itinerants

Itinerants are people who travel from place to place to earn a living rather than establishing a fixed residence. Mobility may be short-term or seasonal and can be motivated by economic opportunities, shortages of local labor, or cultural practices. Itinerants engage in a range of occupations, including peddling or selling goods, performing arts such as musicians and actors, providing skilled services on a temporary basis, or offering labor in agriculture, construction, or other industries during peak periods. Some itinerants are religious, educational, or charitable workers who move to reach different communities.

Historically, itinerant workers have been important in many economies. In medieval and early modern Europe, itinerant merchants, minstrels, surgeons, and journeymen traveled between towns, sometimes forming associations or guilds to regulate markets and protect members. In other regions, itinerancy has been shaped by caravan routes, colonial labor systems, or nomadic traditions.

In modern times, itinerant work persists in forms such as traveling salespeople, seasonal agricultural laborers, contract workers, or professional entertainers. Itinerancy can involve precarious living conditions, lack of a permanent address, and exposure to regulation, taxation, and social stigma in some contexts. Social safety nets and labor laws increasingly recognize certain categories of itinerant workers, while others operate outside formal employment.

Because itinerants span many cultures and eras, the term covers a broad spectrum of practices rather than a single occupation or lifestyle.