Citation

Høyland SA. Safety (Basel) 2018; 4(3): e32.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/safety4030032

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Current research of the Norwegian samfunnssikkerhet [see SafetyLit note below for definition] concept appears to be lacking, with few scientific publications advancing the understanding of the concept. This weakness is addressed through the paper’s empirical exploration of challenges in the work on samfunnssikkerhet (Paper aim #1), where the resulting insight informs an epistemological understanding of the concept of samfunnssikkerhet (Paper aim #2). The paper identifies four challenges in the work on samfunnssikkerhet, which suggest that samfunnssikkerhet is about mobilizing against both known and unknown threats through broad and border-crossing cooperation and about flexible methods and design approaches. It is concluded that the paper’s empirical exploration of the samfunnssikkerhet concept contributes to a clarification and overall empirical revitalization of the concept. A recommendation to safety and security researchers is to further develop the empirical understanding of the samfunnssikkerhet concept, including through validation of the challenges identified in this paper and continuous mapping of additional and future challenges. This can give the samfunnssikkerhet concept, including its relation to concepts such as resilience, risk and societal security, a clearer meaning and consequently a stronger unifying role in efforts to prevent and manage today’s dynamic threats both within and outside Norway.

["Samfunnssikkerhet is about society's ability to plan for and cope with known and unknown risks and thereby safeguard, maintain and restore the society as a whole including critical functions, systems, life, health, ..." Risk, Reliability and Safety: Innovating Theory and Practice: Proceedings of ESREL 2016 (Glasgow, Scotland, 25-29 September 2016) eds. Lesley Walls, Matthew Revie, Tim Bedford. CRC Press, Nov 25, 2016 - Technology & Engineering - 486 pages]

Language: en

Keywords

computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS); empirical exploration; interviews; samfunnssikkerhet challenges; the samfunnssikkerhet concept