Page 133 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 133
the importance of commons in an integrated peasant economy ...
ish, according to Hülphers (1762). In Ore, they had lime kilns and sold lime
to the region of Hälsingland. They also produced charcoal and worked in
transportation at the Furudal ironworks, located in the parish.
3.5 Migration of labour
To protect the commons from overuse, to increase cash incomes in the pe-
asants’ households, and to bring home grain, migration of labour beca-
me important. The earliest account of labour migration from Dalarna da-
tes back to the 16th century and involved people working at the copper mine
in Falun. However, migration of labour first became an important income
source for peasants in the region during the 18th century and evolved to be
an intrinsic part of the peasant economy during the 19th century. The in-
creasing importance of labour migration coincided with the period when
expansion of the agricultural economy was no longer possible and a sharp
increase in population took place. The migration further diversified the ho-
usehold income in a time when the use of commons had reached its limit.
Until 1800, migrant labourers were mostly men, but during the 19th centu-
ry more and more women participated. By the end of the century, mostly
women migrated on a seasonal basis. Men had started to find work in fo-
restry in their home parishes (Rosander 1967).
Until the 19th century, migration of labour was rooted in activities per-
formed in the home parish and was a result of skills peasants already had.
This could be agricultural work, where peasants from Dalarna were well
known for clearing land, ditch digging, etc. Migration of labour also in-
cluded chopping wood and constructing buildings; a few peasants were
skilled decorative painters and carpenters (Rosander 1967). Many of the oc-
cupations mentioned earlier, such as production of hides, were also part of
the labour migration. Households in different areas became known and
sought out for specific skills. The peasants migrated to workplaces with
people from the same area and maintained close social ties.
In the 19th century, migration of labour became a hallmark for Dalar-
na. Men continued to migrate to work, but were now joined by a large num-
ber of women. Women’s migration was not rooted in the occupations they
had in their home parishes to the same extent the men’s was. Examples
of women’s work include gardening, rowing (e.g., small passenger boats
in Stockholm), brewing beer, and candle making in factories. While men
worked in occupations that had been around for a long time, women found
work in emerging industries. Women worked and stayed with women from
131
ish, according to Hülphers (1762). In Ore, they had lime kilns and sold lime
to the region of Hälsingland. They also produced charcoal and worked in
transportation at the Furudal ironworks, located in the parish.
3.5 Migration of labour
To protect the commons from overuse, to increase cash incomes in the pe-
asants’ households, and to bring home grain, migration of labour beca-
me important. The earliest account of labour migration from Dalarna da-
tes back to the 16th century and involved people working at the copper mine
in Falun. However, migration of labour first became an important income
source for peasants in the region during the 18th century and evolved to be
an intrinsic part of the peasant economy during the 19th century. The in-
creasing importance of labour migration coincided with the period when
expansion of the agricultural economy was no longer possible and a sharp
increase in population took place. The migration further diversified the ho-
usehold income in a time when the use of commons had reached its limit.
Until 1800, migrant labourers were mostly men, but during the 19th centu-
ry more and more women participated. By the end of the century, mostly
women migrated on a seasonal basis. Men had started to find work in fo-
restry in their home parishes (Rosander 1967).
Until the 19th century, migration of labour was rooted in activities per-
formed in the home parish and was a result of skills peasants already had.
This could be agricultural work, where peasants from Dalarna were well
known for clearing land, ditch digging, etc. Migration of labour also in-
cluded chopping wood and constructing buildings; a few peasants were
skilled decorative painters and carpenters (Rosander 1967). Many of the oc-
cupations mentioned earlier, such as production of hides, were also part of
the labour migration. Households in different areas became known and
sought out for specific skills. The peasants migrated to workplaces with
people from the same area and maintained close social ties.
In the 19th century, migration of labour became a hallmark for Dalar-
na. Men continued to migrate to work, but were now joined by a large num-
ber of women. Women’s migration was not rooted in the occupations they
had in their home parishes to the same extent the men’s was. Examples
of women’s work include gardening, rowing (e.g., small passenger boats
in Stockholm), brewing beer, and candle making in factories. While men
worked in occupations that had been around for a long time, women found
work in emerging industries. Women worked and stayed with women from
131
