Hiding in Plain Sight: Conceptualizing the Creeping Crisis

Area of Science:

• Crisis Management
• Societal Resilience
• Risk Analysis

Background:

• Modern societies are vulnerable to slow-onset threats, termed creeping crises.
• These crises are understudied and ill-defined within existing literature.
• The potential for societal disruption from creeping crises is not fully understood and can erode public trust.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the concept of a creeping crisis.
• To formulate key research questions for studying creeping crises.
• To identify relevant theoretical frameworks for analyzing creeping crises.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis and literature review.
• Definition formulation.
• Identification of theoretical approaches.

Main Results:

• A proposed definition of a creeping crisis.
• Formulation of research questions to guide future studies.
• Identification of theoretical avenues for systematic investigation.

Conclusions:

• Creeping crises represent a significant, understudied challenge.
• A foundational framework is proposed for the systematic study of creeping crises.
• Understanding and managing creeping crises is crucial for societal stability and public trust.