Siri Gerrard

Siri Gerrard is an associate professor in the Department of Planning and Community Studies at the University of Tromsø, Norway.

Siri’s research interests include: ethnography, social anthropology and gender and feminist studies. Her research focuses more particularly on fisheries, fisheries policies, fishing communities, work, employment and development in North Norway, but also in Tanzania and Cameroon, studied by means of cultural and gender perspectives. Siri’s current research project is entitled, “towards “new” fishery communities?” This project looks at the changes that have taken place in fishing and other types of local employment, in fishery households, community life and children’s activities within the framework of small fishing villages. The changes have occurred in a period where fish resources, regulation systems with quotas are being restructured. At the same time there are changes in education, labour market and viewpoints on men’s and women’s roles and positions in society. One of the key findings so far, is that the male fishers, and the women as well as youngsters, are very mobile individuals with non-fixed perceptions of gender and gender roles. Accordingly, the household becomes mobile with different houses at different places. With these kinds of mobilities and changes, it seems necessary to deconstruct the concepts of household, fishery community and fisher.

• Food Politics, Global Studies & Development