Gd. Johnson et al., OCCUPATIONAL STRESSORS, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG SHRIMP FISHERMEN OF THE NORTHERN GULF-OF-MEXICO COAST, Sociological spectrum, 16(4), 1996, pp. 401-420
A set of hypotheses concerning the occupational stress process was tes
ted for a sample of shrimp fishermen (n = 211) and a comparison group
of land-based workers (n = 99) from a coastal community in Alabama. As
hypothesized, shrimp fishermen were exposed to greater numbers of occ
upational stressors, experience greater amounts of stress, and benefit
from greater amounts of social support than land-based workers. In co
ntrast to expectations based in both theory and previous research, soc
ial support had no direct or indirect effect on stress experienced by
shrimpers. An explanation is offered emphasizing the conflicts generat
ed by work that is frequently performed at sites remote in both place
and time from the potential support of home life.