On the Structural Analysis of a Fishing Village

Abstract

This artiole is to work out an effective method for the dynamic grasp of the fishing village's social structure through the research of a fishing village.The followings are to be considered in analysing the social structure of avillage ; 1) Socio-economic base of the village, 2) Structure of the village community, and 3) Interrelation of the commuuity structure with the personalities of its members.First, according to the examination of the socio-economic base of the village, Tsukahama Village is found to be an usually closed society in both the economic and social sense, activity. Fishing, generally coastal in nature, is on a small-scale, being based upon family labor and small scale farming help to maintain this closed society, which lacks communication facilities. Next, the analysis of the community structure shows that ; 1) Staus is usually ascribed on the bases of sex and age, with particular emphasis given the latter. Power and prestige are generally given to older men of experience, not to those whoh ave economic power, or marked ability or who hold the status at a family head as is common villages. 2) Behavior patterns of the villagers in their respective status are largely inherited from their predecessors and are regulated by their traditional customs. 3) All functions in the village are performed by a group called “jitsugyo-dan”. (work group)without differentiating functions. Particular attention is given to the analysis of the interrelationship between community structure and the personality of its members. Study of the integration between the villagers ascribed role and their growth pattern discloses many conficts, which are not manifest at a superficiail glance and which are disposed of according to their personality structures.From this perspective, the social characters of the villagers, for instance, predominance of traditional customs, villager's social passiveness, strong community sentiment and contrary egoism, are all viewed as inevitable products of this closed society, where the villagers are obliged to take such attitudes as the most “effective” adjustment possible in the milieu. Of course it is also needed to brand them as pre-modern, but here, among other things, the structural and functional nexus of these characters are discussed as the most problematical subject.