Fishing & Sewing

By Heather Lam

FISHING
Fishing Throughout History

Since the beginning of mankind, fishing has played a vital role as one of humanity’s main food sources. From its early origins during the prehistoric era with its primitive tools and communal orientation, over the centuries, fishing as an industry in the twenty-first century has transformed into an enormous global commercial market utilizing the most modern technologies. However, throughout history, fishing has always been thought of as a man’s business and has therefore become a profession dominated by masculine imagery and a strict gender division of labour. Hence, traditionally, men would go out on boats to catching the fish, while the women stayed home to engage in the various pre and post fishing duties. These responsibilities included weaving and mending nets, as well as cooking meals for the men to take on trips. Then, after the catch, women would descale, cure, and dry the fish in preparation to be sold at the market. Yet, it was imperative that women stay home as they had other duties such as, watching the children and cleaning, all of which would not be possible if they were at sea for many hours. As a result, women have been seen as the land-bound emotional support for the men who were sea-bound and perceived as doing the real hard work.

Another reason why fishing is seen as such a male-dominated profession can be attributed to the power and authority associated with the materialistic aspect of the task. For example, by owning a fishing boat, nets, and other tools demonstrates the man’s autonomy and wealth as he is not only able to afford such things but is also able to earn a living by fishing. Moreover, there is a danger in going out to sea—rough waters or storms are not for the faint of heart. Hence, the characteristics of bravery and courage, are associated with men who unlike women are undaunted by danger. Thus, fishing has been deemed a predominately male task, as physically, mentally, and emotionally men are perceived to be the gender better suited for engaging in it.

Finally, historically, in many cultures the superstitions and taboos regarding a woman’s presence as bad luck onboard ships has also negatively impacted the ways in which females are seen within any maritime business. Sadly, this belief has only served to further entrench the stigma against women’s participation within the fishing industry, as the myth is passed down and ingrained through the generations.

Yet, despite the hegemonic masculinity surrounding the fishing industry, as the economy in the twenty-first century continues to be uncertain and such beliefs become less relevant, lower income communities such as Querzon, a Philippine fishing community has seen an increasing number of men engaging in fish mongering, the act of selling raw fish/seafood, which is typically considered a feminine task. This is mainly due to the minimal income fishing offers and its inability to sufficiently sustain the livelihoods of families in today’s society. As a result, instead of just staying home and working alongside her husband, a women must pursue her own career in order to provide for the family. Thus, men living in Querzon, out have necessity have chosen to rise above history’s stigma surrounding gendered labour and have taken on more feminine duties.

So as a final thought for readers to reflect on, what do you call a person who catches fish? A fisherman or a fisher?

Personal Experience
By engaging in this activity, I was able to understand the physical and mental demands men would experience while fishing. As someone with zero experience in fishing and who normally gets her seafood from the grocery store, this was a completely new adventure for me. So, the first step that needed to be done was choosing a good fishing location. Consequently, at the recommendation of friends, I chose to try my luck in Mission, BC at a quiet lake called the Nicomean Slough. It was a very sunny but windy day which made standing still for longer periods of time more challenging; however, dressing warm in layers certainly helped. Being that it was first time fishing, I went with my boyfriend who was experienced and knew the various techniques and tricks in order to be successful. Initially, it took a little practice to cast the fishing line out far enough and without tangling the reel, but after a few throws, I had gotten the hang of it. Unfortunately, I did not catch anything that day; yet, from that experience, it exposed me to uncertainty and emotional struggles fishermen would have faced as this failure would have impacted their ability to support their family either financially or in their ability to put food on the table. Therefore, while catching a fish would have been wonderful, having an unsuccessful attempt is also part of fishing, and regardless I enjoyed the time spent on the water as I was able to learn a new practical life skill.

