Irish Travellers: Women's Changing Roles

This thesis examines the role of Travelling women and their responses to and influences on social change within their families and communities. The author researches how recent social and economic changes affect the traditional structure of Irish Traveller society by looking at the different ways men and women respond and adapt to change, as well as by exploring the implications this may have for traditional gender roles in Traveller society. The author explores the role of Travelling women from three theoretical perspectives to show how a combination of factors is working simultaneously to affect traditional female gender roles. \ud Methodology includes an analysis of Traveller culture in transition (specifically on the women), profiles of three Travelling women who share their life experiences, a review of anthropological literature concerning development life cycles in domestic groups, and observations of women’s present day life experiences