Safety and Security: Rethinking the Concept

Safety and security are often associated with crime, disorder, and fear, feeding into a negative narrative of combating criminals, controlling populations, and excluding others. This perception has overshadowed the positive aspects of safety and security. But what if we start from a positive critique of security? What alternatives can we imagine to the current processes of securitization and criminalization?

This multidisciplinary volume challenges traditional notions of security by highlighting the importance of care, trust, and belonging. Renowned scholars from various fields such as criminology, political science, sociology, philosophy, and security studies come together to explore the concept of security beyond criminal law. By doing so, they present groundbreaking theoretical and empirical analyses that emphasize human connectedness, community building, and feelings of solidarity as a means to resist negative and hegemonic interpretations of security.

In this thought-provoking volume, the authors demonstrate the need to move away from the prevailing focus on 'law and order,' 'the punitive turn,' and 'the exceptional state.' Instead, they propose the innovative concept of Positive Criminology, which advocates for safe communities based on interdependence, cooperation, and community principles.

Refreshing Perspectives

By engaging with diverse disciplines that are not typically associated with security, this book offers fresh insights and reevaluates theories. It is a vital resource for both practitioners and academics seeking new approaches to age-old problems.

The editors have successfully brought together a diverse range of writers to address the urgent need for a different perspective on security. They effectively blend philosophical inquiry and sociological analysis, encouraging a rethinking of the criminological enterprise.

Resistance against Exclusion

Reasserting the intrinsic relationship between order and justice, this volume challenges the compromised nature of social sciences, especially Criminology, which often vaguely relate or separate ideas about order and justice. By rejecting the development of exclusive societies and promoting a robust notion of security, this book lays the foundation for innovative thinking regarding safety and security.

In a world overshadowed by negative narratives, this volume presents a refreshing and imaginative outlook. It is a must-read for researchers, scholars, and practitioners aiming to transcend the conventional understanding of safety and security.