Salt cod and God : an ethnography of socio-economic conditions affecting status in a Southern Labrador community

Southard, Frank E. (1982) Salt cod and God : an ethnography of socio-economic conditions affecting status in a Southern Labrador community. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This study examines the determinants of socio-economic status in Port Hope Simpson, Labrador. Some of the more important social and economic conditions in the community are detailed as they relate to the status of individuals and families. Factors which influence status are considered in chapters on material, social, and ideological conditions. The description of the community structure provides an insight into community values in order to present status from an emic point of view. However, some of the conditions which can affect status are de-emphasized by residents; they are, nonetheless, etically important. -- It is argued that sociological explanation linking status to occupation, education, and income are inadequate to explain status in Port Hope Simpson. Here, community relations are carried out on an informal and personal basis. The actions of residents are highly visible within the community, and status is, therefore, determined by the observation of people’s performance in many roles. -- Although the primary source of employment is the cod and salmon fishery, the extremely short fishing season and the isolation of the community from specialized services make it necessary for people to exploit many different types of cash and subsistence production. In this way, life in Labrador has changed little since the first European settlement. Even though people may be officially unemployed for nearly nine months of the year, they still attach a great importance to work. -- The bulk of this study is based on data gathered by participant observation during a fieldwork period of nearly a year and a half. Due to the scarcity of other contemporary ethnographies of southern Labrador, this may provide the most comprehensive data for a community in the area.

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