Coastal Cultures
an anthropology of fishing and whaling traditions
Rob van Ginkel
ISBN 978 90 5589 294 5
Fishermen are generally believed to be a ruggedly independent
and freedom-loving lot – ‘a race apart’ working relentlessly in
perilous pursuit of prey to eke out a parsimonious livelihood. For
this reason, fisherfolk have frequently been romanticized in a
rather heroic fashion in novels, poetry, pictorial arts and popular
and scholarly writing as a kind of ‘noble savages’ at home. However,
in the harsh reality of everyday life, they were usually poor and
often marginalized and stigmatized for being quaint, backward and
uncivilized. Moreover, the imagery of fishermen as folk heroes has
changed dramatically over the past few decades. They are currently
under increasing scrutiny from environmentalists and public opinion
for allegedly being unruly marauders of marine living resources.
Despite the profound shift in the occupation’s social status and
imagery, fisher folk still take pride in it and thoroughly enjoy what
they do. Fishing is not merely a job, it is also a way of life. This has
been noted time and again by anthropologists who have conducted
research in fishing communities.
The present book combines ethnography and anthropological
analysis. It throws light on cultural dimensions of fishing and
whaling in Europe and the United States. The chapters deal with
such classic anthropological themes as: tradition, ritual, taboo,
ideology, identity, animal symbolism and how these topics
intermingle with cultural and environmental politics in either
positive or negative ways.
Rob van Ginkel is an anthropologist and associate professor at the
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Amsterdam. He
has published widely on fi sheries-related topics. With Jojada Verrips, he was
a founding editor of Maritime Anthropological Studies (MAST).
Last update:
December 9, 2009
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