Risk

Jakob Arnoldi is Vice Dean and Director of Research, Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University.

"An exciting introduction to the sociology of risk with interesting and challenging ideas about edgework, uncertainty and much else."Health, Risk & Society "This treatise is particularly successful for the way that it succeeds in bringing together discussion of how risk features in social and political lives with theoretical analyses and empirical studies of risk."Sociology"This book, by one of the rising stars of sociology, demonstrates that without the sociology of risk it is impossible to understand the ambivalences and uncertainties of our time."Ulrich Beck, University of Munich"In the context of today's global financial meltdown Jakob Arnoldi's Risk is a must read. It is at the same time an introduction to risk and the most comprehensive account available. It addresses risk in war, global geo-politics, health, environment and general 'living on the edge'. It comprises an original theory of knowledge in today's risk societies. Arnoldi tells us knowledge is possible, but that this must remain uncertain knowledge."Scott Lash, University of London"A wide-ranging and thorough appraisal of the impacts and effects of risk in the social sciences and, more broadly, society at large. This timely and authoritative book melds together theoretical perspectives and contemporary risk issues in a progressive and enlightening way."Gabe Mythen, University of Liverpool

• Acknowledgements viii1 Introduction 1Risks are social 1Risk in contemporary society 3The (un)reality of risk 7Two imagined scenarios involving risk 9The sociological approach to risk 14This book 162 The possibility of Hume: a brief genealogy of the concept of risk 20Risk and modernity 20A slow ‘modern’ breakthrough 26Probability 28Risk, statistics, government – the discovery of society 31Risk in advanced modernity 33Conclusion 353 Theories about risk 38Mary Douglas 38Cultural values and modes of organization 40Ulrich Beck 46Reflexive modernization, individualization and cosmopolitanism 50Governmentality 53Risks in current societies 55Other theories 61Summary 644 Risk, technology and nature 67Technology and being green 67Technology and complexity 70Nature, environment, ecology 72Risks as hybrids 75Global risks, vulnerability and inequality 80Summary 825 Risk, knowledge and uncertainty 84Does science know? 84Science in the risk society 86Uncertainty and science 91Post-normal science and precaution 94The public understanding of science 96‘Doing things’ with science and risk 99Summary 1016 Risk and culture 105The role of culture 105Ways of acting, talking and understanding: defining culture 106Science and culture 111Culture, risk and political interest 114The social amplification of risk 117Summary 1217 Risk and the mass media 122The media and perceptions of risk 122Bad news is good news 126Competition and commercialization 131The media, health and lifestyle 133Conclusion 1368 Risky futures: pleasure and capitalism 138Climbing mountains 138Edgework, individualization and entrepreneurialism 140A present future 144Calculating the risks, not knowing the odds 148Risk and the burden of responsibility 152Summary 1559 Risk, politics and government 158The power of defining risk 158Transnational risk regulation 161Cosmopolitanism 163Terror, war and risk 165Crime and risks 168Health and risk subjects 172Summary 17610 Conclusion 181Categories of risk? 181Risks as potentials 183Risk, responsibility and individualization 185Where to, risk? 187References 190Index 204