A cruise ship is the perfect example of social
stratification.
According to sociologists, social stratification is defined
as a system by which society ranks
categories of people in a hierarchy. And depending upon the source of the
inequality and the degree to which it exists, social stratification may vary
from society to society (Society : the basics / Macionis, Jansson, and Benoit - 4th Cdn. ed.).
But when it comes to life on-board a cruise ship, the
inequality that exists spans both prestige as well as power and wealth.
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| Photo credit: wordtravelsblog.blogspot.com |
And just so we’re clear, I am referring to the crew – not the
passengers.
Anyone who has ever been on a cruise ship will be able to
differentiate between a fellow passenger and a crew member by the unmistakable
presence of a uniform. But in addition to serving a practical role, these
uniforms also segregate the crew according to the positions they hold on the
ship.
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| Photo credit: Maritime-Connector.com |
At the top of the hierarchy are the officers. These men and
women can be seen wearing white uniforms with epaulettes (stripes) that denote
not only their rank, but their power and prestige amongst the crew.
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| Photo credit: cruiseshipjob.com |
The officers generally hold managerial positions within the
administrative and operational departments, or front line positions such as
Pursers and Cruise Staff.
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| Photo credit: princess.com |
Since many of these positions require formal training and
previous experience (especially for those who work on the bridge), the
expectation is that we give these crew members more respect and thus, consider
their work more important than that of a waiter or a cabin steward.
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| Photo credit: rexthesurfdog.com |
This ideology is reinforced through the issuance of special
officer-only privileges such as access to passenger amenities, separate dining
areas stocked with a greater variety of food and beverages (healthier?)
and larger cabins.
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| Photo credit: YouTube User - papanikolau182 |
At the bottom of the hierarchy are the crew members who
perform duties that can generally be done by anyone: working in the galley,
cleaning, serving passengers, etc. These positions are generally filled by
visible-minorities from low to middle-income countries and these crew members
typically work the longest hours with little to no privileges.
Video credit: YouTube User - papanikolau182
Despite the alienation that some of these crew members
experience, their income provides them (and their families) with more
purchasing power than the officers and staff; therefore, some of them do
experience upward social mobility both intragenerationally (within a person’s
lifetime) and intergenerationally (in relation to their parents).
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| Photo credit: YouTube User - papanikolau182 |
But like a house of cards, this upward social mobility is
both fragile and precarious. Minor fluctuations in forex coupled with the risk
of work-related injuries and lack of educational opportunities means that these
crew members are forever at risk of losing their purchasing power, jobs and
even to some extent, their lives.
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| Photo credit: YouTube User - papanikolau182 |
Despite all this, proponents of Karl Marx would be pleased
to know that there is one place on the cruise ship where all crew are
considered equals and that is:
WARNING: Adjust your volume BEFORE viewing!
Video credit: YouTube User - ladystorme
The crew bar.
