The Social Construction of Seawater and Seascape in Japanese Fishing Communities. An Interpretative Framework of Agency and Sense of Place

This paper gives a preliminary overview of the processes of social construction of seawater and seascape in Japanese fishing communities. Attention is directed to the interactions of local fishermen with their maritime territories, exploring also the modalities in which seawater is contextualized and negotiated in relation to a disparate constellation of symbolic values, embodied practices and economic activities. A theoretical framework, based on the social construction theories, is also provided to define the role of seascape and seawater as powerful agents that produce culture and interact with social practices.