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Van Gennep stales that the second stage. transition. is charactcrized by a quality of
"Iiminality," that is, a temporary displacement from evcryday community nomls. S4 As the
subsequcnt chapters will reveal. the Labrador did constitute a "liminal" experience for the
people ofColliers: the community's sense ofgroup was reshaped as peoplc came
together with residents ofother settlements and "bays" to fonn temporary group
affiliations at the fishing stations. Within these groups religious differences were put
aside. some nativc practices were adopted to make a difficult environment more bearable.
and in somc cases, even basic social relationships were altered \\hen p;:oplc adopted new
partners during their time on the Labrador.
To reconstruct and describe the important features ofthis rite of passage from the
point ofview of my infonnants. I have relied heavily on oral historical approaches. using
autobiographies. biographies. and interviews with cultural insiders. Also considered were
the narratives. music. songs, sayings, beliefs and customs they shared with each other
whenever they had the opportunity. In my opinion. much can be learned about migratory
workers by examining lhe processes ofsocialization into the occupation and the genres
used to distinguish themselves from their bosses. ss
S4 Van Gcnnep, p. II; see also. Victor Turner, "Betwixt and Between: The Liminal
Period in Ritcs de !Jassage," The Foresl o/Symbols, ed. Victor Turner (New York: Basic.
1964) and The Rilllal Process: Slrllcwre and AlIfi-Slructure (Ithaca: Cornell University
Press, 1969) pp. 95-96.
ss For an excellent example ofsocialization into work. sec O. Lofgren. "The Making ofa
Fisherman: The Social Context ofSocialization in a Swedish Fishing Community." The
Fishing Clliture o/t/le World: Sludies in Elhnology. Cultllral Ecology WId Folklore. 2
\'ols. cd. Bela Gonda. (Budapest: Akademiai Kiado. 1984). pp. 281·97.
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