Open AccessWillingness to engage in and current status of social participation among Chinese merchant sailors
Author(s) -
Huarong Wang,
Yuheng He,
Licheng Shi,
Jiali Wang,
Lvqing Miao,
Dai Jiajun
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0242888
Subject(s) - china , mistake , chinese people , willingness to accept , population , political science , willingness to pay , sociology , law , demography , economics , microeconomics
China has the largest population of sailors in the world, but little is known of their social participation. This study examined Chinese merchant sailors’ social participation using a nationwide survey. Across 12 Chinese provinces, 7,296 merchant sailors completed the questionnaire on sailor' willingness to engage in and status of social participation. The results showed that most Chinese merchant sailors were willing to participate in social affairs, but few of them reported having joined relevant social organizations, over half of sailors reported never having participated in public affairs, and half of them chose to ignore when they faced with an obvious mistake in shipping-related information in the media. Most of sailors reported unknowing the role of the labor union related to Chinese seafarers and NGO related to navigation well, and their evaluation of these organizations were mostly negative. Chinese merchant sailors reported higher expectations of services in terms of protection of rights, providing information and technology, and providing employment opportunity. We conclude that Chinese merchant sailors have willingness to social participation although the reality is not positive and discuss implications for improving the social participation of Chinese merchant sailors.