Maritime Anthropology . . . sample syllabus
Anth 305. Anthropology of Fishing Dr. John B. Gatewood
(CAS Writing Intensive Course) Price Hall, Room 10C
Fall Semester, 2004 758-3814 / JBG1
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course is concerned with a particular type of society/community -- those in
which subsistence depends on exploitation of the marine ecosystem. During the
semester, we shall be comparing fishing peoples from around the world, focusing on
their technologies and behavioral adaptations.
For most of the semester, the course utilizes articles from professional journals
and chapters from books to cover a variety of topics pertaining to fishing
as a way of life. In particular, we shall examine the theory of common-property
resources, the specific knowledge used in applying different fishing technologies
(including deciding where to fish, controlling information, etc.), and the
interpersonal and affective correlates of fishing for a living. This phase of the
course concludes with an examination of how social science might play a role in
commercial fisheries management. During the last couple of weeks, we focus on more
extended case studies of different fisheries, and students are responsible for
presenting these to the rest of the class.
REQUIREMENTS
As this is a "writing intensive" course, there are no in-class examinations,
but rather a series of writing assignments. The assignments are described on a
separate handout, but include two short essays, ten article critiques, and a
research paper. In addition, students are responsible for teaching their classmates
selected case studies. Each written assignment receives two grades, one for
"writing" and one for "content."
Students should anticipate at least two individual appointments with me during
the semester to talk about writing. Also, please note that ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED,
and class participation figures into your grade in the course.
MATERIALS
As noted above, most of readings for this course are articles from professional
journals or chapters from edited books. You will have to purchase (at cost) a
xeroxed packet of these materials from the Department secretary. In addition to
the packet of xeroxes, there are two "texts," which are available at Lehigh's
bookstore. Each of you should purchase the texts and, after we discuss the matter
in class, you will eventually select one "fishing ethnography" as your extended
case study.
Required Materials:
McGoodwin, James R. (1990) Crisis in the World's Fisheries: People, Problems,
and Policies. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
McCay, Bonnie J. and James M. Acheson, eds. (1987) The Question of the
Commons. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press.
Packet of xeroxed articles/chapters [purchase from Department secretary].
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS
----- INTRODUCTION -----
1. Aug 24 / Tu Introductory Remarks, Course Organization, etc.
2. Aug 26 / Th General Characteristics of Fishing Communities
McGoodwin, James R. (1990) Crisis in the World's Fisheries. Stanford, CA:
Stanford University Press. pp. 1-46. [B W]
Smith, M. Estellie (1977) Introduction. In M. E. Smith, ed., Those Who Live
from the Sea, pp. 1-22. St. Paul: West Publishing Co. [B W]
3. Aug 31 / Tu Particular Adaptations to Fishing
Andersen, Raoul and Cato Wadel (1972) Comparative problems in fishing
adaptations. In R. Andersen & C. Wadel, eds., North Atlantic Fishermen,
pp.141-165. St. John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. [B W]
Acheson, James M. (1981) Anthropology of fishing. Annual Review of
Anthropology 10:275-316. [B W]
----- THE COMMON PROPERTY NATURE OF FISHERIES -----
4. Sept 2 / Th Original Theoretical Formulations
Gordon, H. Scott (1954) The economic theory of a common property resource:
The fishery. Journal of Political Economy 62:124-142. [B W]
Hardin, Garrett (1968) The tragedy of the commons. Science 162:1243-1248.
[B W]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MONDAY, Sept 7 . . . . . playing "Fish Banks, Ltd." |
| Special Meeting: about 2 hours in the evening; time/place to be determined. |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Sept 7 / Tu Common-Property versus Open-Access
McCay, Bonnie J. and James M. Acheson (1987) Human ecology of the commons. In
B. McCay & J. Acheson, eds., The Question of the Commons, pp. 1-34. Tucson:
University of Arizona Press. [B]
Durrenberger, E. Paul and Gísli Pálsson (1987) Ownership at sea: Fishing
territories and access to sea resources. American Ethnologist 14:508-522. [W]
Brox, Ottar (1990) The common property theory: Epistemological status and
analytical utility. Human Organization 49:227-235. [B W]
6. Sept 9 / Th Movie: "Fisheries--Beyond the Crisis" (LU 3120)
7. Sept 14 / Tu Ethnographic Examples: Tragedies
Löfgren, Orvar (1972) Resource management and family firms: Swedish west coast
fishermen. In R. Andersen & C. Wadel, eds., North Atlantic Fishermen, pp.
