Ontological security is a stable mental state derived from a sense of continuity in regard to the events in one's life. Anthony Giddens (1991) refers to

ontological In metaphysics, ontology is the philosophical study of being, as well as related concepts such as existence, becoming, and reality. Ontology addresses questions like how entities are grouped into categories and which of these entities exi ...

security as a sense of order and continuity in regard to an individual's experiences. He argues that this is reliant on people's ability to give meaning to their lives. Meaning is found in experiencing positive and stable emotions, and by avoiding chaos and anxiety. If an event occurs that is not consistent with the meaning of an individual's life, this will threaten that individual's ontological security. Ontological security also involves having a positive view of

self The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...

, the world and the future.

Ontological security threatened by death

Philip A. Mellor and Chris Shelling talk about this concept in regard to

thanatology Thanatology is the scientific study of death and the losses brought about as a result. It investigates the mechanisms and forensic aspects of death, such as bodily changes that accompany death and the postmortem period, as well as wider psycho ...

, arguing that when death strikes, it causes people to "question the meaningfulness and reality of the social frameworks in which they participate, shattering their ontological security"

Ontological security threatened by anthropogenic climate change

Climate change poses a threat to people's sense of continuity in their lives. In her book, ''Living in Denial: Climate Change, Emotions, and Everyday Life'', the sociologist Kari Norgaard discusses how climate change impacts the ontological security of Norwegians and leads them to deny responsibility. The previously stable climate shaped Norway's cultural heritage. For example, skiing in the winter has been a longtime tradition. The shortened ski season has disrupted their sense of continuity of the seasons. The changing climate causes people to question how things will be in the future as the warming trend continues. These disruptions to cultural norms affect people's senses of cultural and self identity. This can result in an erosion of a sense of purpose. Also as mentioned in this book, a quote from the psychiatrist Robert Lifton describes how people begin to question their sense that the world is a good place, and they become numb to the threat of a changing climate as result of a crisis of meaning in the continuity of their lives. A quote from the sociologist Ulrich Beck describes that on a societal level, pervasive exposure to risk threatens ontological security and erodes social networks. Ontological security can be supported through climate change by increasing individual's tolerance to emotional experiences and reflective functioning. When this process is done collectively, enabling strong social and community ties, communities are more resilient and psychologically flexible. When people have strong community ties and have a belief in social efficacy, they respond adaptively in the threat of disaster.

Ontological security associated with home ownership

"It has been said that people need the confidence, continuity and trust in the world which comprise ontological security in order to lead happy and fulfilled lives, and furthermore that ontological security can be attained more through owner occupied than rented housing.".

Ontological security in children

Children are more likely to have a positive ontological security when the child's parents own their own home. Reportedly, home ownership also improves parenting and allows for a future transfer of assets, thus facilitating ontological security. What is also true is in Societies such as Germany and other Northern European States where renting is stable, and well regulated, the issue of stability does not have to equate with home ownership based on mortgages. In the UK where working poor and many middle income families are under incredible financial stress, due to the increasing cost of home ownership, and of renting which is paying for the mortgages of landlords with many properties, all of which is urged by Government (social housing rents set at 80% of the market rate for private housing) as part of the ideology of 'growing the economy' which in turn creates a situation of

chronic stress Chronic stress is the physiological or psychological response induced by a long-term internal or external stressor. The stressor, either physically present or recollected, will produce the same effect and trigger a chronic stress response. There i ...

, that leads to a wide range of health related issues which impact children's lives adversely. The issue of ontological security, then, is to do with security of tenure, with regard to stability in a child's home life and the life of his or her parents, rather than home ownership per se. One has to be cautious in this regard to avoid co-opting the concept of ontological security for any specific economic agenda, and always be focused on the lived experience and how it plays out under the influence of Government policies and events in the material concrete reality. Furthermore, reducing the matter of a child's ontological security to the material aspect of housing ignores issues such as 'traditional' parenting practices, religiosity, unresolved parental trauma disrupting empathy-based relationships and other chronic stressors that are almost ubiquitous.

Ontological security in adult learners

"Adult educators also must secure the learners' ontological security against existential anxieties by associating learners' network and groups based on trust".

Ontological security in international relations

The concept of ontological security has been applied in

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

. It has been argued that states seek to ensure their ontological security (the security of self and self-conception), in addition to their pursuit of

physical security Physical security describes security measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment and resources and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm (such as espionage, theft, or terrorist attacks). Physica ...

(such as protecting the

territorial integrity Territorial integrity is the principle under international law that gives the right to sovereign states to defend their borders and all territory in them of another state. It is enshrined in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and has been recognized ...

of the state). To ensure their ontological security, states may even jeopardize their physical security. Ontological security in world politics can be defined as the possession, on the level of the unconscious and practical consciousness, of answers to fundamental questions that all polities in some way need to address such as existence, finitude, relations with others and their autobiography. Collective actors such as states become ontologically insecure when critical situations rupture their routines thus bringing fundamental questions to public discourse.

References

Ronald David Laing Ronald David Laing (7 October 1927 – 23 August 1989), usually cited as R. D. Laing, was a Scottish psychiatrist who wrote extensively on mental illnessin particular, the experience of psychosis. Laing's views on the causes and treatment ...

''The Divided Self'', 1960. * Definition: A stable mental state derived from a sense of continuity and order in events. (Tony Bilton et al., ''Introductory Sociology'', 3rd edition. London, Macmillan, 1996, p665)

Footnotes

External links

Scotland, Ontological security and psychosocial benefits from the home
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ontological Security Ontology Sociological terminology