The Footprint of The Offshore Oil Industry on Community Institutions

Abstract

In Louisiana's coastal communities with traditions of heavy dependence on the oil industry, cycles of industrial uncertainty have become routine, eliciting a set of coping responses from local government and community institutions. However, recent industrial restructuring within the context of globalization, accompanied by shifts in the climate of federal and state policy, have significantly disrupted traditional support mechanisms and threatened their survival. This article explores the realities that two South Louisiana communities impacted by the offshore oil industry face at the close of the 20th century, with a focus on health service institutions. It also explores community efforts in managing local housing and workforce preparation issues.

Citation

Coelho, K. (2006), "The Footprint of The Offshore Oil Industry on Community Institutions", Dannhaeuser, N. and Werner, C. (Ed.) Markets and Market Liberalization: Ethnographic Reflections (Research in Economic Anthropology, Vol. 24), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 123-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0190-1281(05)24005-2