Pelagic Shark Fishing in Rural Mexico: A Context for Co-operative Action

Explored are contextual factors conducive to cooperative versus uncooperative action among inhabitants of a rural Mexican community. Following a review of well-known theories that account for pervasively uncooperative behavior in communities such as the one discussed here, described is a radical change of behavior among the town's shark fishermen when they are working at sea. In that context, men who are otherwise competitive, suspicious, & contentious in town-based activities, are cooperative & friendly. Contextual factors-as opposed to other factors typically hypothesized in various studies-are asserted as crucial in producing cooperative versus uncooperative action. 1 Map, Bibliography. Modified AA.