Insiders, Outsiders and Others: Gypsies and Identity

"In this book Kalwant Bhopal and Martin Myers offer an account of the formation of Gypsy identities. Providing such an account for any social group is never straightforward, but there is a still wider scope for misunderstanding when considering Gypsy culture." "The authors apply theoretical ideas about the 'stranger' in society to questions of the social positioning of Gypsies. In considering how 'otherness' is created, they examine how 'white' culture differentiates itself and where understandings of Gypsy identity fall within 'whiteness'." "Britain has embraced multiculturalism for many years now, including the expectation that 'outsiders' (such as immigrants and asylum-seekers) will become more accepted over time as familiarity increases. Why does this not happen for Gypsy groups? The authors' close analysis of multiculturalism reveals its various failings, showing how it reproduces many of the same misrepresentations of Gypsy culture as less liberal regimes." "Kalwant Bhopal and Martin Myers look at the often harsh realities faced by Gypsy communities in Britain and shed light on the continuing failure to allow Gypsies to be truthfully represented."--BOOK JACKET.
Content: Gypsies and their identities --
Gypsy identity and culture: foundational accounts and the Academy --
Gypsy identity and culture: misrepresentation, misrecognition and deception --
Recognising the 'other' --
Case study I: Inside the school gates: Gypsy families' experiences of education --
Case study II: Media representations of Gypsy life in election year --
The outsider in multicultural society --
The outsider in racist society.
Abstract: Annotation

"In this book Kalwant Bhopal and Martin Myers offer an account of the formation of Gypsy identities. Providing such an account for any social group is never straightforward, but there is a still wider scope for misunderstanding when considering Gypsy culture." "The authors apply theoretical ideas about the 'stranger' in society to questions of the social positioning of Gypsies. In considering how 'otherness' is created, they examine how 'white' culture differentiates itself and where understandings of Gypsy identity fall within 'whiteness'." "Britain has embraced multiculturalism for many years now, including the expectation that 'outsiders' (such as immigrants and asylum-seekers) will become more accepted over time as familiarity increases. Why does this not happen for Gypsy groups? The authors' close analysis of multiculturalism reveals its various failings, showing how it reproduces many of the same misrepresentations of Gypsy culture as less liberal regimes." "Kalwant Bhopal and Martin Myers look at the often harsh realities faced by Gypsy communities in Britain and shed light on the continuing failure to allow Gypsies to be truthfully represented."--BOOK JACKET