The Social Psychology of Risk (SPoR) is first and foremost a worldview, a philosophy, disposition, methodology, paradigm and orientation. It is a way of seeing (envisioning) the world through the lens of being, Socialitie and risk. When one has a methodology, it is relatively straight forward to … [Read more...] about SPoR and Myth
Robert Long
Slogan Power
Many people underestimate the power of slogans because they function like metaphors and in many ways are hidden in language. It is impossible for humans to communicate without using either. The rhythmic power of slogans and the mis-directive power of metaphors are a central vehicle for … [Read more...] about Slogan Power
The Complacency Myth
Continuing our series on Safety Myths – see them all here Like all unethical myths, the myth of complacency is perhaps one of the worst. The language of complacency is rife in the safety industry and is premised on the nonsense idea that people desire self-harm. This myth is based on the nonsense … [Read more...] about The Complacency Myth
Effectiveness in Managing Risk and Cultural Change
Effectiveness in Managing Risk and Cultural Change A blast from the past (August 2013) article - The need to change safety culture In recent times it has occurred to coroner's at inquests, auditors and government (eg. Cole Commission) that poor safety culture has a central role in normalising … [Read more...] about Effectiveness in Managing Risk and Cultural Change
The Mythical ‘Safety Moment’
Continuing our series on Safety Myths – see them all here If there was ever a dumb invention to desensitize Safety to safety it was the ‘safety moment’. Whoever thought this was a good idea knew very little about human neuropsychology. This strange mythology supposes that starting every meeting … [Read more...] about The Mythical ‘Safety Moment’
Why Safety is Inescapably Theological
The moment Safety drifts into questions of life, death, suffering, pain, harm and ‘saving lives’ it has no way to go except a trajectory into theology. We observe this in Dekker’s book ‘The End of Heaven, Disaster and Suffering in a Scientific Age’ with dozens of biblical references and … [Read more...] about Why Safety is Inescapably Theological
Myths, Ethics and Enactment in Risk
Baudrillard (1929-2007) articulates well the myths of our consumer society in The Consumer Society, Myths and Structures (1998, Sage, London). In this deconstruction Baudrillard builds on the work The System of Objects and demonstrates how humans make objects ‘sacred’ through symbolism, consumption, … [Read more...] about Myths, Ethics and Enactment in Risk
The Risk Matrix Myth
There are many other ways of knowing that could be offered in Safety other than those of science, engineering and behaviourism. One’s worldview is one’s bias, especially when it comes to the construction of models as myths in safety. There is no such thing as non-bias or non-prejudice when it comes … [Read more...] about The Risk Matrix Myth
Homeostatic Regulation and the Feeling of Risk
As with all of my work in books, videos and blogs I provide support, practical alternatives, positive options, further learning, methods and a wealth of training material and tools (for free) to implement a SPoR approach to risk. The content of this blog is no different, except in this case I have … [Read more...] about Homeostatic Regulation and the Feeling of Risk
Compliance in the Name of Good
Compliance in the Name of Good It’s hard to imagine a time of when science, theology and political power were one and the same. This was the world of Europe in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The enlightenment is most identified with rejection of clericalism, religious authority, schism, … [Read more...] about Compliance in the Name of Good