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Cultural Dimensions of Human Security

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Climate Change, Disaster Risks, and Human Security

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Abstract

This chapter explores the cultural dimensions of human security by problematizing the nature of knowledge on climate, climate change, and human security, including its inherent relation with power and varying perceptions across cultures in Asia. The analysis is based on an extensive review of studies that attempt to capture the underlying cultural factors of vulnerability and adaptation. Grounded on an anthropological perspective, the chapter covers the profoundness of culture and its importance in climate change and disaster research from its most popular element of indigenous knowledge and practices to material structures and technology across time and space, different ways of thinking, and ethical considerations. Anthropological approaches that academics and practitioners could use to address human security are also discussed. These simply refer to the set of viewpoints that can be used to frame the analysis of cultural dimensions of human security as informed by theories and practice in anthropology. We argue that adding the concept of human security to climate change and disaster research brings the discourse into a realm foregrounding the human experience to motivate a more powerful political action.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Race is used as it is used in the original citation to portray the colonial context.

  2. 2.

    The ‘North’ refers to countries that are members of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) or are classified as high-income economies by the World Bank. These are largely, but not exclusively, countries in Europe, North America, East Asia, and Australasia. The term ‘South’ is used to refer to countries classified as upper-middle income, lower-middle income, or low-income economies, which are mostly, located in the rest of Asia, Africa, and Latin America (World Bank Country and Lending Groups, Accessed 28 May 2016. URL: http://go.nature.com/2gpbHhv).

  3. 3.

    The gender dimension of human security in the context of climate change is also one of the more popular topics, but this chapter will not cite examples of it. The development of gender theories has its own history that gave it its own prominence in international policy and research. It also created its own critiques among practitioners.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom

    Clarissa D. Ruzol

  2. Department of Social Forestry and Forest Governance, College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR), University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

    Juan M. Pulhin

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Correspondence to Clarissa D. Ruzol .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Forestry and Forest Governance, College of Forestry & Natural Resources (CFNR), University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

    Juan M. Pulhin

  2. Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan

    Makoto Inoue

  3. Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan

    Rajib Shaw

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Ruzol, C.D., Pulhin, J.M. (2021). Cultural Dimensions of Human Security. In: Pulhin, J.M., Inoue, M., Shaw, R. (eds) Climate Change, Disaster Risks, and Human Security. Disaster Risk Reduction. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8852-5_8

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