Everyday Piracy: Routine Practices and Work Cultures Within Gulf of Guinea Pirate Groups

Abstract

Maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea has taken a different form where piracy has become one of the most recalcitrant maritime security issues in the world. Although a lot of emphasis has been laid on the frequency of incidents and the counter-piracy measures, this research discusses the daily activities and working cultures of the pirate gangs in the region. Based on the current empirical data, this paper addresses the modes of operation on a daily basis, social organization, economic motivation, decision making, and cultural typology as well that supports the existence of piracy activities. The results indicate that local socioeconomic structures incorporate piracy and that local cultures of pirate work are both organizationally sophisticated and adaptive and peer governed. The study helps in understanding further how the pirate organizations can be described as quasi-organizational entities and where it has an implication on the policies of the maritime security and intervention policies.