The balance of power in the governance of the global maritime safety: the role of classification societies from a habitus perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT In a context of growing risks and casualties, our objective is to understand the balance of power in the governance of the global maritime chain. A Bourdieusian perspective on global governance puts the stakes and conflicts of interest between actors and the domination reproduction mechanisms at the centre of the analysis. We mobilise the four dimensions of Bourdieu’s habitus concept to understand the importance of the classification societies in the field of maritime supply chain governance: (1) shared tacit knowledge to safeguard their capital endowment and reputation for quality, (2) a social disposition to enhance the value of informational capital, (3) relational activities and lobbying, and (4) an historical position that relies on close collaboration with national administration and with actors throughout the industrial shipping chain. An exploratory field was led with major actors of the maritime safety world to describe how classification societies benefit from the different forms of habitus to sustain their leading role in the global maritime safety.