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Part of
Risk Discourse and Responsibility
Edited by Annelie Ädel and Jan-Ola Östman
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 336] 2023
► pp. 232–243

Chapter 10
On security and safety

Governing terrorism and security through risk

ORCID logo | University of Stavanger

Although the concepts of safety and security are often treated as synonymous, they are increasingly used to distinguish between separate fields of handling risks: terrorism and other intentional crimes is associated to security, while safety implies protection from unintentional acts. This chapter investigates how safety and security, which used to be considered two different phenomena with different origins and meanings, have now become intertwined through the concept of risk, not only affecting counterterrorism responsibility but also legitimizing counterterrorism measures that would not have been accepted previously. Thorough the concept of risk, terrorism has become not just a threat but a manageable phenomenon that can be identified, predicted, and handled. By intertwining the discourses of safety and security, terrorism becomes linked to the responsibility of organizations and to the management of risk.

Keywords: security, safety, terrorism, risk, risk management, counterterrorism
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The origins of safety
  • 3.The origins of security
  • 4.The implications of 9/11 on security
  • 5.Security becomes an antonym of safety
  • 6.Safety and security as a dichotomy
  • 7.Conclusions
  • References
Published online: 24 July 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.336.10jor
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