Paper short abstract:

This paper explores UK Gypsy/ Traveller women and young people's perceptions of the barriers they face in accessing employment, exploring the strategies utilised to minimise anti-Gypsy racism in the work place, as well as considering work settings which instil confidence in revealing their ethnic identities.

Paper long abstract:

This paper draws upon a number of employment related studies undertaken by the author to examine UK Gypsy/Traveller women's and young people's experiences and perceptions of anti-Gypsy racism and discrimination in the workplace. Participants in a number of projects have indicated that they believe that membership of their community increases the likelihood of experiencing the 'ethnic penalty' (employment disadvantage) common to many minority ethnic individuals seeking work, despite the fact that they can potentially 'pass' by virtue of their 'whiteness'. The most common strategies utilised by potential workers are to 'disguise' their ethnicity; seek to 'pass' as members of the mainstream population or 'deny' their origins if challenged. The impacts of these strategies on participants'sense of identity and engagement with 'mainstream' society can be profoundly dislocating leading to a reluctance to enter into discourse with other populations, including those from other minority communities. In contrast, settings where participants worked with other Gypsies/Travellers or felt empowered to 'stand proud' increased the likelihood of retention of employment and access to additional training. This paper considers the policy and practice implications of the findings in relation to inter-community relations, perceptions of membership of wider society and Gypsy/Traveller identity formation.