Cold War Civil Defence in Western Europe : Sociotechnical Imaginaries of Survival and Preparedness

"With its geographical focus on Western Europe and its application of the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries from science and technology studies, Cold War Civil Defence in Western Europe breaks new ground." - Christoph Laucht, Swansea University, UK "Too often, Cold War civil defence history has been limited to the two superpowers in the 1950s and early 1960s. This compelling collection demonstrates a great diversity of civil defence plans, periodizations, material interventions, and public responses across a number of NATO and neutral countries." - David Monteyne, University of Calgary, Canada This open access edited collection brings together established and new perspectives on Cold War civil defence in Western Europe within a common analytical framework that also facilitates comparative and transnational dimensions. The current interest in creating disaster-resilient societies demands new histories of civil defence. Historical contextualization is essential in order to understand what is at stake in preparing, devising, and implementing forms of preparedness, protection, and security that are specifically targeted at societies and citizens. Applying the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries to civil defence history, the chapters of this volume cover a range of new themes, from technology and materiality to media, memory, and everyday experience. The book underlines the social embeddedness of civil defence by detailing how it both prompted new forms of social interaction and reflected norms and visions of the 'good society' in an age where nuclear technology seemed to hold the key to both doom and salvation Preface Contents Notes on Contributors Abbreviations List of Figures 1 Introduction: New Paths in Civil Defence History Historiography, Trends and Aims Sociotechnical Imaginaries: Introducing and Exploring a Concept Applying and Adjusting the Concept Outline of the Book References 2 Order on Their Home Fronts: Imagining War and Social Control in 1950s NATO Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Concepts of War Imagining War and Civil Defence in 1950s NATO Bringing in Science Control Conclusion References 3 The Imagined Disastrous: West German Civil Defence Between War Preparation and Emergency Management 1950–1990 Disaster as Rhetoric, War as Reality: Early West German Civil Defence 1950–1968 From the Sensationalist to the Pragmatic: Later West German Civil Defence The Emergence of All-Hazards Disaster Medicine in West Germany 1956–1989 Conclusion References 4 Normalising Nuclear War: Narrative Scenarios, Imaginative Geographies and Sites of Leisure in 1950s Britain Civil Defence in the UK Historiography: Civil Defence and Sociotechnical Imaginaries ‘Narrative Scenarios’ of Nuclear Attack: Normalising Imaginary War Civic Engagement and Sites of Leisure Imaginative Geographies Conclusion References 5 Embedding Preparedness, Assigning Responsibility: The Role of Film in Sociotechnical Imaginaries of Civil Defence Sociotechnical imaginaries and visual history: Civil defence films as practices of embedding Early films (c. 1949–1954) Later films (c. 1954–1965) Conclusion References 6 ‘The World is Her Home’: The Role of Women Volunteers in Dutch Civil Defence in the 1950s and 1960s Rise and Decline of the Bescherming Bevolking Dutch Women in the Cold War: Social Position, Ideals and Voluntary Work Women volunteers and the BB Conclusions References 7 Ruins of Resilience: Imaginaries and Materiality Imagineered and Embedded in Civil Defence Architecture Ruins and Catastrophe Imagineered Getting to Denmark Building the Perfect Ruins Performing and Taming Nuclear Catastrophe Conclusions References 8 Framing Civil Defence Critique: Swiss Physicians’ Resistance to the Coordinated Medical Services in the 1980s Mobilising the Nation to Save the ‘Swiss People’ Practices of Resistance: Claiming That Individual Action Matters Civil Defence Critics: Between Public Enemies and Public Support Conclusion References 9 Remembering Desirable Futures? Civil Defence Memories and Everyday Life in Sweden and the UK Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Civil Defence Memories Civil Defence Memories in Sweden and the UK Localities Temporalities Mediations Conclusion References 10 Conclusion: Civil Defence Futures (Re)imagined Theoretical Reflections Common Themes and New Insights Preparedness Redux References Index "This open access edited collection brings together established and new perspectives on Cold War civil defence in Western Europe within a common analytical framework that also facilitates comparative and transnational dimensions. The current interest in creating disaster-resilient societies demands new histories of civil defence. Historical contextualization is essential in order to understand what is at stake in preparing, devising, and implementing forms of preparedness, protection, and security that are specifically targeted at societies and citizens. Applying the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries to civil defence history, the chapters of this volume cover a range of new themes, from technology and materiality to media, memory, and everyday experience. The book underlines the social embeddedness of civil defence by detailing how it both prompted new forms of social interaction and reflected norms and visions of the good society in an age where nuclear technology seemed to hold the key to both doom and salvation."--Quatrième de couverture This open access edited collection brings together established and new perspectives on Cold War civil defence in Western Europe within a common analytical framework that also facilitates comparative and transnational dimensions. The current interest in creating disaster-resilient societies demands new histories of civil defence. Historical contextualization is essential in order to understand what is at stake in preparing, devising, and implementing forms of preparedness, protection, and security that are specifically targeted at societies and citizens. Applying the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries to civil defence history, the chapters of this volume cover a range of new themes, from technology and materiality to media, memory, and everyday experience. https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/74875