I married a Traveller: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the lived experiences of women marrying into the Travelling community and its impact to their identity’

UK governmental policies associated with increased lifestyle-related regulations have compelled Travellers to re-assess their social worlds and adapt to restrictions imposed on their traditional lifestyles. Consequential to this enforced integration process is that many Travellers now engage in inter-ethnic marriages. With limited literature acknowledging the impacts of merging these two contrasting cultures, this study adopted a social constructionist stance, drawing upon the Identity Process Theory, alongside Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as a broad framework to (1) explore how non-Traveller women experienced a sense of community integration upon marrying into the Traveller community, (2) explicate the extent to which experiences of integration impacted upon their own identity, and (3) develop an understanding of how these lived experiences inform changes within Traveller culture. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six women aged between 28-42 years living in the UK. Three superordinate themes, each consisting of two subordinate themes were discussed; highlighting experiences of interpersonal conflict and continuous negotiations between continuity and discontinuity, which had both positive and negative impacts on their individual identities. Implications for professionals who aim to provide support and enhance the overall wellbeing of individuals living between these two contrasting cultures are discussed.