Mutual Aid Organizations Research Articles

Deux formes de sociabilité de la population de couleur en Martinique et en Guadeloupe à la fin du XIXe siècle : la mutualité et le syndicat

In this work, we have analysed the political, economic and social situation during the post-abolitionist period in the 1910's, a time when mutual aid organizations, tontines, workers' associations and trade unions appeared. We gathered information from official reports, articles read in newspapers from the period, enquiries, archives documents on societies, theses, ans works done on the period. We questioned ourself on the originis of this type of regrouping for the black people since it combines traits of both African and European heritage, and more particularly the repercussions of democratic and republican laws, on the part played by the socialists. Another point that we examined is how to explain the interests of the social groups under study namely the lower middle-classes which found themselves mostly in mutual aid organizations, whereas the lower classes and the working class which was only appearing, were more attracted by tontines, workers' associations, trade unions.

Reciprocity and Korean Society: An Ethnography of Hasami (review)

BOOK REVIEWS Reciprocity and Korean Society: An Ethnography ofHasami, by Kyung-soo Chun. The Institute of Social Sciences (Seoul National University) Korean Studies No. 6. Seoul: Seoul National University Press, 1984. 232 pp. This is an ethnography of a small community on the mountainous island of Chindo, in the Chindo archipelago just off the southwestern coast of the Korean peninsula. The author, Kyung-soo Chun, has used a fictitious name, Hasami, for the community. Chun was born and raised in Korea and educated at Seoul National University and at the University of Minnesota, where he obtained his Ph.D. He is now an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Seoul National University (SNU), and is affiliated as a Researcher with the SNU Center for Population and Development Studies. Hasami is a coastal village which in 1975 had a population of 369. Though the community is somewhat apart from the mainstream of Korean life on the peninsula, it is not in any sense remote or isolated. Villages on Chindo Island have a well-established economic, political, and cultural relationship with the coastal cities of Mokp'o and Kwangju on the mainland, and with the larger island of Cheju. The economy of Hasami is based upon agriculture and fishing. Usually an anthropologist doing a field study is an outsider, a foreigner, who has several problems that must be dealt with adequately to be successful. These involve communication, rapport, and developing capable informants. Despite these problems, he or she believes that one distinct advantage exists. A trained foreign field worker probably will be more objective and less ethnocentric than a "native" investigator. But Chun clearly demonstrates the advantages of a being a "native" investigator, when language capability and knowledge of culture are coupled with anthropological training at home and abroad. Chun has selected "reciprocity as an organizing principle." (p. 9) He acknowledges his indebtedness to the schools of thought of several wellknown Western anthropologists, offering a critique of the theoretical concepts of Malinowski, Geertz, and Kroeber, among others. He believes that through reciprocity an ongoing human sociocultural system is perpetuated. Kinship in Hasami, as elsewhere in Korea, is based upon NeoConfucianism and is patrilineal with "male-oriented inheritance, ancestor worship, exogamy, genealogy, and boy preference." (p. 31) Yet Hasami reveals a trend toward village endogamy. The terms of address and the manner of behavior indicate that the lineages are also concerned with matrilineal and marital relationships. The complexity of those relationships, as with marriage, divorce, and remarriage, can be seen as we examine the role of reciprocity in its varying intensities. Though some concubinage exists, the monogamous family is the rule. The importance of the monogamous family is underscored, with legitimacy being extended only to children of the first wife. The selection of marriage partners and the negotiation between the two families involve a "go-between," a mediator who is usually a woman. Reciprocity is also expressed by the families through an exchange that includes clothing, bedding, jewelry, specially prepared food, and ceremonies. BOOK REVIEWS89 Beyond kinship, reciprocity is expressed in mutual aid organizations, referred to as rotating credit associations (kye), as well as in partnerships and friendships. Some anthropologists have postulated an evolutionary sequence in which a "kinship oriented" society is followed by a modern industrial society that is "association oriented." Rotating credit associations, in this view, are considered to be the "middle rung for modernization." (p. 126) Contrary to this evolutionary scheme, in Hasami and elsewhere in Korea, voluntary rotating credit associations have been a significant aspect of traditional life. The members of these associations assist one another by pooling their resources to cope with emergencies or to achieve desired goals. There are associations for funding marriages, for the future funerals of parents, for savings, and similar purposes. Whether it be within such a mutual aid association, or an exchange of gifts, the repair of a roof, a division of labor, or the bribes ("prescribed medicine") for government inspectors investigating assigned millitary reserve activities or illegal fuel obtained from government forests, the villagers are acutely aware of the nature of reciprocity, its advantages, and requirements. Any villager who refused to recognize the need for reciprocity would soon be socially isolated, receive no...

