Les Gens du voyage en France : représentations collectives et contrôle d’une minorité nationale

• Main Author: Céline Bergeon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Société Royale Belge de Géographie and the Belgian National Committee of Geography 2014-12-01
• Series: Belgeo
• Subjects: gypsies; mobility; public policies; categorisations; identity
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/14864

The administrative category of “Gens du voyage” appeared in the 1990s in France to identify a population characterised by a specific life style and a particular housing type. This category gathers all the people who live in mobile residence. Since the beginning of the 20th century, different legislative tools were created to manage the statute and the mobility of Gypsies in France. These public policies are often restrictive and have discriminatory consequences in terms of civil rights or in terms of freedom of movement. All these legislative tools have implications on the daily life of Gypsies families and on their mobility. Amongst other observations, we especially want to explain the new strategies of mobility operated by the families in order to perpetuate their life style.