Security

Grabowski, Tomasz W.

Security

Abstract

DEFINITION OF THE TERM: security is the absence of threats; it guarantees the certainty of existence and the preservation of one’s values, and it enables the pursuit of one’s goals. this state is achieved through the creative activity of a security actor in his attempts to eliminate threats and to enhance the mechanisms that provide him with a sense of security. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE TERM: Modern security systems and systems of social control began to emerge in the 19th century as a result of industrialisation, urbanisation, increased mobility, and the emergence of mass society. DISCUSSION OF THE TERM: today, new academic concepts such as securitisation theory, ontological security, and critical security studies are influential within the theoretical dimension of security theories, while in the practical dimension the old freedom-security dilemma is more acute than ever before. Moreover, mastering the tools of social control, which are based on technological developments, is a great contemporary challenge. SYSTEMATIC REFLECTION WITH CONCLUSIONS AND RECOM MENDATIONS: the issue of security is currently at the heart of public and private life. In this context, the question that needs to be answered is whether the implication ‘the more secure the better’ holds true.