Summary
Contents
Subject index
This book argues that knowledge is now central to the modern economy and its productive processes. It is also essential for social relations, social cohesion and conflict resolution. We have moved from a society based around heavy commodities to symbolic goods, from situated markets to non-place-specific locations, from machines to software and from things to ideas. These changes produce new forms of social interaction and new perspectives on identity, practice and association. This penetrating book slices through the cliches and blind alleys of discussions around the knowledge society to reveal the tendons of contemporary change. Written with insight and panache the book explains the momentous nature of the changes associated with the know
Excursus: Knowing and Risks
Excursus: Knowing and Risks
In the last few years, there appears to have been some progress in our understanding of risks as a result of the scientification of the debate on risks. Among the main results so far are: (1) the successful conceptual differentiation between the terms ‘risk’ (or, more precisely, the risk of decision) and ‘danger’, and (2) the differentiation between self-estimates of risk and dangers and those of other agents. But aside from these insights, knowledge regarding the issue of constructing and communicating risks in modern society remains fragile. Given the nature of the transformation of modern society that I have sketched, it would appear that we could not expect significant advances to occur in our ability to generate robust ...
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