GAOCMAO—INDUSTRY'S APPROACH TO COOPERATIVE SPILL RESPONSE IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ABSTRACT In 1972, a group of oil companies operating in the western half of the Arabian Gulf came together to form an organization for the purpose of improving their capability to combat oil pollution. The companies sought to establish a joint oil spill response capability, not by setting up a separate, operational response group like other more conventional cooperatives, but instead by utilizing the principle of mutual assistance in times of need. The resulting organization, kown as the Gulf Area Oil Companies Mutual Aid Organisation (GAOCMAO), has proved its effectiveness in several major oil pollution incidents over its twelve years of existence and has gained recognition as a credible and responsible representative of the oil industry's views on matters relating to marine pollution in the Gulf region. Subsequent to the establishment of GAOCMAO, environmental awareness in the Gulf area generally has increased very significantly. Regional and state organizations have been set up by the various Gulf states' governments to monitor the environmental effects of industry of all kinds, including oil, and to develop appropriate control measures. To some extent, these changes have been reflected in an expansion of GAOCMAO's interests to areas outside those purely of oil spill response, but the primary commitment to joint response capability through mutual aid has not diminished. This paper describes the history and development of GAOCMAO since its formation, examines the manner in which it functions, and describes some of the incidents to which it has responded. The growing interaction between GAOCMAO and the various national and regional environmental groups in the Gulf area is examined and an attempt made to put into perspective the relative responsibilities, in terms of oil spill response, of the Gulf area's oil companies and the corresponding governmental organizations.

Major Oil Spill Response Coordination in the Combat of Spills in Bahrain Waters

Summary On Aug. 25, 1980, without warning, a large oil slick in vaded the north and west coasts of Bahrain (Fig. 1). This serious incident was designated a national emergency, and a special high-level government committee was established immediately to handle the response procedure. This paper describes how the committee functioned with the private sector and the problems encountered and overcome. The lessons learned have stimulated interest in our proposed use of computers to aid combat operations as proposed use of computers to aid combat operations as both a technical tool and an information service. In addition, this experience can guide those responsible for controlling response operations for future major oil spills in coastal areas. With proper planning, a highly satisfactory cooperative organization can be established between government and the private sector to respond effectively, economically, and with minimum environmental damage to a major oil spill affecting coastal waters and shorelines. Part of this planning is to collate and record the major available planning is to collate and record the major available response equipment and material packages, thereby increasing the necessary state of readiness. Introduction The threat of a major oil spill in the Arabian Gulf area has been recognized by industry and governments of the region since the early 1970's, when the Torrey Canyon catastrophe first focused international attention on the scope of response required. The first industrial initiative came in 1971 from Bahrain Petroleum Co. (Bapco) and Aramco, who invited Petroleum Co. (Bapco) and Aramco, who invited operating oil companies in the gulf to participate in discussions that led in the following year to the establishment of the Gulf Area Oil Companies Mutual Aid Organization (GAOCMAO) as a regional oil spill cleanup cooperative venture. This organization has 20 member companies and played a significant part in the response to the second of the two spills, which threatened Bahrain in 1980 (the Hasbah No. 6 blowout). The regional governments, although initially content to allow the oil industry to set up a suitable regional response, became more actively involved during the promulgation and ratification of the Kuwait Convention for promulgation and ratification of the Kuwait Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment in 1979. The formal establishment in 1982 of the Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre (MEMAC) for the Bahrain region also will provide coordination and control aid for oil spill response by the governments of the Gulf area in the event of a future major incident. The industry, through GAOCMAO, now looks forward to the closest cooperation with MEMAC on all aspects of oil spill response contingency planning, training programs, oil spills reporting, validation, etc. to benefit the marine environment of the region. It was partially with this consideration in mind that the executive secretariat of GAOCMAO also was set up in Bahrain. The Aug. 1980 Oil Spill On Aug. 25, 1980, large quantities of crude oil from an unidentified source began invading the north and west coasts of Bahrain. Reports from fishermen and coastal zone residents alerted the authorities. All oil-carrying pipelines and vessels in Bahrain's territorial waters were pipelines and vessels in Bahrain's territorial waters were checked immediately for the spill source, with no results. However, it was ascertained that the oil had come from a northwesterly direction outside Bahrain waters. Samples taken from the spill showed that its characteristics were similar to that of Arabian light crude. On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 26, Bapco representatives met with government officials to discuss what action should be taken. However, as the magnitude of the spill became apparent (subsequently estimated at approximately 20,000 bbl [3180 m3]), the Prime Minister requested the establishment of a ministerial subcommittee to handle the cleanup operations under the chairmanship of the Minister of Health. The minister requested Bapco to undertake coordination of oil spill cleanup activities on behalf of the government, to finance all expenditures involved in the cleanup operation as necessary, and to maintain a record of the total cost of the cleanup operation including all expenses incurred by government agencies. Bapco immediately agreed to this request and an organization was established under the chairmanship of Bapco's environmental engineer, who in turn reported to Bapco's general manager. The organization established daily liaison/briefing meetings with all government agencies involved in cleanup operations (i.e., ministries of Health, Commerce and Agriculture, Defense, Interior, Development and Industry, Information, Works Power and Water, and the Central Municipalities Council). JPT P. 131

