Summary
Contents
Subject index
What does it mean to live in `risk society'? How does the idea of risk change how we live with each other? Risk currently dominates individual and collective consciousness. Globally, insecurity is related to terrorism, pollution, global epidemics and famine, yet smoking, sunlight and travel have also become major preoccupations. This book provides a powerful and lucid account of risk in society today. Denney critically examines the social construction of risk, by considering a range of social theories, addressing the literature and providing an authoritative guide to the key issues raised. An analysis of the nature of risk to aspects of everyday life – of the meanings which have been assigned to notions of risk – is also considered. Finally, global themes such as terrorism, global regulation governance and developments in international relations are examined. This book will be required reading for students of risk within the fields of Sociology, International Relations and Media, Culture and Communications.
The Nature of Risk
The Nature of Risk
Outline
This chapter examines the development of the concept of risk. First, the idea of risk is distinguished from that of danger. The chapter then examines how the concept of risk has developed since the premodern period. Risk is presented as both a positive and a negative concept. The chapter also suggests that risk has become a globalised idea. However, as the world becomes more complex in its relations, it is difficult to reach any consensus as to what constitutes risk.
Changing Views of Danger
The distinction between the words ‘risk’ and ‘danger’ is one which has moved beyond the realm of semantics. Some writers have suggested that ‘risk’ could well be dropped from political discourse, since the word ‘danger’ would ...
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