We are also very appreciative of the support provided by the University of the Philippines Visaya... more We are also very appreciative of the support provided by the University of the Philippines Visayas Foundation, Inc. (UPVFI), and our research assistant Maye Therese Perbillo for her commitment and creativity. Last but not least, we thank all the seafarers, cadets and other key maritime stakeholders who participated in the interviews, without them this study would not be possible. We hope we give justice to their voices and views. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Lloyd's Register Foundation.
This paper examines how a group of seafarer-partners utilized cyberspace to collectively cope wit... more This paper examines how a group of seafarer-partners utilized cyberspace to collectively cope with long-term waiting and temporal disruption to couple relationships caused by seafarers’ working patterns. It shows that seafarer-partners shared information, experience, and stories, which helped them to manage the present, to keep track of the future, and to bring the past to the fore. In so doing, seafarer-partners strengthened their relationships despite the time erosion. Thus the paper reveals that peer support and a waiting space are helpful for individuals involved in long-term waiting.
INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
The academic literature seldom views information and communication technology (ICT) as a means to... more The academic literature seldom views information and communication technology (ICT) as a means to empower merchant seafarers in terms of their active and positive contributions to their mental health (MH) and overall well-being. Seafarers are often viewed as recipients and not the sources of health interventions. Using mixed methods, this paper examines how seafarers’ MH has not been the top priority among seafarers themselves, and how ICT and formal education might empower seafarers in health promotion. The pervasive culture of “ship first” in the maritime industry is palpable in the findings of this study, where seafarers do not prioritize their MH because the ship’s safe operations take precedence over everything else. Data shows that seafarers perceive MH interventions provided by companies as more useful when these have direct implications or effects on their families. In effect, seafarers may not see a priorities the physical and mental health support directly impacting their ...
The Olympic Games aim to promote the unity and friendship of humankind. By examining a number of ... more The Olympic Games aim to promote the unity and friendship of humankind. By examining a number of stakeholders of the Games, this paper however demonstrates that the Olympics instigate nationalistic sentiments, provide an opportunity for a global audience to experience and express such feelings, and enable nation states and commercial sponsors to harness this. It argues that ironically, it is nationalistic sentiments rather than internationalism that serve the interests of stakeholders and underpin the Games’ popularity, commercial success and state investment.
This paper focuses on Filipino seafarers who were taken hostage by Somali pirates and explores th... more This paper focuses on Filipino seafarers who were taken hostage by Somali pirates and explores their experiences and sufferings both during the captivity and after release. It shows that during captivity the victims suffered from various forms of traumatic abuse which scarred them both physically and psychologically. After release, the data suggests that seafarers suffered from symptoms associated with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, seafarers reported that they received no systematic attention or treatment for psychological problems. The issue reveals a deficiency in the regulatory framework governing seafarers' occupational health and safety in the Philippines.
PurposeThis paper examines the changes suggested by maritime stakeholders to achieve gender equal... more PurposeThis paper examines the changes suggested by maritime stakeholders to achieve gender equality in seafaring, a male-dominated profession.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a four-stage career cycle framework, this paper analyzes changes proposed by 423 industry stakeholders to promote gender equality in seafaring. These proposed changes were posted on the Day of Seafarers 2019 virtual wall set up by the International Maritime Organization, which served as a forum for industry stakeholders from all over the world to voice their opinions and suggestions.FindingsThe data analysis shows that the suggested changes reflect many challenges and barriers women seafarers face. While stakeholders from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries are more likely to call for changes to remove barriers in the retention and development stage, gender equality in seafaring in non-OECD countries is still seriously hindered by barriers in the recruitment stage. The pa...
The discourse of ‘rights defence’ (weiquan), referring to the grassroots’ struggle for legal redr... more The discourse of ‘rights defence’ (weiquan), referring to the grassroots’ struggle for legal redress after their lawful interests are encroached upon, has gained increasing popularity in China in the last two decades. Given the ubiquity of the Internet nowadays, rights defence activities also take place online; in a small number of cases, they develop into a form of online activism. But what determines or contributes to the online visibility of some rights defence cases and the invisibility of others? In this paper, we investigate this by examining three highly visible workers’ rights defence campaigns in comparison with three similar cases that received almost no attention. Analysing the various actors involved, we argue that online rights defence tends to become visible and develop into online activism when one key actor, the state, which ought to be an impartial source of justice, is perceived to be collusive or to be playing an active role in the encroachment of people’s rights and interests.
