Examining oilmen's notions of ‘fatherhood masculinity’ as a pathway to understand increased offshore oilfield safety behaviours.

Adams, Nicholas Norman

Abstract

This study explores how notions of fatherhood masculine identity held by offshore oilfield workers positively influenced safety and risk predispositions in the workplace. Findings are based on a ‘rapid’, two week, embedded ethnography of a remote offshore drilling platform in the UK North Sea. Ethnography was reflective of the traditional two-week ‘hitch’ permitted for most UK offshore oilfield workers. Drawing directly from the workplace narratives of thirty-five oilmen labouring in a variety of different roles in the North Sea drilling sector, this study presents how oilmen working in the traditionally hazardous and ‘high risk’ industry redeveloped previously risky masculine notions of workplace identity. For many men, this process of reimagining was intertwined with fatherhood. Oilmen formulated 'softer, safer' masculine identity practices founded upon notions of distanced breadwinning, self-preservation, and returning home safe to their onshore families. Such notions readily replaced - and rendered 'outdated' - oilmen's previous and historic identity narratives largely linked to risky and hypermasculine workplace norms. Identity reformations resulted in a safer workplace culture that normalised and respected men who upheld safety, and marginalised men who performed risky or dangerous workplace behaviours. Implications upon worksite safety and for future research are discussed.

Citation

ADAMS, N.N. 2022. Examining oilmen’s notions of ‘fatherhood masculinity’ as a pathway to understand increased offshore oilfield safety behaviours. Safety science [online], 145, article 105501. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105501

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 13, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Oct 14, 2021
• Publication Date: Jan 31, 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 15, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 15, 2023
• Journal: Safety science
• Print ISSN: 0925-7535
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-1042
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 145
• Article Number: 105501
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105501
• Keywords: Industrial and organisational psychology; Industrial sociology; Institutional identity; Masculinities; Risk-taking
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1481383