Von der Schuldkultur zur Sicherheitskultur. Eine begriffsgeschichtliche Analyse 1986 - 2010

Abstract

The term "security culture" ("Sicherheitskultur") was first used in the public sphere of the Federal Republic of Germany in an inquiry report on the Chernobyl reactor accident. Since then, the frequency of use of the term has been increasing in print media. Compared to the period 2000-2004 the occurrence of the term almost doubled in the period 2005-2009. This process entails the disassociation of the concept from its original context and the emergence of new meanings and references. Among these, this analysis identifies two main semantic functions: a comparative function and an operational function. The comparative function is used to compare collective actors with respect to their approach to security issues. The operational function focuses on relations: the human-machine, human-human and human-rules interrelation. The latter draws attention not so much on rational risk calculations or wrongful actions, but on cultural contexts and interpretations. This reflects the transformation from a "culture of blame" to one of "safety culture" and the transition from an "asymmetrical" to a "symmetrical anthropology".