Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.58.3.7
An Analysis of the Mountain Rescue Responder’s Role Using the Risk Society Concept: A Case Study of the HGSS Gospić Station
Anita Bušljeta Tonković
orcid.org/0000-0002-5816-7378
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Regional Center Gospić, Croatia
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is the analyse the role of the mountain rescue responder in contemporary
risk society, using the example of the Gospić Station of the Croatian Mountain Rescue
Service (Hrvatska gorska služba spašavanja – HGSS). Using the precepts of risk sociology as a
platform, specifically the theory of a risk society that systematically generates risky situations
and creates global environmental threats, and with the additional help of a combination of
selected elements of the actor-network theory and the concepts of solidarity and volunteerism,
the paper constitutes an attempt to comprehend a facet of the social reality confronted by
the rescue responder by composing something of a sociological bricolage. The semi-structured
interviews with narrative segments contained in the paper serve to present the preliminary
research results (the interaction between the mountain rescue responder, his/her gear and the
search dog; the continuity and characteristics of functioning in a risk society; the experience
of action – solidarity; the experience of one’s own role – volunteerism; the role of the Station
and the HGSS as a whole – service; expanding the role of the HGSS), which may have some
impact on the formulation of public policies directly linked to the theme of transferring the
responsibilities of the welfare state to the domain of the civic sector. Briefly, the focus of this
paper is the HGSS as one of the key actors in the civil defence system, i.e., mountain rescue
responders as the primary protagonists in all search and rescue activities which proceed in
mountainous, rural and remote areas.
Keywords
risk society; mountain rescue responder; HGSS (Croatian Mountain Rescue Service); solidarity; volunteerism.
Hrčak ID:
248912
URI
Publication date:
28.12.2020.
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