‘Great Expectations’ – A Pavee prisoner writes
Anthony is an Irish Traveller/Pavee prisoner and a regular Travellers’ Times writer. He is serving his time in HMP Grendon - a special prison that works hard with the inmates to promote rehabilitation. Anthony could barely read or write when he went inside as a young man and had only ever been to school for a single day, but he has grabbed the opportunities that the prison offered with both hands. Not only has he learnt to read and write, he has taken and passed a degree and will soon be studying for a master’s degree. As always – The Travellers’ Times is proud to publish his work:
Great Expectations
I always feel sad when reminded of the great expectations some people place on Travellers and Gypsies to behave, look and sound a certain way. The other day, while having a conversation with someone on the prison yard, I revealed that I was an Irish Traveller. He replied, ‘I’m really shocked, I’d have never have guessed that you are an Irish Traveller, You don’t really sound like a Traveller and you certainly don’t act like one.’
This has happened to me many times before and it always makes me feel a bit sad. In the past, when I have inquired why people were shocked that I am an Irish Traveller, although they have always given different responses, they always amount to the same thing: I do not fit into a socially constructed stereotype of an Irish Traveller. Of course, we could say that these stereotypical views are simply part of human nature. Nonetheless, it makes me wonder how these expectations affect Gypsies and Travellers.
A potentially damaging effect is that it distorts how Travellers and Gypsies view themselves and their potential. I have seen this first hand, and here is how: much of the shock that I have had from people when they find out that I am a Traveller, actually comes from, other Travellers and Gypsies. For example, a few weeks ago I gave a speech at a Traveller and Gypsy event within the prison. Some of the Traveller and Gypsies that were there were shocked to find out that I was a Traveller – ‘you sound like a country man because you sound educated,’ they said.
This is the effect that I am talking about. Society expects us to be a certain way – or not to be a certain way - and as a result, we take on those same expectations. This is evident in the fact that many Traveller and Gypsies do not associate themselves with education, or believe that they are capable of taking on primary roles in society- such as medicine, law and Politics - because these roles do not fit into a socially constructed stereotype of Travellers and Gypsies. In fact, we can embrace traditional Traveller/Gypsy lifestyle AND take on primary roles throughout society. We do not have to choose one over the other.
People’s reactions are different when their stereotype of Travellers and Gypsies (or any racial, ethnic or gender stereotype) are not fulfilled, however, the expectation that views ‘others’ to be limited to their respective stereotype. This always arises from a limitation of character, and more often than not their capabilities and potential. For example, the notion that Travellers or Gypsies are not educated.
A part of me can understand these blind stereotypes when I consider that even today much of society does not know who Travellers and Gypsies really are. However, what is most heart breaking is when we (the very people that stereotypes aim to confine) actually remake these expectations on ourselves. This can be seen in the fact that some of us still view certain life choices (again, education is a good example) as only belonging to settled people. Ultimately, we start to help create our own confinement. Nevertheless, it does not have to be that way.
In order to undo the social confinement produced by the expectations of others and ourselves we need to make a conscious effort to follow the path of who we want to be, rather than fit into the restricted expectations of society. Therefore our life choices should be the products of our aspirations and our potential, not on the limitations of a narrow and outdated social stereotype.
After all, it is our sense of freedom and our strength of character that are the backbone of Traveller and Gypsy culture. Although society and modern living may have limited many of us in our physical freedom, we cannot let it snare our true strengths by the limitation of who we are, and what we can be. Indeed, there is only one expectation we should fulfil and that is our own potential, as we understand it.
By Anthony, from Grendon HMP.