BETWEEN THE STATEROOM AND THE FOC'S'CLE: Everyday Forms of Class Struggle Aboard a Commercial Fishboat

Abstract

This paper charts the path of one fishing crew's resistance to the attempts of their skipper to force them to comply with his wishes over the course of the fishing season by drawing upon the personal journals of the author, a commercial fisher of twelve years. The struggle, between skipper and crew, capital and labour, manifests itself on fishing vessels in British Columbia in the mundane activities and conversations of everyday life in which crews attempt to exert control over the conditions under which they work. By developing and maintaining social solidarity, crews are able to subvert the authority of the skipper and effect greater control over their work environment. However, to have any lasting effect on the relations of domination, the subordinate's challenge of authority must be self-consciously aware of the social process of production within capitalism.