The Role of Culture and Implicit Bias in Nuclear Security Threats and Assessments

Cultural factors are becoming more of a recognized issue in nuclear security circles. Nonetheless, a gap still remains in recognizing the full extent of the role that diverse national and regional cultural contexts can play in both preventative measures to counter nuclear security threats, and in assessing security crisis points in their aftermath. This paper will re-examine the conventional wisdom surrounding case studies of nuclear security breaches, such as the break-in of the Pelindaba Nuclear Site in the Republic of South Africa. In the case of Pelindaba, the authors will contrast and examine in detail the logic behind the assessments of Western authorities and experts, and the assessment of RSA entities with divergent view points and logic chains. The overarching theme is to highlight how even a logical assessment of a situation can vary based on perspective, geographic location, national interpretation, and other factors not commonly assessed by an engineering-centric population. The works of Geert Hofstede will feature prominently in the analysis.