About

ISA Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty Thematic Group GO4

10-11 April 2017, Singapore

A note of thanks to the venue sponsor, Singapore Institute of Technology.

University of Liverpool

The University of Liverpool is excited to host the International Sociological Association (ISA) Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty Thematic Group 2017 Mid-term conference.  ‘The central objective of the thematic group is to establish a sustainable discourse on risk and uncertainty in order to support theoretical developments as well as transnational empirical research.’  

Like risk, ‘security’ is a ubiquitous concept, which is used across a wide variety of societal spheres, including political, legal, economic, environmental, cultural and military domains. Indeed, ‘security’ has become a principle problem and concern of risk conscious societies at all levels, including the security of the State and people’s own feelings of ontological security.  It is also an interdisciplinary topic of empirical investigation and critical theoretical reflection and development.   

The broad theme of the 2017 conference will consider critical approaches to security that seek to explore the diverse, contingent and dynamic nature of security in the contemporary world.  The conference is intended to provide a platform to examine questions such as what and who is defined as a security threat?  What type of security is being pursued across different geographical contexts? For what, whom and at what price? Who gets to speak about security and what are the dominant ways security is spoken about?  How do dominant security narratives allow some things to be said and thought and not others, allowing some ways of acting to be promoted and exclude others? 

Our ambition for the conference is to create a space for scholars to discuss transnational experiences across continents and disciplines.  Situated in the heart of South East Asia, Singapore is a fitting location from which to undertake this intellectual work and where the related themes of transnationalism and comparative analysis can be explored. 

We encourage the submission of papers that speak to and fall within the following indicative paper streams:

• Theorizing risk, uncertainty and security
• Researching risk and security: methodologies and methods
• Transnationalism and comparative perspectives on risk and security
• At-risk and suspect populations: constructions and securitizations
• Terrorism, risk and security
• Voluntary Risk Taking, Uncertainty and Edgework
• Crime, risk and securitization
• Risk Governance as security
• Risk and food security
• Resilient communities and safer cities
• Biographical risks and social security
• Economic risks and security
• Environmental risks and security

*Additional information about key note speakers, registration and payment of conference fee, the conference dinner and more, will be regularly updated on this webpage.

Conference organising committee chair:

Anna Anderson anna.anderson@liverpool.ac.uk