From Mutual-Aid Self-Help to Professional Service

Some mutual-aid self-help organizations develop into professional-bureaucratic human service organizations. The process of transforming them involves important changes in functions. Social workers who become part of the process can learn to work efficiently despite its tensions.

Self-Help and Social Care: Mutual Aid Organisations in Practice. By A. Richardson and M. Goodman. (Pp. 145; illustrated; £4.00.) Policy Studies Institute: London. 1983.

Self-Help and Social Care: Mutual Aid Organisations in Practice. By A. Richardson and M. Goodman. (Pp. 145; illustrated; £4.00.) Policy Studies Institute: London. 1983.

THE HASBAH 6 (SAUDI ARABIA) BLOWOUT: THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL OIL SPILL AS EXPERIENCED IN QATAR

ABSTRACT An oil well blowout in the Gulf lasted only eight days; however, the resultant oil spill threatened neighboring coasts for as long as two months. On windy days, nearly neutrally buoyant oil slicks approaching the Qatar coasts seemed to disappear, but they soon surfaced again whenever the weather improved. Qatar, suddenly faced with a very unusual spill, did not have an oil spill response plan. Throughout the emergency, therefore, valuable time was lost discussing the appropriate measures and setting protection priorities. Often, any understanding of the nature of the problems involved was lacking. Although most beaches became covered with the tar-like substance, a small task force from the state oil company, supported by a few foreign advisers, was able to protect all the important water intakes. Examples are given of how general principles were adapted to the specific local circumstances; for instance, lagoons were used to trap and handle the oil, and discarded SBM hoses served as breakwaters. To ensure an environmentally responsible cleaning operation, the few personnel available were provided with lists of “do's and don'ts.” The effectiveness of various approaches to dispose of collected oil is discussed. A framework for an oil spill contingency plan for Qatar has been developed and a government environmental committee set up. The oil companies’ mutual aid organization, put to the test, revealed weak areas, such as transboundary and communication problems, forcing the partners to review the organization. To enhance in-house response, the state oil company purchased spill-response equipment and is considering hands-on training of emergency crews. The valuable experience gained during this emergency should be used to improve future spill preparedness.

