Shattering the Seafaring Stereotype: An Ethnographic Exploration of Gender Equality on Taiwan's Domestic Oil Tanker Fleet

Abstract

Despite the global hegemonic masculinity of the maritime sector, this ethnographic study investigates a 'critical anomaly' within a Taiwanese product oil tanker fleet where women occupy a majority of key navigational roles, including Master. Grounded in Feminist Standpoint Theory and the Hegelian dialectical method, the research utilises longitudinal field observations across two separate voyages (totaling 15 days) and is enriched by five in-depth interviews and one focus group with female deck officers ranging from Cadets to Masters. By centering the lived experiences of these women, the study examines the structural and behavioural factors enabling this unique gendered configuration. Findings reveal that this high female representation is the 'synthesis' of two primary constraints: uncompetitive low wages and restrictive domestic labour regulations. These factors inadvertently created a structural labour vacuum - a rupture in the masculine regime - that allowed women to enter and excel. This opportunity is sustained by the women's 'compensatory professional labor,' where exceptional competence and commitment act as a recursive validation process to neutralise gendered skepticism. The study concludes that successful penetration into masculine domains requires the alignment of sustained structural vacancies with demonstrated excellence, suggesting that industrial obstacles can be dialectically converted into strategic gateways for career advancement.