Facing escalating global uncertainties like climate disruption, extreme weather events, cyberattacks, and AI advancements, the UK government has launched an ambitious resilience framework. Emphasizing shared risk understanding, preparation, and societal-wide resilience, this initiative urges individuals to be prepared for potential crises.
Recent history, notably the Brexit negotiations and the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen a surge in individual preparedness, with one-in-five Britons stockpiling essential items amid fears of supply chain disruptions. The government's shift from dismissing stockpiling to sounding alarms about imminent crises raises questions about the effectiveness of their messaging.
Academic research, focusing on shifts in prepping during Brexit, COVID-19, and the cost of living crisis, reveals a gendered aspect to preparedness. Women, particularly mothers, disproportionately bear the responsibility for home-based preparedness, juggling domestic and emotional burdens crucial to family survival.
The resilience framework, while advocating a whole-of-society approach, risks creating divisions between the prepared and the unprepared. The research highlights the stigma directed at the unprepared, leading to families taking individual actions to safeguard their resilience. This trend may fuel an "everyone for themselves" mentality, with the prepared prioritizing their families' needs over others.
Moreover, the ability to be "prepared" is closely tied to privilege and middle-class norms, leaving less privileged individuals, facing housing issues and precarious employment, at a disadvantage. The individualized approach of the resilience framework may not fully consider the needs of those who live hand to mouth, relying on wider community support.
The research emphasizes that promoting preparedness without addressing inequalities, communal ties, emotional resilience, and the gendered nature of caretaking labor undermines social cohesion critical for weathering crises. While the government encourages readiness across society, it must navigate the delicate balance between rational self-interest and the moral imperative to support those less privileged in times of disaster.
In conclusion, real security is not solely achieved through isolated stockpiles and individual actions. Instead, a more effective approach involves establishing community-wide plans for preparedness, fostering social cohesion necessary for collective resilience in the face of potential crises.
