The Fisherwoman Financier-A Study of Status-Role Nexus in a Peasant Community

This paper analyses the role of 'Marakatthe', the fisherwoman financier in the fishing communities of coastal Andhra, her institutionalised economic and social relationships and the implications of her rolefdr her social status within her community. It is found that the Marakatthe's economic role and managerial skills did increase female individualism and self-confidence, but without making arty contribution to the development of female consciousness or to the reordering of male-female status systems.