This paper focuses on Filipino seafarers who were taken hostage by Somali pirates and explores th... more This paper focuses on Filipino seafarers who were taken hostage by Somali pirates and explores their experiences and sufferings both during the captivity and after release. It shows that during captivity the victims suffered from various forms of traumatic abuse which scarred them both physically and psychologically. After release, the data suggests that seafarers suffered from symptoms associated with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, seafarers reported that they received no systematic attention or treatment for psychological problems. The issue reveals a deficiency in the regulatory framework governing seafarers' occupational health and safety in the Philippines.
This article examines a recent bizarre phenomenon on China's Internet -the enormous popularity of... more This article examines a recent bizarre phenomenon on China's Internet -the enormous popularity of a scatological Chinese neologism called diaosi, which literally translates as 'dick string'. Seeing the diaosi phenomenon as a case of 'infrapolitics', a space of nuanced discursive practices mediating overt online politics and benign online entertainment, we analyse the ways in which an infrapolitical practice such as the diaosi phenomenon fuses political critique, cultural processes of identity construction and meaning-making as well as cyber ritual communion. Specifically, we interpret the infrapolitics of diaosi as simultaneously an instantiation of a prevalent scatological online culture that defies hypernormalization, a collective identity-making that seeks to create critical social solidarity and a practice and politics of cultural intimacy.
Utilizing an illustrative case, this article examines readers' satirical comments on online news ... more Utilizing an illustrative case, this article examines readers' satirical comments on online news in Chinese cyberspace, revealing that using the news as a prop, netizens joke about social inequality and injustice, and parody sham and official stereotyped and hollow messages. Furthermore, by raising questions and exploring possible answers collectively, netizens unveil the absurdity of social policies and the hypocrisy, greed, and corruption of government officials. Hence, netizens' satirical comments focus a spotlight on social problems. This article argues that satirical comments enrich news and expand its content, thereby giving the news an aura, making ordinary news extraordinary, and making possible political and radical readings of seemingly apolitical and neutral news.
The Olympic Games aim to promote the unity and friendship of humankind. By examining a number of ... more The Olympic Games aim to promote the unity and friendship of humankind. By examining a number of stakeholders of the Games, this paper however demonstrates that the Olympics instigate nationalistic sentiments, provide an opportunity for a global audience to experience and express such feelings, and enable nation states and commercial sponsors to harness this. It argues that ironically, it is nationalistic sentiments rather than internationalism that serve the interests of stakeholders and underpin the Games' popularity, commercial success and state investment.
The Internet brings about ‘new media power’, which transforms the power dynamics associated with ... more The Internet brings about ‘new media power’, which transforms the power dynamics associated with traditional mainstream media. This form of power has largely been associated with a (co)producer perspective, which stresses that ordinary Internet users are able to participate in news production. In many cases, however, Internet users merely read news online and may leave comments. Instead of contributing to news production, these comments are likely to reflect how news is consumed. Does online news consumption also have power implications? Using a case study from China, this paper examines newsreaders' consumption of online news in a network consisting of news websites, discussion forums and blogs. It argues that this networked consumption gives active readers a strong voice and thus power.
The internet is widely seen to have facilitated social movement organizations (SMOs) by providing... more The internet is widely seen to have facilitated social movement organizations (SMOs) by providing them with alternative media. In the western context, some authors suggest that additionally SMOs use the internet tactically as a tool to gain access to traditional news media. This usage is seen to reaffirm and reinforce the centrality of print and electronic news media. This article shifts the focus to China and examines the interaction between the internet and the traditional mass media in the unfolding of three internet incidents. It reveals that via the expression of public opinion on the internet ordinary people are able to collectively shape and even direct conventional news agendas. In China, where the role of the media is to ‘direct’ public opinion rather than to reflect it, this suggests that the interaction between the two forms of communication serves to challenge state control over the traditional media.
Past studies on print and TV satire have revealed that satire can be seen as a site of resistance... more Past studies on print and TV satire have revealed that satire can be seen as a site of resistance to power. In light of this, interesting questions can be raised regarding Internet satire: what does the Internet contribute to the resistance and what kind of power relation is played out on this site? Using an example from China, this paper reveals that like its print and TV counterparts, Internet satire reflects a widespread feeling of powerlessness, rather than offering the general public any political power. However, the Internet helps to push the symbolic power of satire to a higher level. This is because it makes satire a tool for the grassroots which facilitates the creation and spread of satirical ideas, and also helps to release and stimulate the enormous reserve of public wit and wisdom. As a result, satire on the Internet has the potential to generate a chain of related satirical work, which can create a satire movement and subject power to sustained shame and ridicule.
