“Nowhere near Somalia, Mom”

Just as containerized goods appear to flow seamlessly across the planet’s oceans, internationalized and standardized certificates present seafaring labor uniform seamless. But underneath these are intimate unequal entanglements of local masculinity norms, age, kinship ties that sustain maritime supply chain. In this article, we follow how three young, male seafarers from eastern India find ways contain piracy risks at work poverty home, their sense obligation men, sons, husbands, fathers. By delving into conditions for industrial workers Global South, article demonstrates commodities not but dependent upon economic inequality be productive.