Tensiones sobre el lugar del maestro en artes escénicas

Before exploring the question of how Gypsies and Travellers define themselves, it may be useful to look at what we mean by identity. Identity is defined in the Collins English Dictionary (2000) as:

1) The state of having unique identifying characteristics held by no other person or thing. 2) The individual characteristics by which a person or thing is identified.

Friedman (1999) however, goes further by describing identity not only in terms of the characteristics which make us unique such as our fingerprints, face etc. but also talks of identity that goes beyond self; the sense of identity that comes from being part of a group. It is the membership of one or more groups that provide us with our framework in which to judge the world, what is good or bad, worthwhile or not.

*identity, then is not just a sense of who we are - a definition; it is a lens through which to see the world”.

(Friedman 1999)

Both Gypsies and Travellers hold a strong sense of cultural identity, one form of group identity; viewing themselves as separate from non-Gypsy/Traveller

communities. This appears to be consistent through time, as a strong sense of cultural identity was also described by Okely during her anthropological study of Gypsies and Travellers in the mid seventies (Okely 1983). She suggests that

‘ethnic boundaries’ are deliberately created by Gypsies and Travellers to protect their identity against a hostile wider society that seeks to assimilate or destroy them. She goes on to suggest that a strict membership is an active method of protection for the group and is based on the principles of descent, self

employment, shared values, nomadic lifestyle and pollution taboos. Nickson (1997) also believes that persecution is at the ‘heart’ of Gypsy identity and perhaps

maintains it, and talks of the continued persecution of Gypsies throughout history to the present day. This identity based on persecution has implications for

understanding the relationship between Gypsies and the wider community and the

A recent study by Van Cleemput (2004) also confirms the findings of Okely and the findings of this present study, that Gypsy/Travellers “perceive themselves as a distinct ethnic group with a strong sense of identity and o f belonging to a Gypsy Traveller culture”.

This ‘separateness’ from the general settled population is evident from the terms used by Gypsies ahd Travellers in this study to describe non-Gypsy/Travellers, such as ‘Gorgias’, ‘Local People’ or ‘Country Folk’. When I asked Gypsies and Travellers how they would describe themselves, many talked of their group membership either as Gypsies or Travellers, and often qualifying this in terms of their family origin or birthplace. The terms used to describe themselves included:

‘Irish Traveller’, ‘English Traveller’, ‘English Gypsy’ and ‘proper Romany’. One person described himself in terms of both birthplace and origin,

7 was bom in Wales so I’m a Welsh Irish Traveller.”

(Resp. 6, m ale, 2 1yrs, Irish Traveller) Others however, describe themselves simply as Travellers.

“I’m a Traveller, just a Traveller.”

(Resp.1,male, 35yrs, Irish Traveller) 4.2.1.1 Group membership

Membership of a Gypsy or Traveller community is not something one can decide to join simply through choice of lifestyle. As well as living a nomadic lifestyle and sharing a common culture, there are rules of descent. Okley (1983) suggested that the rules of descent fulfilled the function of providing continuity, restricting entry as a means of survival. A person must be born into the community, having traditional origins of at least one parent, it’s ‘in the blood’. Also, you must learn traditional Gypsy or Traveller ways that are passed down from generation to generation.

“No, you gotta be bom into it. You gotta know the skills, you gotta know the ropes, how to survive out in the open, like how to survive out in the open world. Something as you’re born inta.”

(Resp.5, female, 37yrs, Irish Traveller)

Endogamy is the norm however, a person can join the community through marriage, but will always be an outsider to some extent. A person who joins a Gypsy or Traveller community is known as a ‘wanabee’. If a non-Gypsy/Traveller spouse is prepared to learn the Gypsy or Traveller ways, then they may be

tolerated and even accepted into the community, but would not call themselves or be described as a Gypsy or Traveller. There are two examples of non-

Gypsy/Traveller women marrying into Irish Traveller families in Wrexham, they do appear to be accepted. However, it can be a long and difficult process of learning to trust and gaining the trust of the community, and can take many years.

“Well, yes, (regarding marrying into the community) but it would take a long time. You have to leam the Traveller ways and learn to trust and be trusted, cause Travellers don’t trust people until they know them really well.

It could take years.”

