Nikki Sikkema

Nikki Sikkema (1997) is a PhD candidate at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication. Her research is part of The Man in the Port project. 

She completed her master’s degree in history at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam in 2022. Her main research interests are the social and cultural life of port communities, gender, and oral history. 

Her current research focuses on the socio-cultural networks of port families in the port of Rotterdam during the period of containerization. While this period has received much academic attention in the fields of logistics, technology and labor, the social and cultural aspects have been largely neglected by scholars. This research uses oral history to uncover the impact of the technological developments in the port on port families. She focuses on how the changing nature of dock work affected daily life, feelings of solidarity, community, and family. In addition, this research will highlight the role of women in the port families.