It is a common perception that as long as people have the resources to access the internet, they ... more It is a common perception that as long as people have the resources to access the internet, they are in a position to make their voice heard. In reality, however, it is obvious that the vast majority of internet users are not really able to make themselves ‘visible’ and that their concerns receive little attention. Thus, it is more accurate to suggest that the internet offers ordinary people the potential of this power. Under what conditions can this potential be realized and what are the associated implications? Drawing upon the concept of symbolic power, and utilizing a recent example from China, this article addresses these often overlooked questions. It shows that it is not easy to materialize the potential of symbolic power on the internet. What the internet makes easy is to produce follow-up discourse once a powerful symbol has appeared. With the aid of supporters and their follow-up discourses, the symbol creates a symbolic network and takes roots in the society quickly and deeply. Finally, some thoughts on symbolic power in the context of China are also provided in the framework of discourse and social change.
Employee participation and commitment from top management are important factors in effective occu... more Employee participation and commitment from top management are important factors in effective occupational health and safety (OHS) management. However, between top management and employees there are middle managers, who are given little room in the top management/employee dichotomy. In this context, using the shipping industry as a case study, this paper investigates the impact of senior officer leadership on ratings’ participation in OHS management. Results suggest that while ratings’ precarious employment coupled with a steep hierarchy of command on board ships make upward communication in formal environments practically impossible, it is possible for senior officers to elicit effective participation from ratings by making good use of informal settings, working alongside ratings and engaging with them in social activities. Such leadership efforts bring in temporary relief to the constraints of participation and create spaces for them to contribute in the management of shipboard OHS.
This article investigates impacts of supply chain occupational health and safety initiatives, uti... more This article investigates impacts of supply chain occupational health and safety initiatives, utilizing the case of Oil Majors’ involvement in inspecting/regulating shipboard health and safety. It reveals that while supply chain pressure has made a contribution in improving ship safety, seafarers are denied participation in the management of occupational health and safety. Instead, Oil Majors effectively pass their pressure through ship managers down to seafarers and force them to silently comply. Among the consequences are work intensification and fatigue leading to a skewed impact on seafarers’ health and safety. This article suggests that supply chain pressure cannot be an adequate substitute for what an organized workforce can achieve through effective participation in the management of workplace health and safety.
We are also very appreciative of the support provided by the University of the Philippines Visaya... more We are also very appreciative of the support provided by the University of the Philippines Visayas Foundation, Inc. (UPVFI), and our research assistant Maye Therese Perbillo for her commitment and creativity. Last but not least, we thank all the seafarers, cadets and other key maritime stakeholders who participated in the interviews, without them this study would not be possible. We hope we give justice to their voices and views. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Lloyd's Register Foundation.
This paper examines how a group of seafarer-partners utilized cyberspace to collectively cope wit... more This paper examines how a group of seafarer-partners utilized cyberspace to collectively cope with long-term waiting and temporal disruption to couple relationships caused by seafarers’ working patterns. It shows that seafarer-partners shared information, experience, and stories, which helped them to manage the present, to keep track of the future, and to bring the past to the fore. In so doing, seafarer-partners strengthened their relationships despite the time erosion. Thus the paper reveals that peer support and a waiting space are helpful for individuals involved in long-term waiting.
INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
The academic literature seldom views information and communication technology (ICT) as a means to... more The academic literature seldom views information and communication technology (ICT) as a means to empower merchant seafarers in terms of their active and positive contributions to their mental health (MH) and overall well-being. Seafarers are often viewed as recipients and not the sources of health interventions. Using mixed methods, this paper examines how seafarers’ MH has not been the top priority among seafarers themselves, and how ICT and formal education might empower seafarers in health promotion. The pervasive culture of “ship first” in the maritime industry is palpable in the findings of this study, where seafarers do not prioritize their MH because the ship’s safe operations take precedence over everything else. Data shows that seafarers perceive MH interventions provided by companies as more useful when these have direct implications or effects on their families. In effect, seafarers may not see a priorities the physical and mental health support directly impacting their ...
The Olympic Games aim to promote the unity and friendship of humankind. By examining a number of ... more The Olympic Games aim to promote the unity and friendship of humankind. By examining a number of stakeholders of the Games, this paper however demonstrates that the Olympics instigate nationalistic sentiments, provide an opportunity for a global audience to experience and express such feelings, and enable nation states and commercial sponsors to harness this. It argues that ironically, it is nationalistic sentiments rather than internationalism that serve the interests of stakeholders and underpin the Games’ popularity, commercial success and state investment.
