Ecological change and organizational continuity in the Faroe Islands

The present paper considers a fundamental change of livelihood in the Faroe Islands at the end of the 19 th century. This change transformed the Faroes from a society based on agriculture to a society based primarily on fishing. I propose to show how the recruitment of work groups in the traditional society comprised a social skill that proved to be a significant factor in adjustment to the new oppucation of fishing. Moreover, that this social skill is still of considerable importance today, despite the fact that alternative methods of recruitment to work groups have been developed.