Working in the port used to be hard and unsafe. This created a strong sense of community among dockworkers, in both their work and personal lives. They were members of a ‘port family’ which included colleagues, their families and other close relatives. These socio-cultural family networks were more important than has been recognized thus far.
The introduction of the shipping container brought about major changes in port work. This affected the community not only on an economic level, but on a social and cultural level as well. The central question of the project is what consequences the transition to the modern age has had for the dockworkers’ families in Rotterdam. Women, in their role as wives and mothers, provided a trusted home base and therefore performed a key role within both the family and the community. The experiences of women are therefore an important focus of this project.
The Port of Rotterdam constantly emphasizes that human capital is a critical factor for success. In super-diverse Rotterdam, recruitment campaigns focus on the children and grandchildren of the dockworkers of the past. It is therefore relevant to examine how these families relate to the maritime identity of the city in which they live. In addition, the research creates a platform to engage maritime families. These are Rotterdammers who have lived and worked in the region for generations, as well as people who have migrated to the port from outside the city or from outside the Netherlands in recent decades.
