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The Difference that Class Makes: Neoliberalization and Non‐Capitalism in the Fishing Industry of New England
Author(s) -
St Martin Kevin
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
antipode
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.177
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1467-8330
pISSN - 0066-4812
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8330.2007.00538.x
Subject(s) - capitalism , fishing , capital (architecture) , subjectivity , fishing industry , class (philosophy) , neoliberalism (international relations) , property (philosophy) , economics , equity (law) , market economy , economy , sociology , political economy , political science , law , geography , epistemology , artificial intelligence , politics , philosophy , archaeology , computer science
Fishing economies are typically represented as pre‐capitalist and as a barrier to capital accumulation rather than as an alternative economy with its own potentials. Privatization (and capitalism) appears logical and inevitable because “there is no alternative” described or given. The class analysis presented here focuses on questions of property and subjectivity and describes fishing as a non‐capitalist and community‐based economy consonant with both a tradition of common property and an image of “fishermen” as independent and interested in fairness and equity. While the latter is associated with a neoliberal subject aligned with the capitalist economy, a class analysis of fishing repositions “fishermen” as community subjects aligned with a community economy.