(Resp. 7, female, 23yrs, Irish Traveller)

Children from a marriage between a ‘Gorgia’ and a Gypsy or Traveller are

accepted as Gypsy/Travellers provided they have been brought up with Gypsy or Traveller customs, skills and values.

Gypsies’ and Travellers’ differences from ‘Gorgias’ is also described in terms of different morals and customs. The up-bringing of Gypsies and Travellers is perceived as much stricter than ‘Gorgias’, in particular with girls. It is vital that unmarried Gypsy and Traveller girls are kept ‘pure’ (virgins), do not bring ‘shame’

on the family, whereas ‘Gorgias’ are described in terms of being promiscuous and dirty.

This was also found by Van Cleemput (2004) who described the differences in morals and customs of Gypsy/Travellers in terms of ‘cultural codes of conduct’ and provides the example of the ‘absolute rules’ of gender and sexual behaviour of Gypsy Travellers as being part of their identity.

“Being a Gypsy to us is., we just been brought up different, it’s like we

didn’t know what it was like to go out drinking and smoking cigarettes, d’ya know what I mean...”

(Resp. 2, female, 22yrs, English Gypsy) Gypsies and Travellers in this study displayed strong links between belonging to their cultural group and their identity, however, they view themselves as belonging to different groups, as described below.

4.2.1.2 Gypsies and Travellers as heterogeneous groups

Often people from outside the Gypsy and Traveller communities believe them to be a homogenous group, and so, fail to make a distinction between Gypsies and Travellers. Although there is much that unites them in terms of a nomadic lifestyle and cultural similarities, they view themselves as different communities, with different origins and values. This can result in intolerance of each other. Even the terms ‘Gypsy’ and ‘Traveller’ can be viewed as insulting if used to describe a Gypsy or Traveller person incorrectly. Both groups have said that they are

suspicious of each other, do not like each other and don’t mix. Each group holds stereotypes regarding the other. Gypsies have been described by Irish Travellers as ‘not travelling’, ‘being dirty’ and not being strict enough with their children. On the other hand, Gypsies see Irish Travellers as heavy drinkers who cause trouble, with questionable upbringing of children and also being dirty. They both unite however, behind their dislike of being grouped together with ‘New Age Travellers’

who both groups judge as dirty and not sharing their culture. The term ‘hippy’ is sometimes used to describe the other group.

“I’m a Gypsy, not a Traveller. That would be like an insult to me.

Travellers are like hippies, not proper Gypsies, they just chose to travel, they don’t share our ways, our culture... They (Gypsies and Travellers) don’t mix, like oil and water don’t mix. People see us as all the same, but we’re not. We have our different ways, our different culture. Irish go out drinking and causing bother, then we all get painted with the same brush. ’’

(Resp. 9, female, 50yrs, English Gypsy)

“Traveller, I don’t like the word Gypsy. There’s different types of Travellers, just like normal people, like country people, there’s different types of those as well, there’s different types of Travellers. There’s clean Travellers and there’s.. Gypsies is like what, they’re like hippies, That, they’re not

travelling people. They have like buses and things like that.... Travelling people and Gypsies is two completely different things, that’s like an insult to us, getting called Gypsy. ”

(Resp. 8, female, 20yrs, Irish Traveller) Although there are strong feelings concerning membership of one group or the other, these barriers can be crossed through marriage. There are four known examples of this in the Wrexham communities and they appear to be accepted by the families concerned. Although usually Gypsies and Irish Travellers will seek separate places in which to settle, an extended family of Romany Gypsies is, at present, staying on the council run site inhabited by Irish Travellers. This is tolerated because there is a marriage link between one of the Gypsy women with an Irish Traveller man whose family live on the site.

Interviewer. “You married an English Traveller, are you accepted by his family?”

Respondent. “Yes, it’s ok cause we are all Travellers. We are all the same really. We have the same ways.”

(Resp. 7, female, 23yrs, Irish Traveller)

In summary, Gypsies and Travellers have a strong sense of cultural identity.

Membership is based on the principle of self-ascription which has several rules, including the rule of descent and rules concerning group values and behaviour.

These basic principles of self-ascription and their governing rules are common to both Gypsies and Travellers. However, they are not a homogenous group and view themselves as separate groups, with different values and lifestyles. Although they are different groups, there are points of overlap between the groups through marriage links between Gypsies and Travellers. This is accepted, as both Gypsies and Travellers recognise that their overarching lifestyles and values are more similar than their differences.