Aspects of a more just distribution of safety and security in cities

1. Kristina Seidelsohn, Dipl. Soz.
Disaster Research Unit
Aspects of a more just distribution of
safety and security in cities:
Residential segregation, milieu-specific
„Perception Patterns“ and Adaptive
Planning Kristina Seidelsohn, Dipl.-Soz.,
Daniela Krüger, M.A.
& Prof. Dr. Martin Voss

2. 2Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
VERSS-
Vulnerability and Safety in a Just City
Objective Hazards and Criteria
Perceived security
(subjective) Vulnerability
Residential
environment
(Segregation)
Milieu + Resources- well
equipped
Goal: civil participatory process

3. 3Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
Research questions
- How do feelings of (un)safety and vulnerability influence the
perception of objectified risks and processes of segregation?
- How can we enhance the „participative capacitiy“ (Voss
2008) of the most vulnerable?

4. 4Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
Milieu-oriented Approach:
Theoretical Outline
Emile Durkheim:
- milieu as „interrelationship“ and „moral relation“ (see Vester 2010)
- social cohesion through division of labour
- familiar, occupational and territorial milieus
Pierre Bourdieu (1987):
- integration of these types of milieus into an overaching concept
- Social practice is explained through Habitus, social instruments of
power (capital/resources) and fields of contestations.
- Homologies between occupational-related milieus.

5. 5
Production of Safety as ‚Social Field‘ (Bourdieu)
-
Volume of Capital
Cultural Capital Economic Capital
+
Volume of Capital
Experts of Security-planning
(Horizontal)
Structure of Capital
Inhabitants in neglected
neighbourhoods
(Vertical)
Volume of Capital
(Diagonal)
Social Career
Social Space: Naturalisation-effect of social hierarchies and discoursive capacities
Space of
Lifestyles

6. 6
Methods
Stuttgart Wuppertal
Inhabitans (2013) 592.898 351.175
Migratory background (2013) 250.273 117.888
Unemployment (2013) 16 876 16.537
Unemployment benefits (2013) 39 084 45.158
Expenses on public safety and
security (2014)
99.159.257 76.478.769
- Qualitative and quantitative methods
- Socioeconomic ‚poor‘ vs. ‚affluent‘
districts
- Objectively ‚vulnerable‘ groups vs.
‚affluent‘ groups

7. 7
Vulnerability in Wuppertal (Germany)
Source: Wuppertal.de; Action plan for residence
(Handlungskonzept Wohnen) 2009

8. 8
Production of Safety as ‚Social Field‘ (Bourdieu)
-
Volume of Capital
Cultural Capital Economic Capital
+
Volume of Capital
Experts of Security-planning
(Horizontal)
Structure of Capital
Inhabitants in neglected
neighbourhoods
(Vertical)
Volume of Capital
(Diagonal)
Social Career
Social Space: Naturalisation-effect of social hierarchies and discoursive capacities
Space of
Lifestyles
Achievment
oriented employee
milieu
Traditional
working- Milieu

9. 9Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
Empirical Vignette I
Objective occupational
status
Employee in small businesses in service
sectors
Sense of self „simple‘ yet „orderly“ tradeperson
Significant factor in
perceiced vulnerability
„black business“ on the „other side of the
street“
Strategies regarding
vulnerability
Social seperation from those who fall
underneath the social „threshold of
respectability“ (Vester 2010, p.112)
Level of cohesion „very high“, ethno-culturally determined
relationships and strong networks
Socio-spatial
segregation
Physical proximity at the same time as contact
segregation
‚Traditional Working Milieu‘ with Migration background

10. 10Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
Implications for Adaptive Planning
-Next to no sensibility for other topics in security matters
beyond criminality
-Hightened sense of security vs. Intergenerational transfer of
„risky everyday behaviour“
-Great amount of trust in the public emergency agencies
-High densities and frequencies within their community =
efficient aid in case of emergency

11. 11Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
Empirical Vignette II
Objective occupational
status
higher level jobs that require formal training
Sense of self German middle class oriented + religious resp.
Islamic identification
Significant factor in
perceiced vulnerability
Salafists and right-wing German extremists
Strategies regarding
vulnerability
Move out of poor districts, avoidance of
specific places
Level of cohesion Mediation between „life worlds“, mosque
community as a „familiy“
Socio-spatial
segregation
Residential segregation but no contact
segregation; segration through religion-related
criteria
„Achievment oriented employee milieu‘ – Migration background
(Turkish and Arabic)

12. 12Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
Implications for adaptive planning
- Ideological and religiously founded conflicts into the centre
of everyday subjective perceptions of one‘s vulnerability
-Mosque community as a second „family“ can be a point of
reference during emergency situations beyond ethno-
culturally defined boarders
-Hightened sense of security and great amount of trust in
and contact with the public emergency agencies
-Cultural knowledge from the milieu of their origin along with
the existing social connections of that milieu: enables
mediation between ‚life worlds‘

13. 13Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
How to enhance participative capacity of the
(Non)Vulnerable?
-‚Spacial close-by‘ unlike ‚social close-by‘
-Residential segregation unlike contact-segregation
-In certain safety-related discourses it seems rational to adress
certain (occupational determined) milieus seperately: even
when the age structure, gender makeup, and ethno-cultural
background differ
- Attention should be payed on hierarchies and conflicts
between different social milieus: undermine social cohesion and
helping structures during catastrophies
-On the other hand, interfaces of objectivly different social
milieus may mediate between ‚lifeworlds‘ and show bridges for
the engement of the vulnerable in safety-related discourses.

14. 14
Evidence from quantitative Research:
Factor Analysis ‚Subjective Vulnerability‘
1. Factor
‚Natural‘ Risks
Pandemia
Heat
Flooding
Terror
Criminality
2. Factor
Social Risks
Economic Standard
Health Care System
Housing costs
Unemployment
Poverty among elderly
(3. Factor: Loneliness)

15. 15
Individual reflexive Values
Religious
Orientation
Hedonistic
Orientation
Norm-oriented
Work Ethic
Ecolog.-Alternat.
Orientation
Social-
integrative
Orientation

16. 16
Values and Risk Perception
‚Natural‘ Risks
Religious
Orientation **
Hedonistic
Orientation *
Ecologic-Alternative
Orientation **
Norm-oriented Work
Ethic
Social Risks
Social-integrative
Orientation

17. 17
Values and Risk Perception
Assumptions:
• Feelings of insecurity with regard to ‚Natural Risks‘ are
influenced by socio-economic factors as well as milieu-
specific norms and values.
• Feelings of insecurity with regard to ‚Social Risks‘ are
predominantly influenced by socio-economic factors and
therefore by objective vulnerabilities.

18. 18
Conclusion: Implications for Adaptive Planning
Knowledge and engagement of milieu-specific perceptions and
needs provide …
- target group aligned campaigns and ways of communication
- target group‘s acceptance of security measures
- engagement of the vulnerable inhabitants in planning
processes for just and secure cities, especially concerning
‚nature risks‘
Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27

19. 19Subjective vulnerability, ESA 2015; 15/08/27
www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/dru/
martin.voss@fu-berlin.de daniela.krueger@fu-berlin.de kristina.seidelsohn@fu-berlin.de
Thank you very much for attention!