Security: Possibilities for Norwegian Stakeholders – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)

The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) proposes that security research within the FP7 Theme 10 framework should shift from an instrumental focus on protecting institutions and infrastructure to a people-based approach. PRIO argues that security is fundamentally social and cultural, reflecting shared values and identities. The document outlines specific contributions that sociology, psychology, anthropology, and ethics can provide across various mission areas, including risk analysis, terror threat assessment, surveillance trade-offs, and crisis management. It warns that security measures can inadvertently increase fear and insecurity if they alienate populations, emphasizing that true security is based on trust rather than just physical protection.

• PRIO advocates for a "people-based or citizen-focussed approach to security research agenda" that integrates human and social perspectives into both large-scale social science projects and technical scientific research.
• The document criticizes current security thinking in the 21st century and the FP7 Theme 10 for instrumentalizing people, treating them as means to protect "institutions, buildings and infrastructure" rather than as the primary goal of security.
• Human and social sciences can provide critical entry points for FP7 Theme 10 mission areas, such as using sociology for risk analysis, media analysis for terror threats, and legal philosophy to evaluate the trade-offs between surveillance utility and ethical values.
• The document asserts that security measures intended to increase safety can often produce the opposite effect by creating more insecurity and fear, which aligns with the goals of terrorist networks to alienate populations for recruitment.

APA

Peace Research Institute Oslo (n.d.). Security: Possibilities for Norwegian Stakeholders – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). https://www.prio.org/publications/3563

Chicago

Peace Research Institute Oslo. Security: Possibilities for Norwegian Stakeholders – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). n.d. https://www.prio.org/publications/3563.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Peace Research Institute Oslo |title=Security: Possibilities for Norwegian Stakeholders – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) |url=https://www.prio.org/publications/3563 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{peaceresearchinstituteoslondsecurity, author = {{Peace Research Institute Oslo}}, title = {{Security: Possibilities for Norwegian Stakeholders – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)}}, publisher = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://www.prio.org/publications/3563}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }