Prejudices Onboard Ship: Basis for Development of an Intervention Program

Abstract

Prejudice is one of the most common challenges seafarers experience onboard. This study aimed to identify prejudices experienced by seafarers onboard ships and develop an intervention program. A survey was conducted among active seafarers with at least 12 months of experience on international voyages. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to assess the prejudices seafarers faced. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, rank, t-test, One-way ANOVA, and Duncan test at a 0.05 alpha level. Results showed that nationality was the highest-ranked self-related prejudice, while length of experience was the highest-ranked job-related prejudice, which might be due to the issue of competence brought by these factors. There were no significant differences in prejudices based on age or length of experience, but significant differences were found based on rank. The operational level significantly differed from the support level, which might be credited to the difference in treatments among seafarers regarding hierarchy, but management did not differ from either. An intervention program was developed based on the most prevalent prejudices, considering age, experience, and rank classifications.