Helen Sampson – författare

This book explores the faith, work, and lives of port chaplains and seafarers. It draws on archive materials, fieldwork in ports and on cargo ships, and interviews with chaplains in the UK and overseas. The volume presents a detailed picture of seafarers' attitudes to working in mixed faith crews, their understandings of their own faith and its role and negotiation in a life at sea, and their needs with regard to faith and more general welfare support. In addition, it describes the daily life and work of port chaplains, how they understand their roles in relation to their own faith, and how they manage their work in a multi-faith environment. In producing this rich account, the perspectives of relevant stakeholders and the historical underpinnings of port chaplaincy have also been considered, alongside the ways in which port chaplaincy compares with other forms of chaplaincy about which rather more has, hitherto, been known.

Winner, 2014 BBC Radio 4’s Thinking Allowed inaugural award for ethnography, in association with the British Sociological Association This ethnographic account of seafarers considers issues of transnationalism in the twenty-first century and discusses the detailed life experiences of migrant workers in this context. It argues for a consideration of the social space available to transnational migrant workers and suggests that the transnational experiences of migrants may be more likely to involve exclusion and alienation than an expansion of social space as a result of bi-location in more than one community.Based upon original qualitative research in three different settings, the book draws upon voyages undertaken by the author on five different working cargo ships. It describes the situation of seafarers from Cape Verde and Ghana searching for work in northern Germany and considers the perspectives of women married to Indian seafarers resident in Goa and Mumbai.This highly readable book will be of interest to readers from a variety of disciplines who are interested in ethnography, particularly in the fields of social sciences and humanities who are interested in issues of migration, transnationalism, work, the shipping industry and globalisation. It will also appeal to individuals with a connection to, or an interest in, the merchant navy.

Winner, 2014 BBC Radio 4’s Thinking Allowed inaugural award for ethnography, in association with the British Sociological Association This ethnographic account of seafarers considers issues of transnationalism in the twenty-first century and discusses the detailed life experiences of migrant workers in this context. It argues for a consideration of the social space available to transnational migrant workers and suggests that the transnational experiences of migrants may be more likely to involve exclusion and alienation than an expansion of social space as a result of bi-location in more than one community.Based upon original qualitative research in three different settings, the book draws upon voyages undertaken by the author on five different working cargo ships. It describes the situation of seafarers from Cape Verde and Ghana searching for work in northern Germany and considers the perspectives of women married to Indian seafarers resident in Goa and Mumbai.This highly readable book will be of interest to readers from a variety of disciplines who are interested in ethnography, particularly in the fields of social sciences and humanities who are interested in issues of migration, transnationalism, work, the shipping industry and globalisation. It will also appeal to individuals with a connection to, or an interest in, the merchant navy.This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life below water

This book is an ethnography that draws upon 25 years of qualitative research and shipboard fieldwork in the merchant cargo shipping sector. It explores the lives and work of seafarers and how these have changed over time. Change over time and the experience of time on board are organising themes throughout the text. They are contextualised with accounts of transformation in the regulation of the shipping industry and technological innovation.The book begins with a unique account of a voyage on a container ship. In this, the author details both the research process and the daily activities and shared thoughts of the seafarers who are on board. The narrative is further enhanced with illustrative examples taken from other voyages to illustrate continuities and change over time.The book will be of value to individuals, scholars, and researchers interested in ethnography of all kinds. Sociologists, anthropologists, maritime studies students, seafarers, ship operators and policy makers will find the text engaging and revealing. It provides a vivid account that will appeal to academics interested in the study of work, workplace change and time. It is accessibly written and will be enjoyed by readers interested in the contemporary shipping industry, and the life and work of seafarers.2025 winner of Maritime Foundation 'Best Maritime Book Award'.

This book is an ethnography that draws upon 25 years of qualitative research and shipboard fieldwork in the merchant cargo shipping sector. It explores the lives and work of seafarers and how these have changed over time. Change over time and the experience of time on board are organising themes throughout the text. They are contextualised with accounts of transformation in the regulation of the shipping industry and technological innovation.The book begins with a unique account of a voyage on a container ship. In this, the author details both the research process and the daily activities and shared thoughts of the seafarers who are on board. The narrative is further enhanced with illustrative examples taken from other voyages to illustrate continuities and change over time.The book will be of value to individuals, scholars, and researchers interested in ethnography of all kinds. Sociologists, anthropologists, maritime studies students, seafarers, ship operators and policy makers will find the text engaging and revealing. It provides a vivid account that will appeal to academics interested in the study of work, workplace change and time. It is accessibly written and will be enjoyed by readers interested in the contemporary shipping industry, and the life and work of seafarers.2025 winner of Maritime Foundation 'Best Maritime Book Award'.

This open access book constitutes an ethnographic mosaic which depicts the contextual complexities of the life and work of seafarers who are employed in the international merchant cargo fleet. The collection is based upon the observations and interviews of researchers in multiple disciplines. It is woven together to offer a richly detailed insight into the ways in which a complex global industry operates internationally. The book covers issues to do with career decisions and recruitment, gender, life and work on board multinational vessels, health and safety issues, the regulation of the industry, shipboard roles and role conflict, and the representation of workers. It will be of considerable interest to all students globally who are studying for professional seafaring qualifications, to graduate students studying for masters courses in ship and port management, and to welfare professionals and policy makers. It is of special interest to those connected to the shipping industry who specialize in issues relating to 'the human element' and will serve as a paradigm defining text in this area.