scholarly journals Embedding Preparedness, Assigning Responsibility: The Role of Film in Sociotechnical Imaginaries of Civil Defence

2021 ◽  
pp. 103-128
Author(s):  
Peter Bennesved ◽  
Casper Sylvest
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Theoretical Discussion ◽  
Psychosocial Effects ◽  
Film And Television ◽  
Political Position ◽  
Nuclear Age ◽  
Sociotechnical Imaginaries ◽  
Civil Defence ◽  
The Cold War

AbstractThis chapter examines the role of film and television in embedding sociotechnical imaginaries of civil defence during the early nuclear age (c. 1949–1965) by zooming in on Sweden and Denmark, two neighbouring countries that differed both in terms of their political position in the Cold War and in the scale of their civil defence efforts. Following a theoretical discussion of the psychosocial effects of films and their manner of circulation, we analyse Swedish and Danish films in two periods demarcated by the thermonuclear disruption of civil defence during the mid-1950s. The analysis highlights how films were used to frame technologies and script and perform social norms. We argue that films constitute an important source for understanding the difficulties of embedding sociotechnical imaginaries of civil defence.

scholarly journals Conclusion: Civil Defence Futures (Re)imagined

2021 ◽  
pp. 233-245
Author(s):  
Marie Cronqvist ◽  
Rosanna Farbøl ◽  
Casper Sylvest
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Historical Scholarship ◽  
Sociotechnical Imaginaries ◽  
The Face ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Civil Defence ◽  
The Cold War

AbstractReflecting on the individual studies of civil defence during the Cold War provided in this volume, this brief, concluding chapter performs three tasks. First, against the backdrop of the empirical analyses and the collective exploration of the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, we reflect on the potential and limitations of this concept in historical scholarship. Second, we sum up the findings of the book by drawing attention to some of the most striking similarities and differences that emerge from the empirical chapters. Finally, we briefly make a case for the value and relevance of civil defence history for current imaginaries of security for civil society in Europe in the face of a highly diverse range of potential threats.

scholarly journals ‘The World is Her Home’: The Role of Women Volunteers in Dutch Civil Defence in the 1950s and 1960s

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-156
Author(s):  
Dick van Lente
Keyword(s):  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Nuclear War ◽  
Nuclear Age ◽  
The World ◽  
Women Volunteers ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Civil Defence

AbstractThis chapter describes, and attempts to explain, the contrast between a successful campaign by women volunteers to prepare women for protecting their families in the event of nuclear war and the stumbling efforts of the official Dutch civil defence organisation. The explanation is sought in the perception (or sociotechnical imaginary) of these women of their role in the nuclear age, and the grassroots quality of their work, as opposed to the top-down views and practices of the civil defence organisation, in a society which had a low opinion of the government’s efficacy in the extreme emergency of a nuclear war. The chapter illustrates the influence of widespread and deeply engrained perceptions, such as trust in the government and gender stereotypes, on attitudes towards a new threat.

International Security: Nuclear Proliferation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilfred Wan ◽  
Etel Solingen
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Weapons ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Nuclear Proliferation ◽  
Relative Power ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
The Road ◽  
Nuclear Age ◽  
Rigorous Testing ◽  
The Cold War

Since the advent of the nuclear age, scholars have sought to provide rationales behind decisions to pursue, forgo, or relinquish nuclear weapons programs. Security, status, cost, technical capabilities, and domestic considerations have played central roles in explaining those choices. Classical neorealism was once the conventional wisdom, advancing that relative power and the logic of self-help in an anarchic world drove states to nuclear weapons. Yet, the analysis of nuclear proliferation has evolved in accordance with broader debates in international relations theory in recent decades, including the incorporation of neoliberal institutionalist, constructivist, and domestic political perspectives. The end of the Cold War and the upheaval of international order in particular marked a watershed for the literature, with scholars challenging the dominant paradigm by examining the effects of institutions, norms, and identities. Those approaches, however, under-theorized—if not omitted altogether—the role of domestic political drivers in choices to acquire or abstain from acquiring from nuclear weapons. Such drivers provide filters that can be invaluable in explaining whether, when, and how state actors are susceptible to considerations of relative power, international institutions, and norms. More recently, scholars have deployed more sophisticated theoretical frameworks and diverse methodologies. The road ahead requires greater analytical flexibility, harnessing the utility of classical perspectives while adding enough nuance to increase explanatory power, greater attentiveness to the complex interaction among variables, and improved specification and operationalization amenable to rigorous testing, all with an eye toward enhancing both historical accuracy and predictive capabilities.