82-103. St. John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. [B]
Anderson, E. N., Jr. (1987) A Malaysian tragedy of the commons. In B. McCay &
J. Acheson, eds., The Question of the Commons, pp. 327-343. Tucson: University
of Arizona Press. [B]
Smith, Courtland L. (1977) Fisheries as subsistence resources: Growth and
decline of the Columbia River salmon fishery. In M. E. Smith, ed., Those Who
Live from the Sea, pp. 215-234. St. Paul: West Publishing. [W]
Carrier, James G. (1987) Marine tenure and conservation in Papua New Guinea:
Problems of interpretation. In B. McCay & J. Acheson, eds., The Question of
the Commons, pp. 142-167. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. [W]
8. Sept 16 / Th Ethnographic Examples: Comedies
Acheson, James M. (1987) The lobster fiefs revisited: Economic and ecological
effects of territoriality in the Maine lobster fishery. In B. McCay & J.
Acheson, eds., The Question of the Commons, pp. 37-65. Tucson: University of
Arizona Press. [B W]
Wadel, Cato (1972) Capitalization and ownership: The persistence of
fishermen-ownership in the Norwegian herring fishery. In R. Andersen & C.
Wadel, eds., North Atlantic Fishermen, pp. 104-119. St. John's: Memorial
University of Newfoundland. [B]
Taylor, Lawrence (1987) "The river would run red with blood": Community and
common property in an Irish fishing settlement. In B. McCay & J. Acheson,
eds., The Question of the Commons, pp. 290-307. Tucson: University of Arizona
Press. [W]
9. Sept 21 / Tu Overview of Problems in Fisheries and Fisheries Management
McGoodwin, James R. (1990) Crisis in the World's Fisheries. Stanford, CA:
Stanford University Press. pp. 47-142. [B W]
----- ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH FISHING -----
10. Sept 23 / Th Slides: Alaska, New Jersey, and Caribbean Fisheries
[ ASSIGNMENT DUE: First Short Essay ]
11. Sept 28 / Tu Deciding Where to Fish
Davenport, William C. (1960) Jamaican fishing: A game theory analysis.
Reprinted in M. Horowitz, ed., Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean, pp.
307-317. Garden City, NY: The Natural History Press. [B* W*]
12. Sept 30 / Th Deciding Where to Fish
Gatewood, John B. (1983) Deciding where to fish: The skipper's dilemma in
Southeast Alaskan salmon seining. Coastal Zone Management Journal 10:347-367. [B*]
Durrenberger, E. Paul and Gísli Pálsson (1986) Finding fish: The tactics of
Icelandic skippers. American Ethnologist 13:213-229. [W*]
13. Oct 5 / Tu Deciding Where to Fish
McGoodwin, James R. (1989) Do randomizing devices aid marine hunters? Maritime
Anthropological Studies 2:134-153. [B*]
White, David R. M. (1989) Knocking 'em dead: Alabama shrimp boats and the
"fleet effect." In J. S. Thomas, R. L. Maril & E. P. Durrenberger, eds.,
Marine Resource Utilization: A Conference on Social Science Issues, pp. 25-37.
Mobile, AL: University of South Alabama Publication Services. [W*]
14. Oct 12 / "Th" Managing Information
Andersen, Raoul (1972) Hunt and deceive: Information management in
Newfoundland deep-sea trawler fishing. In R. Andersen & C. Wadel, eds., North
Atlantic Fishermen, pp. 120-140. St. John's: Memorial University of
Newfoundland. [B*]
Palmer, Craig T. (1990) Telling the truth (up to a point): Radio communication
among Maine lobstermen. Human Organization 49(2):157-163. [W*]
15. Oct 14 / Th Managing Information
Gatewood, John B. (1984) Cooperation, competition, and synergy:
Information-sharing groups among Southeast Alaskan salmon seiners. American
Ethnologist 11:350-370. [W*]
Wilson, James A. (1990) Fishing for knowledge. Land Economics 66:12-29. [B*]
16. Oct 19 / Tu Managing Information
Allen, Peter M. and Jacqueline M. McGlade (1986) Dynamics of discovery and
exploitation: The case of the Scotian Shelf groundfish fisheries. Canadian
Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 43:1187-1200. [B* W*]
17. Oct 21 / Th Determinants and Ideology of Fishing Success
Pálsson, Gísli and E. Paul Durrenberger (1983) Icelandic foremen and skippers:
The structure and evolution of a folk model. American Ethnologist 10:511-528. [B*]
Thorlindsson, Thorolfur (1988) The skipper effect in the Icelandic herring
fishery. Human Organization 47(3):199-212. [W*]
18. Oct 26 / Tu Determinants and Ideology of Fishing Success
Russell, Susan D. and Rani T. Alexander (1998) Measuring seining strategies
and fishing success in the Philippines. Human Organization 57:145-158. [B* W*]
Gatewood, John B. and Pamela M. Mace (1990) Hard work versus patience:
Simulation of fishing strategies in Nova Scotian herring purse seining.
