Mobilities, materialities, and masculinities: Interconnected mobility practices in Norwegian coastal fisheries

Abstract

On the coast of Finnmark in Northern Norway, the local fishery is and has been an integral aspect of the working lives of men and women. Fishing, a basis activity of fishery, is an inherently mobile activity. It involves bodily movement, as well as spatial and virtual movement, as fishers find available stocks also with the aid of digital and information technology. The case presented in the article shows that successful participation in both the fishing and the household is dependent upon varying degrees of geographical mobility onshore, including migration and commuting. The author examines the interconnections in mobility practices, paying particular attention to changing gendered relations and power relevant at household level, and explores how mobilities cross human and non-human boundaries via fishing practices. The main finding is that the mobility practices are many, varied, and interconnected, and should therefore be studied as such and over time.