Sunday, January 11, 2009

Fishing for Heritage or The Economic Theory of Agrarian Institutions

Fishing for Heritage: Modernity and Loss Along the Scottish Coast

Author: Jane Nadel Klein

Castles, lochs, seascapes. Coastal Scotland is one of the world's most romanticized tourist destinations, yet it is in the midst of severe economic decline. The North Atlantic fisheries crisis has hit Scottish communities hard and local fisherfolk are faced with chronic insecurity, anxiety over the decline of fishing and doubts about their cultural survival. The decline of this traditional industry has been accompanied by growing tourism along Scottish shores. Fishing villages are marketed for tourist consumption and culture has become a commodity.Drawing upon fieldwork, novels, folk music and travel literature, Nadel-Klein explores how these influences have affected locals' sense of identity and presence within a modern European nation. How is identity linked to power? What role do memory and authenticity play in the creation of Scottish heritage? How do locals feel about the onslaught of tourists? The topical nature of these issues and their relevance to other regions facing similar tensions make this book an important contribution to contemporary anthropology.



Interesting textbook: Pomegranates and Prickly Pears or Go Fish

The Economic Theory of Agrarian Institutions

Author: Pranab K Bardhan

These specially commissioned essays apply new analytical methods to study the origins, maintenance, and adaptation of agrarian institutions in a variety of regions and cultures. The contributors, including J.E. Stiglitz, T.N. Srinivasan, Clive Bell, Louis Putterman, H. Binswanger, D. Newbery, and Alain de Janvry, focus on agrarian relations and rural development.

"May well become a standard reference in institutional economics, especially in the context of LDCs."--Review of World Economics

"Bardhan brings together eighteen excellent essays on the theory of agrarian institutions...every essay is high in quality and contains something worth learning....This book constitutes a major and lasting contribution to the economic analysis of agrarian institutions."--Journal of Economic Literature



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