In my research I focus on the history of intelligence and security services. I use the intelligence and security services as a lens to study broader political, societal, and bureaucratic dynamics that are at play in this specific domain, with a special focus on cultural factors and mentalities. In my dissertation I studied to what extent political, bureaucratic, and societal actors influenced the threat perceptions, organization, and legitimacy of the security services in the Netherlands.

In my postdoctoral research, for which I have received a grant of the NCTV, I use the concept of 'intelligence cultures' in order to understand how three comparable Western security services - those of the United Kingdom, (West) Germany, and The Netherlands - have dealt with political violence and terrorism since the late 1960s. The main question is how - seen from a social, political, bureaucratic, organizational, and operational perspective - political violence and terrorism have been perceived as a task for these security services and how they have developed activities in order to counter these security threats.

Grants and awards

• 2 years Research Grant (NCTV)

Activities