Vulnerability Studies Network

The interdisciplinary Vulnerability Studies Network brings together early career scholars from the UK, Canada, and beyond to discuss how the term ‘vulnerability’ is used in different disciplinary and non-academic contexts. The Network continues conversations that were started at the December 2020 Knowledge Frontiers Symposium on ‘security’ held by The British Academy and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

The Vulnerability Studies Network responds to the following questions:

1. How is vulnerability mobilised as a concept in different disciplinary contexts?
2. What are the processes (political, legal, civic, social) by which vulnerability and insecurity are ‘assessed’, ‘measured’ and ‘distributed’?
3. How might individual and collective vulnerability and insecurity open up spaces for resistance, empowerment, and solidarity?

The Network has a sibling project, also arising from the same symposium, which runs practice-based events in parallel to the Network’s events: Researching the felt and lived experiences of in/security: a methodological exchange.

The Vulnerability Studies Network began in February 2021 and will run in its current form until April 2022. To find out more and subscribe to network updates, contact Dr Zalfa Feghali.