Airport security as translation through division and movement

Area of Science:

• Sociology of security
• Science and Technology Studies (STS)
• Airport management and security

Background:

• Contemporary airport security operates through complex, often opaque, processes.
• Understanding the practical functioning of security systems requires examining the actors and networks involved.
• Ethnographic approaches offer valuable insights into the lived realities of security provision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of an Actor-Network Theory (ANT)-inspired approach to studying airport security.
• To understand security provision as a series of 'chains of translation' that define individuals as secure or threatening.
• To uncover the underlying logics of division and movement within airport security systems and their practical consequences.

Main Methods:

• Ethnographic research conducted at Václav Havel Airport Prague.
• Application of Actor-Network Theory (ANT) principles to analyze security processes.
• Qualitative analysis of actor interactions and system translations.

Main Results:

• Airport security functions as a network of translations, categorizing individuals based on indeterminate initial statuses.
• The system's performance is guided by logics of division and movement, shaping how security is enacted.
• The ANT-inspired approach effectively explicates the practical functioning, challenges, and social consequences of airport security.

Conclusions:

• Actor-Network Theory provides a robust framework for analyzing contemporary airport security operations.
• Understanding security as translation highlights the dynamic and relational nature of threat and security production.
• This perspective is crucial for addressing the inherent challenges and social implications of airport security systems.