1 Traveller health inequalities as legacies of exclusion
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Ronnie Fay
Abstract
Although not immigrants, the experiences of Travellers – an Irish ethnic minority who have experienced intergenerational racism and discrimination – contextualise the kinds of barrier potentially faced by some immigrants included in this book, particularly in light of the failure of the Irish state to address their experiences as outsiders. A child born to Traveller parents in 2016 is three and a half times less likely to reach their first birthday, and if he or she survives, can expect to live up to fifteen years less than a child born to settled parents. This child ismore likely to develop chronic health conditions, suffer from poor mental health and die by suicide. Health inequalities are indicators of larger social relations that produce asymmetrical differences. They are historically, politically, socially and culturally constructed. In order to understand how Traveller health continues to be phenomenally poorer than that of the settled community, this chapter will examine how mainstream and targeted policies and services have failed to meaningfully address Traveller health inequalities in Ireland. It argues that mainstreaming approaches to health, whereby service providers are ‘oblivious’ to difference, further excludes Travellers from services as they are rendered invisible and their particular needs remain overlooked.
Abstract
Although not immigrants, the experiences of Travellers – an Irish ethnic minority who have experienced intergenerational racism and discrimination – contextualise the kinds of barrier potentially faced by some immigrants included in this book, particularly in light of the failure of the Irish state to address their experiences as outsiders. A child born to Traveller parents in 2016 is three and a half times less likely to reach their first birthday, and if he or she survives, can expect to live up to fifteen years less than a child born to settled parents. This child ismore likely to develop chronic health conditions, suffer from poor mental health and die by suicide. Health inequalities are indicators of larger social relations that produce asymmetrical differences. They are historically, politically, socially and culturally constructed. In order to understand how Traveller health continues to be phenomenally poorer than that of the settled community, this chapter will examine how mainstream and targeted policies and services have failed to meaningfully address Traveller health inequalities in Ireland. It argues that mainstreaming approaches to health, whereby service providers are ‘oblivious’ to difference, further excludes Travellers from services as they are rendered invisible and their particular needs remain overlooked.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures and tables vii
- Notes on contributors viii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Traveller health inequalities as legacies of exclusion 22
- 2 Sectarian legacies and the marginalisation of migrants 33
- 3 Institutional responses to racism in both Irelands 47
- 4 African asylum seekers and refugees in both Irelands 58
- 5 African non-employment and labour market disadvantage 72
- 6 The lives of Filipino-Irish care workers 89
- 7 Polish spaces in a divided city 100
- 8 Experiences of racism in social housing 113
- 9 Roma rights and racism 126
- 10 Normalising racism in the Irish media 140
- 11 Children and young people on the margins 160
- 12 Immigrant-origin children and the education system 173
- 13 Young Muslims as insiders and outsiders 186
- 14 Brexit, borders and belonging 200
- 15 Hyphenated citizens as outsiders 213
- Conclusion 229
- Select bibliography 243
- Index 250
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures and tables vii
- Notes on contributors viii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Traveller health inequalities as legacies of exclusion 22
- 2 Sectarian legacies and the marginalisation of migrants 33
- 3 Institutional responses to racism in both Irelands 47
- 4 African asylum seekers and refugees in both Irelands 58
- 5 African non-employment and labour market disadvantage 72
- 6 The lives of Filipino-Irish care workers 89
- 7 Polish spaces in a divided city 100
- 8 Experiences of racism in social housing 113
- 9 Roma rights and racism 126
- 10 Normalising racism in the Irish media 140
- 11 Children and young people on the margins 160
- 12 Immigrant-origin children and the education system 173
- 13 Young Muslims as insiders and outsiders 186
- 14 Brexit, borders and belonging 200
- 15 Hyphenated citizens as outsiders 213
- Conclusion 229
- Select bibliography 243
- Index 250
