Denney David. Risk and Society

SAGE Publications Ltd., 2005. — 229 p. — ISBN 0761947396; 076194740x.Risk has come to dominate individual and collective consciousness in the twenty-first century. Although global insecurity has been created by terrorism, pollution, global epidemics, and famine, risks involved in aspects of everyday life such as food, sunlight and travel have become major preoccupations. Seemingly innocuous objects, including – carpets, footwear, televisions, vacuum cleaners, personal stereos can create a potential risk to health. In one case recorded by Britain’s Department of Trade and Industry, a tea cosy was listed as being the cause of an accident (Spicker, 2001: 17). Research and theory in social science has produced a plethora of risk related literature during the last two decades. Academic interest in risk has been accompanied by a burgeoning expansion of professional risk management activities. In 1995 it was estimated that the risk industry employed 1.5 million people in the United Kingdom (UK) alone (Adams, 1995). It would now be impossible to estimate the numbers of people involved in risk evaluation and risk management in its multifarious guises worldwide.
Structure of the book : The book will be divided into three sections. Part I will examine the meanings which have been ascribed to risk. Here, differing ideas about risk will be critically examined. Part II of the book combines a consideration of major life events and risk within everyday aspects of living. Attention in Part III is turned towards overarching themes, by examining the risks posed by terrorism, global regulation, governance, and developments within international relations. Chapter One examines the nature and development of the concept of risk. Chapter Two is a substantial longer chapter which critically examines some of the major theoretical positions which have been taken by social scientists with respect to discussions about risk. Chapter Three is concerned with the way in which decisions about risk are an integral part of everyday experience in relation to the family, housing, employment, and education. Chapter Four concentrates more specifically on risk and health containing discussions related to immunisation, eating and drinking, smoking and public health. Chapter Five focuses upon risk and the changing nature of professionalism. The communication of risk through the media in television, film, and the printed word is discussed in Chapter Six. Social welfare and risk is examined in Chapter Seven with a focus upon child protection, mental health interventions, older people and the relationship between risk and the contract culture in welfare. The preoccupation with the relationship between risk and crime forms the basis for discussions in Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine examines the idea that a new form of terrorism has emerged following the attacks of 11 September 2001. In Chapter Ten the implications of the regulatory state and systems designed to control risk in organisations are discussed. Chapter Eleven is concerned with some of the global efforts which have been made to regulate and protect the environment. Chapter Twelve develops some of the themes in Chapter Eleven by examining the possibility that risk can be avoided through global governance. Chapter Thirteen develops discussions in Chapters Nine and Twelve, and explores the possibility that risk underpins a new approach to international relations, which in itself poses a new risk to peaceful co-existence. Chapter Fourteen concludes by developing some of the over-arching themes which have emerged.
Each chapter begins with a short outline. Suggestions for further reading will be made at the end of each chapter. Full references for further reading are included in the bibliography.Understanding Risk
Living in the Risk Society
International and Global Risk.