Trust in the Time of (In – )Security

On the Relationship between the Phenomena of Security and Trust

The relationship between the phenomena of security and trust is complex: both topics merge (especially if security is understood in a broader sense as comprehensive personal and social security) and influence one another. In this way security practices aim at both the creation of trust as well as its maintenance and are at the same time based upon techniques of distrust and are able, in the sense of paradoxical unanticipated consequences, to structurally question trust.

The international conference “Trust in Time of (In-)Security” will focus on this multifaceted relationship. The connection between the two phenomena proves to be highly relevant in contemporary, advanced modern contexts that can be described as security societies: On the one hand, with respect to increasing discourses on uncertainty in the context of flexible (and risky) societal constellations and on the other hand in regard to the increasing (at least discursive) relevance of and orientation towards the concept of security.

Furthermore, both phenomena, trust as well as security, must be understood as multidimensional and highly dynamic and will be addressed as such within the conference. Thus, regarding the phenomenon of security, it is not only important which concrete empirical fields are included, but also which relevance current developments (e.g. inter-/transnationalization, privatization/commodification, etc.) have for the change of security and its production. With regard to the phenomenon of trust different approaches must be considered: classically with a focus on the reference objects of trust (e.g. in the sense of Luhmann as personal and system trust), but also, for example, concerning the particular mode of trust.

The analysis of the relationship between security and trust can occur on different levels: with view toward the individual dimension as well as with regard to societal and international questions.
In order to analyze the complex relationship between security and trust, the conference is among others open to (interdisciplinary) approaches especially from the fields of sociology, political science, international relations/security studies, surveillance studies and philosophy. The conference will include both theoretical/conceptual as well as empirical approaches to the relation of security and trust.

Possible Themes and Questions for the Contributions:
1. Theoretical/Conceptual Analyses of the Relationship between Security and Trust

•  How can the relationship of the phenomena theoretically be understood?
•  Which concepts of the phenomena are continuative in this context?
•  Which tie-ins to existing research can be identified?

2. Empirical Investigations

•  In what way do security and trust relate to one another in different empirical cases – as mutual enhancement as well as with regard to paradoxical effects (e.g. trust in the context of counter-terrorism, trust in surveilled societies, trust within the international system)?
•  In what way does trust in specific institutions change (e.g. police, intelligence services, etc.)?
•  In what way are specific forms or modes of trust influenced?
•  How does trust change regarding the ways of producing security (e.g. inter-/transnationalization, privatization/commodification of security)?

The conference is organized by Martin Endreß and Benjamin Rampp (University of Trier). Conference language is English . Deadline for submissions with an exposé of 4.000 characters (max.): January 17, 2014

Please send all submissions to: rampp@uni-trier.de

University Trier
FB IV – Sociology
Prof. Dr. Martin Endreß / Dr. Benjamin Rampp
Chair of General Sociology
Universitätsring 15
D-54286 Trier
Tel.: +49-651-201-3401 /-2698
Fax: +49-651-201-3933
E-Mail: rampp@uni-trier.de / kestentu@uni-trier.de