The nature of this relationship with the dominant economic, social and political structures can be explained summarily by reference to the attempts to christianise, educate, settle and sanitise the travellers, and which were carried 'out with various degrees of coercion and compulsion. Formal and informal upholders
itinerant minority england_wales study gypsy traveller term immediately conjure notion race ethnicity accompany image separate distinct culture many_writer past_present contribute essentially mythical racial construct although nineteenth_century traveller vary term habit aspiration wealth type dwelling like attempt_draw traveller cultural line divide base racial determinant contain serious flaw assumption evidence moreover although vary traveller bind together certain common_feature notably position minority_group relation settle society resultant upon travel way_life conflict centre institution structure sedentary based society instance organise around capitalist political_economy nature_relationship dominant economic_social_political structure explain reference attempt educate settle traveller carry_out various degree coercion formal_informal