A Meta-Perspective on Societal Security & Safety: Ontological, Epistemological, & Axiological Assumptions in Societal Security & Safety Research

Abstract

This thesis explores the ontological, epistemological, and axiological assumptions held by societal security & safety researchers by utilizing the scoping study methodology to select and rapidly assess relevant literature for inquiry about these assumptions. The relevant literature is analyzed according to a framework consisting of several questions related to the metaphysical notions of the author(s), which in turn allows for typological classification of the research articles with regards to ontological, epistemological, and axiological assumptions. The typologies are drawn from a literature review explicating on the origins of the amalgamated discipline of social security (& safety) from two separate iterations (identity-based & functional societal security), which adhere to different metaphysical assumptions. This thesis reveals that the identity-based iteration is hardly referenced in the selected literature, while traces of the functionalist iteration are far more frequent. This thesis further reveal that researchers are both conform and congruent with regards to ontological and epistemological assumptions but diverge with regards to axiological assumptions.