This paper focuses on Filipino seafarers who were taken hostage by Somali pirates and explores th... more This paper focuses on Filipino seafarers who were taken hostage by Somali pirates and explores their experiences and sufferings both during the captivity and after release. It shows that during captivity the victims suffered from various forms of traumatic abuse which scarred them both physically and psychologically. After release, the data suggests that seafarers suffered from symptoms associated with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, seafarers reported that they received no systematic attention or treatment for psychological problems. The issue reveals a deficiency in the regulatory framework governing seafarers' occupational health and safety in the Philippines.
PurposeThis paper examines the changes suggested by maritime stakeholders to achieve gender equal... more PurposeThis paper examines the changes suggested by maritime stakeholders to achieve gender equality in seafaring, a male-dominated profession.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a four-stage career cycle framework, this paper analyzes changes proposed by 423 industry stakeholders to promote gender equality in seafaring. These proposed changes were posted on the Day of Seafarers 2019 virtual wall set up by the International Maritime Organization, which served as a forum for industry stakeholders from all over the world to voice their opinions and suggestions.FindingsThe data analysis shows that the suggested changes reflect many challenges and barriers women seafarers face. While stakeholders from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries are more likely to call for changes to remove barriers in the retention and development stage, gender equality in seafaring in non-OECD countries is still seriously hindered by barriers in the recruitment stage. The pa...
The discourse of ‘rights defence’ (weiquan), referring to the grassroots’ struggle for legal redr... more The discourse of ‘rights defence’ (weiquan), referring to the grassroots’ struggle for legal redress after their lawful interests are encroached upon, has gained increasing popularity in China in the last two decades. Given the ubiquity of the Internet nowadays, rights defence activities also take place online; in a small number of cases, they develop into a form of online activism. But what determines or contributes to the online visibility of some rights defence cases and the invisibility of others? In this paper, we investigate this by examining three highly visible workers’ rights defence campaigns in comparison with three similar cases that received almost no attention. Analysing the various actors involved, we argue that online rights defence tends to become visible and develop into online activism when one key actor, the state, which ought to be an impartial source of justice, is perceived to be collusive or to be playing an active role in the encroachment of people’s rights and interests.
This paper focuses on Filipino seafarers who were taken hostage by Somali pirates and explores th... more This paper focuses on Filipino seafarers who were taken hostage by Somali pirates and explores their experiences and sufferings both during the captivity and after release. It shows that during captivity the victims suffered from various forms of traumatic abuse which scarred them both physically and psychologically. After release, the data suggests that seafarers suffered from symptoms associated with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, seafarers reported that they received no systematic attention or treatment for psychological problems. The issue reveals a deficiency in the regulatory framework governing seafarers' occupational health and safety in the Philippines.
This article examines a recent bizarre phenomenon on China's Internet -the enormous popularity of... more This article examines a recent bizarre phenomenon on China's Internet -the enormous popularity of a scatological Chinese neologism called diaosi, which literally translates as 'dick string'. Seeing the diaosi phenomenon as a case of 'infrapolitics', a space of nuanced discursive practices mediating overt online politics and benign online entertainment, we analyse the ways in which an infrapolitical practice such as the diaosi phenomenon fuses political critique, cultural processes of identity construction and meaning-making as well as cyber ritual communion. Specifically, we interpret the infrapolitics of diaosi as simultaneously an instantiation of a prevalent scatological online culture that defies hypernormalization, a collective identity-making that seeks to create critical social solidarity and a practice and politics of cultural intimacy.
Utilizing an illustrative case, this article examines readers' satirical comments on online news ... more Utilizing an illustrative case, this article examines readers' satirical comments on online news in Chinese cyberspace, revealing that using the news as a prop, netizens joke about social inequality and injustice, and parody sham and official stereotyped and hollow messages. Furthermore, by raising questions and exploring possible answers collectively, netizens unveil the absurdity of social policies and the hypocrisy, greed, and corruption of government officials. Hence, netizens' satirical comments focus a spotlight on social problems. This article argues that satirical comments enrich news and expand its content, thereby giving the news an aura, making ordinary news extraordinary, and making possible political and radical readings of seemingly apolitical and neutral news.
The Olympic Games aim to promote the unity and friendship of humankind. By examining a number of ... more The Olympic Games aim to promote the unity and friendship of humankind. By examining a number of stakeholders of the Games, this paper however demonstrates that the Olympics instigate nationalistic sentiments, provide an opportunity for a global audience to experience and express such feelings, and enable nation states and commercial sponsors to harness this. It argues that ironically, it is nationalistic sentiments rather than internationalism that serve the interests of stakeholders and underpin the Games' popularity, commercial success and state investment.
