Crisis? What Crisis? The Contestation of Urgency in Creeping Crises

Abstract

Whilst research on extreme contexts has mainly studied responses to and perceptions of urgency in abrupt crisis settings, this paper examines the construction and contestation of urgency in ambiguous creeping crisis settings. It builds on the empirical case of the Alpine Region of Tyrol and the discourse that emerged around the climate crisis and ski tourism. By taking an abductive approach, we investigate how the temporal dynamics of urgency contestation unfold between different actors. Our findings show three discursive dynamics that drive the contestation of urgency over extended periods of time. We further reveal that actors draw on specific temporal dimensions when constructing high or low senses of urgency – a measurable, normative or synchronicity dimension. This contributes first to research on urgency by uncovering that urgency is not something that can be taken for granted in crises, but instead a multidimensional and relationally contested construct. Second, we point to the nestedness of crises by showing that the urgency of a crisis is shaped by the perception of urgency in related crises. Third, we contribute to crisis research outlining that creeping crises do not necessarily peak in a “hot phase” but instead remain contested and continue to creep on forever.