scholarly journals Social values and institutional change: an experimental study

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-280
Author(s):  
KLARITA GËRXHANI ◽  
JACQUELINE VAN BREEMEN
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Social Values ◽  
Theoretical Discussion ◽  
Formal Institutions ◽  
Collective Goal ◽  
Formal Rules

AbstractWe experimentally investigate whether and how individuals change formal institutions governing an organization. The focus is on formal rules prescribing individual cooperation to achieve a collective goal. Our analysis accounts for the role of social norms and individuals’ social values. We observe that prosocial individuals –who value cooperation and have a conflict between this value and existing rules allowing for low cooperation– attempt to change this rule. In line with our theoretical discussion, we also find that prosocial individuals first try to change the institutional environment by changing social norms. If this fails, these individuals change formal rules directly.

scholarly journals Technovisions for Food Security as Sweden Restores Its Civil Defence

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-123
Author(s):  
Camilla Eriksson ◽  
Klara Fischer ◽  
Ebba Ulfbecker
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Moral Values ◽  
Renewable Fuels ◽  
Sociotechnical Imaginaries ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Policy Shift ◽  
Defence Sector ◽  
Civil Defence ◽  
The Cold War

After three decades of demobilising the Swedish defence sector following the end of the Cold War, Sweden recently revived civil defence planning, including new instructions to plan for food security in the event of war. This policy shift has raised questions as to how farming’s vulnerability to disruptions differs today from in the Cold War era, as well as how this vulnerability might best be mitigated. This article presents and discusses key vulnerabilities in Swedish farming as perceived by farmers and some technological solutions to these envisioned by rural entrepreneurs. The focus is on technologies that could increase farm-level self-sufficiency and decrease vulnerability to trade disruptions. Using a sociotechnical imaginaries framework, to which we contribute the concept of ‘technovisions’, we highlight how farmers’ perceptions of potential technological solutions are embedded in social, material and moral values. We conclude that the technovisions presented, based on the production of renewable fuels, can contribute to reducing dependency on imported fuel and fertilisers and thus decrease vulnerability, and that these technovisions are placed firmly within a productionist imaginary of how food security can be achieved.

After Victory

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. John Ikenberry
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Politics ◽  
World Order ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
World Politics ◽  
Napoleonic Wars ◽  
Power Politics ◽  
The Cold War

The end of the Cold War was a “big bang” reminiscent of earlier moments after major wars, such as the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the end of the world wars in 1919 and 1945. But what do states that win wars do with their newfound power, and how do they use it to build order? This book examines postwar settlements in modern history, arguing that powerful countries do seek to build stable and cooperative relations, but the type of order that emerges hinges on their ability to make commitments and restrain power. The book explains that only with the spread of democracy in the twentieth century and the innovative use of international institutions—both linked to the emergence of the United States as a world power—has order been created that goes beyond balance of power politics to exhibit “constitutional” characteristics. Blending comparative politics with international relations, and history with theory, the book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the organization of world order, the role of institutions in world politics, and the lessons of past postwar settlements for today.

Supernatural norm enforcement: Thinking about Karma and God reduces selfishness among believers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindel White ◽  
John Michael Kelly ◽  
Azim Shariff ◽  
Ara Norenzayan
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Framing Effects ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Total N ◽  
Norm Enforcement ◽  
Dictator Games ◽  
Within Subjects

Four experiments (total N = 3591) examined how thinking about Karma and God increases adherence to social norms that prescribe fairness in anonymous dictator games. We found that (1) thinking about Karma decreased selfishness among karmic believers across religious affiliations, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and non-religious Americans; (2) thinking about God also decreased selfishness among believers in God (but not among non-believers), replicating previous findings; and (3) thinking about both karma and God shifted participants’ initially selfish offers towards fairness (the normatively prosocial response), but had no effect on already fair offers. These supernatural framing effects were obtained and replicated in high-powered, pre-registered experiments and remained robust to several methodological checks, including hypothesis guessing, game familiarity, demographic variables, between- and within-subjects designs, and variation in data exclusion criteria. These results support the role of culturally-elaborated beliefs about supernatural justice as a motivator of believer’s adherence to prosocial norms.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document