Title: Identity, interpretation and influence
Description: In a qualitative study of San Pedro's longshoremen, it is found that positive outcomes accruing to members of the community - identity, interpretation and influence - are maintained through the evolution of shared languages of safety, participation and economics. As these languages are spoken and printed in the hiring halls, on the docks, and during casual social interactions, work takes on a meaning beyond the task. The languages support the longshoreman's identity - masculine, cohesive, well-paid socialists - and provide an interpretive guide for how to react to disruptive events in the world.