Travellers in Britain: A minority and the state

This article explores the developing relations between Travellers and the British state in the context of the expansion of welfare provision. Using four case studies it highlights the key characteristics of Traveller-state relations: the lack of a unified response to Travellers by the state; how Travellers were simultaneously seen as an important target for welfare provision and less entitled to its benefits; and that settlement and assimilation were the motivating factors for schemes. It goes on to show that these trends were the result of three factors: the dominance of stereotypes surrounding Travellers; the structure of the state; and the agency of Travellers themselves.