SEWING
Sewing Throughout History
Throughout history, sewing has typically been labelled as a feminine task with women engaging needlework and embroidery within the home. Symbolically, this task has carried a few social implications. First, it was perceived as a coming-of-age ritual as women made their entry into married life by sewing the linens and clothes for her trousseau in preparation for marriage. Second, within literature, and especially Protestant writing, a seamstress’ fragility and delicacy contributed to a woman’s lack of power and need for remaining within the home. Thus, this idea also reinforced a woman’s place within the domestic sphere as this was the safest place for the weaker gender. Third, in a more practical sense, before the eighteenth century’s Industrial Revolution, women sewed everything they owned their own at home which ranged from mending clothes, tablecloths, and towels. This was because, by staying at home and working, women would also be able to look after the children and perform other domestic duties whilst completing their needlework. Thus, regardless of the reasons why women seemed to be society’s designated seamstress, this task played a tremendously important role in a female’s life. In the words of Rachel Bowman, a mother, “I spent the day…sewing” as this was the expectation of every woman during this time.

Then, moving into the late eighteenth century, the Industrial Revolution gave women an opportunity to become employed within then textile industry. Subsequently, this shifted a female’s work from within the home informal setting, to the formal setting of a factory within the public sphere. Moreover, as new technologies such as spinning machines were introduced, this dramatically increased the efficiently and production abilities of the women employed. By 1869, women were "seated in long rows, crowded together in a hot close atmosphere, [with up to]…100 girls…working at 20 and 25 cents a day…[while one] stitches seams, [and] another makes button holes, and another sews on the buttons.” Therefore, it was during this period, in which women were caught up in the new consumer society, which emphasized mass production at an alarmingly fast pace. Yet, while this new world was providing women employment and also changing family dynamics, it was doing so very unequally as women earned significantly less than men because their labour was considered “cheap” and “flexible.” Consequently, despite the leaps society was making technologically and economically, a woman’s place in society was still limited as even being employed within the workforce did not release her from the opinion that she was a lesser contributor to society.

Finally, looking towards the late twentieth and into today’s society, in the West, seamstresses have certainly come a long way, as their profession is regarded as intricate and sophisticated. Whether it be within the realm of high-fashion and top-end designers such as Chanel or Versace where the seamstresses are some of the best in the world, to even your grandmother who learned her skills from her grandmother. Being able to mend clothes and perform the skills required for such a task is an ability celebrated by society today as technology and industrialization have erased the many traditional and more delicate aspects of textiles.

Personal Experience
Personally, sewing is something I have never had to do as my mum or a professional seamstress would always be there to help. Therefore, for this task, I chose to start small and mend a small hole in one of my t-shirts. However, due to my lack of knowledge, before I started, I watched a quick YouTube video in order to learn the basics. Then, I borrowed my mum’s sewing kit and got started. The process of sewing was quite straightforward, and did not take long for me to pick up the steps. However, like fishing, sewing is also a task that takes a great amount of precision and patience in order to make sure the stitches are done right and looks presentable. As well, sewing does require a certain level of dexterity that I am not used to performing, so some of the earlier steps requiring tying knots and threading the needle took me a little longer than I anticipated. Nevertheless, by mending the t-shirt myself by hand, I have gained a newfound appreciation for all the hard work historically women have endured, as I can imagine sewing all of a family’s fabric items would not only take a long time but would require a lot of skill. Therefore, I think while history may have at times been overlooked and even exploited, a woman’s abilities within the textile industry, seamstress have played a vital role in shaping a women self-image and worth as this was a great contribution of her expertise to her family and society.



Concluding Thoughts
To conclude, performing the seemingly ordinary tasks of fishing and sewing really opening my eyes to the subtle challenges encompassing each labour. For instance, attributes such as the time commitment, patience, and careful attention to detail were just some of the features of both tasks required of me. Furthermore, I was able to understand the great importance and value each of these labours held, as the individual’s livelihoods were heavy dependent on the task’s success or failure. Finally, after researching on the historical transformations of fishing and sewing, and understanding how heavily gendered each labour was thought of throughout history, it makes me hopeful to see how society’s mindset has and continues to shift towards embracing greater amounts of gender neutrality and appreciation of these tasks within the industrial spheres of the twenty-first century.


Bibliography

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