The Internet brings about ‘new media power’, which transforms the power dynamics associated with ... more The Internet brings about ‘new media power’, which transforms the power dynamics associated with traditional mainstream media. This form of power has largely been associated with a (co)producer perspective, which stresses that ordinary Internet users are able to participate in news production. In many cases, however, Internet users merely read news online and may leave comments. Instead of contributing to news production, these comments are likely to reflect how news is consumed. Does online news consumption also have power implications? Using a case study from China, this paper examines newsreaders' consumption of online news in a network consisting of news websites, discussion forums and blogs. It argues that this networked consumption gives active readers a strong voice and thus power.
The internet is widely seen to have facilitated social movement organizations (SMOs) by providing... more The internet is widely seen to have facilitated social movement organizations (SMOs) by providing them with alternative media. In the western context, some authors suggest that additionally SMOs use the internet tactically as a tool to gain access to traditional news media. This usage is seen to reaffirm and reinforce the centrality of print and electronic news media. This article shifts the focus to China and examines the interaction between the internet and the traditional mass media in the unfolding of three internet incidents. It reveals that via the expression of public opinion on the internet ordinary people are able to collectively shape and even direct conventional news agendas. In China, where the role of the media is to ‘direct’ public opinion rather than to reflect it, this suggests that the interaction between the two forms of communication serves to challenge state control over the traditional media.
Past studies on print and TV satire have revealed that satire can be seen as a site of resistance... more Past studies on print and TV satire have revealed that satire can be seen as a site of resistance to power. In light of this, interesting questions can be raised regarding Internet satire: what does the Internet contribute to the resistance and what kind of power relation is played out on this site? Using an example from China, this paper reveals that like its print and TV counterparts, Internet satire reflects a widespread feeling of powerlessness, rather than offering the general public any political power. However, the Internet helps to push the symbolic power of satire to a higher level. This is because it makes satire a tool for the grassroots which facilitates the creation and spread of satirical ideas, and also helps to release and stimulate the enormous reserve of public wit and wisdom. As a result, satire on the Internet has the potential to generate a chain of related satirical work, which can create a satire movement and subject power to sustained shame and ridicule.
It is a common perception that as long as people have the resources to access the internet, they ... more It is a common perception that as long as people have the resources to access the internet, they are in a position to make their voice heard. In reality, however, it is obvious that the vast majority of internet users are not really able to make themselves ‘visible’ and that their concerns receive little attention. Thus, it is more accurate to suggest that the internet offers ordinary people the potential of this power. Under what conditions can this potential be realized and what are the associated implications? Drawing upon the concept of symbolic power, and utilizing a recent example from China, this article addresses these often overlooked questions. It shows that it is not easy to materialize the potential of symbolic power on the internet. What the internet makes easy is to produce follow-up discourse once a powerful symbol has appeared. With the aid of supporters and their follow-up discourses, the symbol creates a symbolic network and takes roots in the society quickly and deeply. Finally, some thoughts on symbolic power in the context of China are also provided in the framework of discourse and social change.
Employee participation and commitment from top management are important factors in effective occu... more Employee participation and commitment from top management are important factors in effective occupational health and safety (OHS) management. However, between top management and employees there are middle managers, who are given little room in the top management/employee dichotomy. In this context, using the shipping industry as a case study, this paper investigates the impact of senior officer leadership on ratings’ participation in OHS management. Results suggest that while ratings’ precarious employment coupled with a steep hierarchy of command on board ships make upward communication in formal environments practically impossible, it is possible for senior officers to elicit effective participation from ratings by making good use of informal settings, working alongside ratings and engaging with them in social activities. Such leadership efforts bring in temporary relief to the constraints of participation and create spaces for them to contribute in the management of shipboard OHS.
This article investigates impacts of supply chain occupational health and safety initiatives, uti... more This article investigates impacts of supply chain occupational health and safety initiatives, utilizing the case of Oil Majors’ involvement in inspecting/regulating shipboard health and safety. It reveals that while supply chain pressure has made a contribution in improving ship safety, seafarers are denied participation in the management of occupational health and safety. Instead, Oil Majors effectively pass their pressure through ship managers down to seafarers and force them to silently comply. Among the consequences are work intensification and fatigue leading to a skewed impact on seafarers’ health and safety. This article suggests that supply chain pressure cannot be an adequate substitute for what an organized workforce can achieve through effective participation in the management of workplace health and safety.
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