Political, Social, Institutional & Cultural Dimensions of Risk & Security
University of Bath: David Galbreath
University of Bristol: Tim Edmunds
Cardiff University: Christian Bueger
University of Exeter: Doug Stokes (PI), Sir Paul Newton
Background
The question of risk is an increasingly important area of both scholarly and policy concern in the security field. However, while the technical and analytical aspects of risk in these areas (risk assessment, horizon scanning, risk-based policy making etc.) are relatively mature and well developed, the social and political dynamics of risk in these areas are much less well understood.
This Initiator Fund application focuses on building a GW4 research community in the area of security and risk. Themes of risk permeate security discourse and practice in the UK and internationally, and across a wide variety of different security fields -from strategy and geopolitics, to climate change, development, food security and technology. The project seeks to build on an earlier –self-financed –GW4 sandpit event to scope out the analytical, political, social, institutional and cultural dimensions of risk as they relate to key contemporary security challenges. In so doing we are seeking to establish and consolidate a social science led research agenda that can catalyse expertise amongst the GW4 security group, mobilise contributions from other disciplines and engage directly with interests and priorities of key user groups and impact partners.
Project Summary
The community held a workshop bringing together scholars from across the GW4 security group, as well as key impact stakeholders (Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre, DSTL, and the Horizon Scanning unit from BIS) and interested colleagues from the other disciplines to develop a social science-led research programme in this area. Discussions were structured around the group’s four established research themes of: 1) Strategy and Geopolitics; 2) Development and Security (including food security); 3) Identity and Security; and 4) Technology, Expertise and Security. The Initiator grant allowed the network to broaden their academic base and strengthen links among the GW4 institutions, and consolidate existing relationships with key external stakeholders. The network developed ideas from the workshop into a grant proposal and publications, and GW4 collaborations continued.
