The research at RCR focuses on risk, crisis and/or sustainability from a societal perspective, in contrast to a psychological or technical perspective. Many of the research projects are interdisciplinary and collaborative. Learn about our research areas and projects.
Risk research can be divided into two areas.
The first area includes analyzes of how risks are constructed in relation to normative discourses and power structures in society such as; age, gender, class, ethnicity and sexuality etc.
The second area includes risk assessment in the field of law enforcement, logistics and decision-making models, risk management and risk policy. The risk research is conducted in computer and system sciences, criminology, economics, sociology and political science and collaborates with both public and private actors.
In the crisis research trajectory within RCR, we adopt a broad view on the concept in both theoretic and practical terms. We research both everyday crises and more extensive events and we focus on professional crisis management actors, as well as voluntary organizations and ordinary households. We pay special attention to the relational perspective of crisis management as well as its delineation through the study of managerial arrangements, collaborations, communication, networks and learning. We also conduct critical analyses on how societal power structures and power differentials play out in the field.
Finally, in the context of the RCR Simulation Lab, we develop ethical approaches, methods, and procedures for epistemic analyses of crises and extraordinary events through the use of experiments and exercises.
Research conducted within RCR addresses the four dimensions of sustainability (economic, social, ecological and cultural) and makes it clear that unsustainable societal processes risk creating risks and crises. The interdisciplinary research in the area aims at considering multiple dimensions of sustainability simultaneously.
This research has a regional and local perspective. For this reason, the objects of study are usually local communities, groups, families or individuals.
In September 2025, Västernorrland was hit by a severe cloudburst that tested societal functions and cooperation. Mid Sweden University evaluates the response to strengthen future preparedness.
Rakel G2 is the next generation of Sweden’s national communication system for vital public services. The project follows the implementation of Rakel G2 and explores how new technology affects work...
Projektet syftar till att skapa ett internationellt forskningsnätverk om subnationell hantering av gränsöverskridande kriser. Målet är att öka kunskapen, stärka utbyten och forskningssamarbeten ino...
LEGITIPREP is a three-year project that aims to increase knowledge about legitimacy in crisis areas and how trust in the authorities is affected by it.
The research project aims to study how COVID-19 challenged the Nordic countries' crisis management systems and, through lessons, promote the development of crisis management in the Nordic countries...
The page was updated 2/7/2023
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Risk and crisis research centre, RCR