Nikki Sikkema MA

PhD candidate

Area(s) of interest: Dutch History, Gender, Modern & Contemporary History, Social & Economic History

Cohort/Start PhD: 2024-2025

Rotterdam Maritime families and their heritage: 1960-2000

Overarching title: Mens in de Haven
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Supervisor(s): Paul van de Laar, Els Jacobs en Tina van der Vlies.

Dock work is characterized by its hardship and potential for risks and danger. This resulted in in a strong sense of community and solidarity among the workers. This sense of community and solidarity was not limited to the daily activities of dock workers in the port but extended into their personal lives and created so-called ‘port families’. The port families constituted a network comprising colleagues, their families and close relatives. Within these port families, women played a crucial role in maintaining social cohesion and providing a stable homebase for their husbands and children.

The nature of dock work in the port of Rotterdam changed with the introduction of the shipping container. Although a considerable amount of research has been conducted on the technological changes and economic developments resulting from the introduction of containers, the impact of these changes on the socio-cultural network of port families and their experiences has been largely overlooked by historians. This research aims to gain insight into the impact of technological developments in the port on the socio-cultural network of port families, with a particular focus on the role of women within these networks. To what extent did the changing nature of dock work and the accompanying uncertainties affect the sense of solidarity among port families and the communities? What emotions underpinned and changed the sense of solidarity among dock workers and did this change? Did the transformations in the port affect the dynamics between men and women?