HASBAH 6: OIL COMPANIES RESPONSE TO OIL POLLUTION IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ABSTRACT The Hasbah 6 well offshore Saudi Arabia blew out on October 2, 1980 and remained out of control for ten days. The oil which escaped from the well during this period formed a large slick which drifted southeast down the gulf, threatening the coastal areas of all states south of the blowout site. Oil spill countermeasures were mounted by several oil companies in the region either on their own initiative or upon direction from their respective states’ governments in attempts to minimize the adverse effects of the spill. All of the oil companies known to be involved in responding to the oil spill were members of the Gulf Area Oil Companies Mutual Aid Organization (GAOCMAO), an organization formed in 1972 to promote cooperation among oil companies in the Arabian Gulf for oil pollution control and cleanup in the region. The Hasbah 6 incident served to demonstrate the value of GAOCMAO in facilitating cooperative responses by member companies to a common pollution hazard and highlighted many of the problems likely to be encountered in mounting a spill cleanup operation of this magnitude in a restricted and multi-national environment such as the Arabian Gulf.

Behind the kibbutz: Mutual aid organizations

(1981). Behind the kibbutz: Mutual aid organizations. Forum for Social Economics: Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 77-88.

Environmental pollution in offshore operations

The oil industry has made contingency plans from the earliest operations to clean up any spills due to accidents during exploration and production. The Oil Industry International Exploration and Production Forum (E & P Forum) was established in 1974 to coordinate oil industry opinion with governments and intergovernmental agencies. The United Nations Environment Programme and the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization are working together to organize regional oil spill clean-up arrangements both on the apparatus and on the financial side. The E & P Forum member companies have formulated a computer program to estimate the cost of clean-up following any hypothetical blow-out in the North Sea. This program is applicable, provided the appropriate meteorological data are available, to other areas of the world such as the Mediterranean, the Persian/Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Mexico, the Malacca Straits, etc., where U.N.E.P./I.M.C.O. are proposing to set up multi-national conventions. In places such as the North Sea, the oil companies have mutual aid organizations which maintain stocks of dispersant, suitable vessels and spreaders, skimmers and booms to minimize any oil that may be driven to the shore. Looking to the future, there may be some problems associated with harvesting manganese nodules or mining the Red Sea mineral-rich lands. However, conservation is today part of any general planning of an operation and new processes that are developed will take into consideration adequate anti-pollution measures.

A Note on Insurance Education in Japan

Before the coming of modern, scientific insurance in the decade of the 1870's Japan had certain mutual aid organizations that reimbursed members for losses caused by accidents or paid a certain, fixed sum of money upon the death of a member. From the start of modern life insurance, based on knowledge and ideas brought in from western countries, the subject of insurance has been taught in the schools, particularly the universities. This teaching has played an important role in the development of the insurance business in Japan. Keio University was founded in 1858. Here and at other universities where commerce and economics were taught intensively, insurance became the major subject for many students who, after graduation, became teachers in commercial schools or colleges throughout Japan. These schools have contributed much to the advancement of insurance knowledge. At present, we have 270 universities in Japan, both public and private, having altogether 178 faculties (schools) of commerce, economics, and business administration. In addition we have some special courses in insurance for graduate students. In more than half of these schools, the general principles of marine, fire, life, and social insurance are taught. However, inasmuch as these are not required courses, there are no accurate figures on the number of students who take them or major in them. It is possible,

Group and Community Organization

Community organization among foreign-speaking peoples in America reflects the results of immigration, showing a shift from mutual aid organizations of adults on the "town society" model to English-speaking organizations in the control of the younger generation. Education and training for participation in American life are emphasized but cultivation of unity within each language group is a chief end. The German groups of pre-war and post-war immigrants find themselves in need of organizations of adjustment to each other. Studies of racial groups have taken the form of inquiry into the complex of relations known as "The Negro Community," "The Jewish Community," etc. Relief and social service organized on a city basis is making an effort to adjust its appeals to the concentration of ownership in business that puts the control of finances outside many of the cities of operation. Public provision for group organization and recreational association developed in scope and importance. City planners formulated principles of subdivision planning involving neighborhood units. Adult education methods in group organization spread. Studies of communities were of the nature of cultural inquiries.