Understanding Safety Myths The term ‘mythology’ is not understood well and is associated with the idea of legend/fairy tale but that’s not its meaning. It is certainly not how myth is defined in social psychology. Mythology is really a set of beliefs supported by semiotics (symbol systems) and … [Read more...] about Understanding Safety Myths
STEM
Positives and Negatives in Dialectic in Safety
Positives and Negatives in Dialectic in Safety I find it interesting how positives (in language and discourse) have now been attributed with a moral imperative in safety. Of course, negatives and positives ought to be held in balance/tension, one is not morally better than the other. If the outcome … [Read more...] about Positives and Negatives in Dialectic in Safety
Does Safety Have A Soul?
Does Safety Have A Soul? In Chapter 1 of my latest book Envisioning Risk, Seeing, Vision and Meaning in Risk , I discuss the linguistics of ‘soul’ in art, music and movies. In the top 500 songs of all time we find endless reference to spirit, transcendence, Afterlife, soul and the … [Read more...] about Does Safety Have A Soul?
Book Review: Critical Mass, How One thing Leads to Another
Book Review: Critical Mass, How One thing Leads to Another I don’t often read the work of chemists or physicists but Philip Ball is an exception. Ball applies what he knows from his Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM-only) worldview to the world of Social Psychology. It is an … [Read more...] about Book Review: Critical Mass, How One thing Leads to Another
The Quantitative and Qualitative Divide in Safety
The Quantitative and Qualitative Divide in Safety Risk and safety by their evolution through Engineering and Science have now become disciplines of quantity. Unfortunately, critical human skills like: communications, listening, dialogue, understanding persons, social psychology, community, ethics, … [Read more...] about The Quantitative and Qualitative Divide in Safety
Balance in Risk and Safety
Balance in Risk and Safety Safety in its short history has become a lopsided discipline dominated by STEM-only thinking exemplified in Behaviourism, Positivism and Engineering discourse. This has led to an objects focus evident in curriculum and Body of Knowledge that ignores many human aspects and … [Read more...] about Balance in Risk and Safety
SHEeple STEMspeak
Q. Have you ever wanted to impress at a virtual safety conference or zoom webinar event? A. Subscribe to SHEeple STEMspeak* Just select any three-digit number and the corresponding buzzwords from the grid below:Examples: 473 – synchronized reciprocal timeframe 688 – responsive organizational … [Read more...] about SHEeple STEMspeak
When Art Speaks to Harm
One of the fascinating ways we talk of concepts is to personify them. We talk about ‘the market’, ‘the economy’, ‘politics, ‘Canberra’, ‘society’, ‘Washington’ as if they are a person. We attribute personal value to these places and their behaviours as Archetypes. Most of the time we talk this way … [Read more...] about When Art Speaks to Harm
The Power of Symbols in Safety
We saw the story recently of the Nazi flag being flown in Beulah Victoria. Interestingly, the etymology of the word ‘Beulah’ designates a mystical place tied to Jewish identity. The controversy over the flying of the flag demonstrates the power of symbols to stir the emotions and draw to the … [Read more...] about The Power of Symbols in Safety
The Poetics of Risk
The idea of poetics stems back to Aristotle and denotes (https://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-poe/) experiences and non-technique (Ellul) focused modes of knowing and thinking (namely STEM). Poetry is one form of poetics but any form of non-technical expression and experience defines what it is to be … [Read more...] about The Poetics of Risk
