Contributions to the Debate on the Ship as a Total Institution: A Survey among Dalmatian Seafarers

Abstract

The paper applies the concept of total institution (E. Goffman) to the specific reality of seafarers. During shipboard service, the mentioned social category has a limited choice of physical space, content, and social contacts. Seafarers are required to adapt to the conditions on board and to the authority of the company and of higher-ranking crew members that govern their daily lives. The challenges of working and living at sea result in the trend of increasing numbers of experienced and highly educated seafarers leaving the profession. The study aims to investigate the seafaring conditions among Dalmatian seafarers, as well as their future career projections. It was conducted between June and July 2020 using the method of online survey, which included a snowball sample of 112 respondents. The results indicate a lack of satisfaction in relation to most of the considered aspects of seafaring, except for earnings, including the possibility of promotion and communication with family and friends. While most of the seafarers surveyed consider these conditions sufficient to spend their entire working lives at sea, one in three respondents has no such intention (31.4%). More specifically, 42.6% of the respondents intend to stay at sea only because they believe finding a better job ashore would be difficult, while only a fifth love their job (19.2%). The results highlight the importance of improving the conditions of seafaring in order to preserve high-quality personnel and reinforce the safety culture on board ships. Further sociological research into the topic should provide a basis for mitigating the negative effects of a total institution as an increasingly visible concept within maritime sociology.