Growing Up in a Norwegian Coastal Town in the Nineteenth Century: Work and Intergenerational Relations

This chapter is about the conditions of children in a Norwegian coastal town in the nineteenth century. The point of departure is a story told by a 12-year-old boy who had his first trip at sea with his father in 1843. From this micro-story, the perspective expands to a micro-macro view that sheds light on how growing up in a coastal community, where shipping was the most important industry, was affected by local and global changes in the economy and businesses. Moreover, the chapter analyses how life skills and practical knowledge were transmitted from one generation to the next in a pre-industrial coastal town where girls and boys had an important part of their education in a practical school. At work, children acquired the knowledge and skills needed to become capable adults. Boys worked primarily in the shipping industry, and girls worked as domestic servants. At sea and on shore, boys and girls also underwent an education in their culture. They became part of a specific coastal, MARE culture, which is characterised by a spirit of danger and ‘open mindedness’ towards the world.