A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Travellers in Public Policies in Ireland
In Ireland, negative stereotypes of the Traveller population have long been a part of society. The beliefs that surround this minority group may not be based in fact, yet negative views persist such that Travellers find themselves excluded from mainstream society. The language used in discourse play...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Societies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/11/1/14 |
| _version_ | 1797395764098367488 |
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| author | Claire Jane Snowdon Leena Eklund Karlsson |
| author_facet | Claire Jane Snowdon Leena Eklund Karlsson |
| author_sort | Claire Jane Snowdon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Ireland, negative stereotypes of the Traveller population have long been a part of society. The beliefs that surround this minority group may not be based in fact, yet negative views persist such that Travellers find themselves excluded from mainstream society. The language used in discourse plays a critical role in the way Travellers are represented. This study analyses the discourse in the public policy regarding Travellers in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) 2017–2021. This study performs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the policy with the overall aims of showing signs of the power imbalance through the use of language and revealing the discourses used by elite actors to retain power and sustain existing social relations. The key findings show that Travellers are represented as a homogenous group that exists outside of society. They have no control over how their social identity is constructed. The results show that the constructions of negative stereotypes are intertextually linked to previous policies, and the current policy portrays them in the role of passive patients, not powerful actors. The discursive practice creates polarity between the “settled” population and the “Travellers”, who are implicitly blamed by the state for their disadvantages. Through the policy, the government disseminates expert knowledge, which legitimises the inequality and supports this objective “truth”. This dominant discourse, which manifests in wider social practice, can facilitate racism and social exclusion. This study highlights the need for Irish society to change the narrative to support an equitable representation of Travellers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:40:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-355d1c91667e4b19a0c9e1ec7b165c53 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:40:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-355d1c91667e4b19a0c9e1ec7b165c532023-12-11T17:52:06ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982021-02-011111410.3390/soc11010014A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Travellers in Public Policies in IrelandClaire Jane Snowdon0Leena Eklund Karlsson1Unit for Health Promotion Research, University of Southern Denmark, 6705 Esbjerg, DenmarkUnit for Health Promotion Research, University of Southern Denmark, 6705 Esbjerg, DenmarkIn Ireland, negative stereotypes of the Traveller population have long been a part of society. The beliefs that surround this minority group may not be based in fact, yet negative views persist such that Travellers find themselves excluded from mainstream society. The language used in discourse plays a critical role in the way Travellers are represented. This study analyses the discourse in the public policy regarding Travellers in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) 2017–2021. This study performs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the policy with the overall aims of showing signs of the power imbalance through the use of language and revealing the discourses used by elite actors to retain power and sustain existing social relations. The key findings show that Travellers are represented as a homogenous group that exists outside of society. They have no control over how their social identity is constructed. The results show that the constructions of negative stereotypes are intertextually linked to previous policies, and the current policy portrays them in the role of passive patients, not powerful actors. The discursive practice creates polarity between the “settled” population and the “Travellers”, who are implicitly blamed by the state for their disadvantages. Through the policy, the government disseminates expert knowledge, which legitimises the inequality and supports this objective “truth”. This dominant discourse, which manifests in wider social practice, can facilitate racism and social exclusion. This study highlights the need for Irish society to change the narrative to support an equitable representation of Travellers.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/11/1/14critical discourse analysisTravellerspublic policysocial inclusionrepresentationdiscursive practice |
| spellingShingle | Claire Jane Snowdon Leena Eklund Karlsson A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Travellers in Public Policies in Ireland Societies critical discourse analysis Travellers public policy social inclusion representation discursive practice |
| title | A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Travellers in Public Policies in Ireland |
| title_full | A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Travellers in Public Policies in Ireland |
| title_fullStr | A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Travellers in Public Policies in Ireland |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Travellers in Public Policies in Ireland |
| title_short | A Critical Discourse Analysis of Representations of Travellers in Public Policies in Ireland |
| title_sort | critical discourse analysis of representations of travellers in public policies in ireland |
| topic | critical discourse analysis Travellers public policy social inclusion representation discursive practice |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/11/1/14 |
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