Abstract
How can economic actors stay afloat in a highly volatile market environment? By drawing on ethnographic material from the Icelandic fishing industry, this article demonstrates how fishers maneuver the boundaries of market-based resource management that tend to ignore the ever-changing environment of the sea. The empirical material shows how fishers skillfully manipulate their socio-technical environment in order to adjust the market for so-called Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) with the movement of fish stocks. Accordingly, three coping practices are deployed: (i) tinkering with accounts, (ii) socio-technical conversion, and (iii) redefining boundaries. While these practices allow fishers to stay afloat, they are likewise undermined by the ever-changing environment of the sea, consequently fueling a money-induced cycle of socio-technical problem-solving and breakdowns.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | Journal of Cultural Economy |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 110-124 |
Number of pages | 15 |
ISSN | 1753-0350 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Skillful coping
- Environment
- Uncertainty
- Technology
- Markets