We encourage you to download and read the publication by Professor Mikołaj Tomaszyk i Mikołaj Sokolski on the on the subject „Ethics of Care and Safety in the City – Assumptions”
Socio-political relations today face a deepening crisis marked by fragmentation, disconnection, and systemic degradation, trends increasingly visible in the urban fabric of contemporary cities. These challenges call not only for theoretical reflection but for practical strategies capable of revitalizing social bonds, counteracting societal atomization, and reimagining the city as a space of solidarity. In this context, 'Care for Safety. Ethics of Care and Safety in the City – Assumptions’ presents the ethics of care as a transformative framework for rethinking urban safety, power relations, and public policy in the face of global insecurity, polarization, and inequality. Challenging the dominance of liberal and realist paradigms in political theory and security studies, the authors argue for a profound reorientation of policy and practice around the principles of care, mutual responsibility, and inclusion. Drawing from key thinkers in feminist ethics, including Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings, Joan Tronto, and Judith Phillips, the book clarifies the philosophical foundations and political relevance of care ethics in navigating the complex realities of contemporary urban life.
Rather than viewing safety through the lens of control or efficiency, the authors propose a normative model of the caring city, a city built upon attentiveness to human needs, relationality, and participatory governance. Through both critical analysis and practical examples, the book offers a new vocabulary and conceptual toolkit for addressing local security, mobility, social marginalization, and democratic engagement. Special attention is devoted to the emancipatory potential of feminist urbanism, grassroots activism, and deliberative democratic practices, illustrating how care can function not only as a moral imperative but as a practical foundation for more just and inclusive urban societies.
Written from a Central European perspective and informed by contemporary developments in Poland and the EU, this book makes an important contribution to global debates on urban futures, democratic resilience, and ethical policymaking. 'Care for Safety. Ethics of Care and Safety in the City – Assumptions’ is not only a timely critique of dominant political logics, it is also a bold and hopeful proposal for an alternative politics grounded in care, interdependence, and human dignity.
Mikołaj Tomaszyk – Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) Professor, political scientist, EU project expert.
Mikołaj Sokolski – PhD student at Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU), political scientist and researcher.