~ Family Social Relations ~
Within the company town limits, even beyond the working hours, one could still not ignore the subordination faced in the working environment. For this reason, most would prefer to participate in activities outside of these company towns, where no authority existed. In Comodoro Rivadavia, families could find activities that were restricted in the company towns, including drinking without limitation, going to bars, carnivals, movies, plays, and holiday celebrations. Workers were also permitted to gather to discuss political issues.
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Transportation to the port town of Comodoro was difficult, especially very early on. Thus, families were not able to travel to Comodoro frequently, especially those in the company towns farther away from the port, such as Astra at km 20. Workers and families did not gather in the port town until methods of transportation improved, thus the majority of their free time was spent within the limits of the company towns. |
In order to maintain control and avoid workers uniting against them, the companies felt it necessary to control the social relations within the towns. Thus, in addition to rules and limits being imposed during worker's free time, many activities were sponsored by the company, and they formed a number of sport and recreational clubs. The activities offered primarily revolved around the single men and married workers with families in Europe because there were few families living together in the company towns.
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María Viegas and María Bordeira de Parreira
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María Cortés (de Simón) and Diego Simón |
Maria Bordeira de Parreira and Maria Viegas tell interviewers how they came to meet their husbands. They continue to explain that when they were young, one would stay within their ethnic groups in most facets of life, including marriage. However, presently there is such a huge number of mixed races living in Patagonia, the mixing between races in such facets is more common.
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María Viegas |
María Bordeira de Parreira |
Rules of morality were imposed by the oil companies for all workers, especially women, including the company prohibiting the establishmen of brothels. Much of women's free time revolved around activities with the family.
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Women organized a number of activities and celebrations for events such as weddings, birthdays, holidays, and funerals. Families participated in many of these events together, and women often created bonds with other mothers and established ethnic networks with others of the same descent. Small groups of families, often of the same ethnicity, organized gatherings and picnics in the countryside or at the parks. |
There was a variety of other ways that families could be entertained. The national company built the first movie theater in Astra, and in 1923 bought a projector that showed movies three times a week. Families could also attend concerts, concerts, and other parties organized by both women and the companies.
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Families spent their free time
with other families from a mixture of ethnic backgrounds as well
as families from with their same ethnicity. Much of the time spent
within their own ethnic group was due to the company's organization,
which placed many families of the same ethnic group together in
both a living and working environment. Despite the pressure from
families for one to marry someone of their own ethnicity, many
chose to marry outside their ethnic group. |
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Martha Eggeling Jung a woman of German descent who grew up in the company town of Astra, was asked if any conflicts existed between the different people within the community. In response, Jung stated that "There was no politics, there was no religion! Everybody had little money and everybody got on with it...all the associations of Italians and Germans and Spanish...They are all together, there is no conflict!"
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