[GERMAN VERSION IN ATTACHED PDF]
In January 2022, amid pandemic, war threats and party scandals, a debate flared up in the British media: the personal safety of Prince Harry and his family, after he expressed fear for his wife and children should they attend the Queen’s 70th anniversary on the throne. Previously, the British state had withdrawn his personal protection following his muchdiscussed retirement from the royal family and subsequent move to the United States. The prince proposed to bring his US private guards with him and to finance them out of his own pocket, but they would not have any official powers on the spot to defend against paparazzi. Scotland Yard and the police immediately waved them off: No one has to pay for his or her own security in England. If there is a concrete threat, the state will of course use its powers to protect those at risk. However, the state deemed Harry and his family to not be at risk. Is one's own security a question of price? Are security and prosperity just as linked to each other as insecurity and poverty? The international event planned for February 2023 will systematically investigate this connection between ideas, practices, and experiences of (in)security and (in)equality. It will bring together two now widely established fields of research - historical security research and inequality research - into an intensive dialogue on both security issues, which are generally state-related, and society-oriented (in)equality discussions as a form of a possible securitisation. Overarchingly, the session with examine which social groups are legitimately allowed to protect themselves with which means from which dangers or threats - and with which arguments and justifications.
To support reflection and interpretation, diverse actors and social groups in the context of (in)security will be addressed, and case studies from the 19th and 20th century Germany, Europe and worldwide will also be used as comparison points.
We welcome contributions for the event. Please send an abstract, written in German or English, of 2,000 characters with a short curriculum vitae to marcus.boeick@rub.de and Eva.M.Gajek@journalistik.geschichte.uni-giessen.de by 22.2.2022.
We would be particularly pleased to receive project ideas and contributions from young researchers.