Journal of Quantitative Anthropology 2:329-352. [B W]
19. Oct 28 / Th Interpersonal and Affective Aspects of Fishing
White, David R. M. (1977) Environment, technology, and time-use patterns in
the Gulf Coast shrimp fishery. In M. E. Smith, ed., Those Who Live from the
Sea, pp. 195-214. St. Paul: West Publishing Co. [B*]
Thiessen, Victor; Anthony Davis, and Svein Jentoft (1992) The veiled crew: An
exploratory study of wives' reported and desired contributions to coastal
fisheries enterprises in northern Norway and Nova Scotia. Human Organization
51(4):342-352. [W*]
20. Nov 2 / Tu Interpersonal and Affective Aspects of Fishing
Poggie, John J., Jr. and Richard B. Pollnac (1988) Danger and rituals of
avoidance among New England fishermen. Maritime Anthropological Studies
1:66-78. [B*]
Gatewood, John B. (1989) Competition for cultural images: Fisherman versus
logger in Southeast Alaska. Maritime Anthropological Studies 2:87-104. [W*]
----- SOCIAL SCIENCE AND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT -----
21. Nov 4 / Th Economic Objectives for Fisheries Management
Crutchfield, James A. (1979) Economic and social implications of the main
policy alternatives for controlling fishing effort. Journal of the Fisheries
Research Board of Canada 36:742-752. [W]
Smith, Courtland L. (1981) Satisfaction bonus from salmon fishing:
Implications for management. Land Economics 57:181-196. [B]
22. Nov 9 / Tu Sociocultural Objectives for Fisheries Management
Gatewood, John B. and Bonnie J. McCay (1989) The role of job satisfaction data
in selecting among alternative regulatory policies. In J. S. Thomas, L. Maril
& E. P. Durrenberger, eds., Marine Resource Utilization: A Conference on
Social Science Issues, pp. 51-62. Mobile, AL: University of South Alabama
Publication Service. [B]
Fedler, Anthony J. and Robert B. Ditton (1994) Understanding angler
motivations in fisheries management. Fisheries 19(4):6-13. [W]
23. Nov 11 / Th Fisheries Management in a Global Economy
McGoodwin, James R. (1990) Crisis in the World's Fisheries. Stanford, CA:
Stanford University Press. pp. 143-204. [B W]
24. Nov 16 / Tu Fisheries Management in a Global Economy
Gatewood, John B. (1993) Ecology, efficiency, equity, and competitiveness. In
Steven L. Goldman, ed., Competitiveness and American Society, pp. 123-155.
Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh University Press. [B W]
25. Nov 18 / Th Movie: "Deadliest Job in the World" (LU 2727)
[ ASSIGNMENT DUE: Second Short Essay ]
26. Nov 23 / Tu Recent Challenges to the Very Idea of "Fisheries Management"
Gilbertsen, Neal (1993) Chaos on the commons: Salmon and such. Maritime
Anthropological Studies 6(1,2):74-91. [B]
Wilson, James A. and Peter Kleban (1992) Practical implications of chaos in
fisheries. Maritime Anthropological Studies 5(1):67-75. [W]
----- CASE STUDIES & STUDENT PRESENTATIONS -----
27. Nov 30 / Tu Students describe their papers and get feedback on ideas
from classmates
28. Dec 2 / Th Course Summary and Student Evaluations
[ ASSIGNMENT DUE: First Draft of Research Paper ]
Reminder: Final, revised version of research paper is due before 4:00 P.M.,
Monday, December 13.