Risk society refers to modern societies in which technological developments such as nuclear power and biotechnology create new risks and uncertainties.
Risk society is another way of characteristing postmodern or late modern society. The term was developed by sociologist Ulrich Beck in the mid 1980s to describe the way new technologies were changing our experience of risk.
in modern society/ modernity, science and technology were generally seen as delivering social progress and improving our lives.
In Risk Society, science and technology are increasingly viewed as having introduced problems of development and global risks. Nuclear Power and Artificial Intelligence are two excellent examples of this.
Nothing appears fixed anymore, and contradictions emerge between scientists and policymakers about the appropriate risk response.
Society’s dangers have shifted focus
Social structures have always faced dangers. Historically, these have usually been “natural” in origin. In recent years, science, technology, and industry have created prosperity but have also brought about new dangers (for example, those posed by the production of nuclear power), which have focused the thoughts of individuals and societies on a quest for safety and the idea of calculable risk.
In the mid-1980s, the German sociologist Ulrich Beck claimed that our relationship to society and its institutions had changed profoundly over the past decades, and that this required a new way of thinking about risk. Beck argues that social life is progressing from a first stage of modernity to an emergent second, or “reflexive,” stage. This is shaped by an awareness that control of—and mastery over—nature and society may be impossible. This awareness may itself lead to disenchantment with existing social structures as providers of safety and reassurance.
The emergence of a global “risk society”
A key characteristic of this new stage is the emergence of a global “risk society,” by which Beck means that individuals, groups, governments, and corporations are increasingly concerned about the production, dissemination, and experience of risk. We now have to confront problems that previous generations could not imagine, and this requires new societal responses.
In his earlier work, Beck points in particular to the risks posed by nuclear energy, the chemical industry, and biotechnology. He says that the application of science and technology to meet human needs has reached a critical point, creating risks that are no longer calculable or manageable by existing societal frameworks.
Contextual milestones in the development of “risk society”
KEY DATES
- 1968: The Club of Rome think tank is founded and in 1972 publishes a report, The Limits to Growth, which identifies the risk posed by excessive population growth.
- 1984: U.S. sociologist Charles Perrow publishes Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies.
- 1999: U.S. sociologist Barry Glassner draws on Ulrich Beck’s concept of risk in The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things.
- 2001: The 9/11 attacks on the USA lead to worldwide changes in the perception of the risks posed by international terrorist organisations.
Loss of respect for institutions and experts creates uncertainty and doubt
Beck observes that we begin to fear that we are living in a world that is beyond controllability.
Our advances have not only opened up new possibilities but have also introduced dangers on an unprecedented scale. Should such a catastrophe occur, the consequences would be so grave that it would be almost impossible to contain its impact or to return society to the way things were before.
The nature of risk in modern society
Beck identifies three significant characteristics of risk:
- Global, incalculable damage: Accidents may cause damage that cannot be compensated for, as traditional mechanisms like insurance no longer work.
- Irreversible exclusion of precautionary measures: We cannot return conditions to the way they were prior to the accident.
- No limit in space and time: Accidents are unpredictable, can be felt across national borders, and impose their effects over long periods of time.
In terms of dealing with the possibility or likelihood of such calamities happening in the future, traditional methods of risk calculation have become obsolete in relation to many of the new kinds of risks that concern us in the 21st century, such as health pandemics, nuclear meltdowns, or genetically modified foodstuffs.
Real and virtual risk
Beck identifies a strange ambiguity in how society understands risks. On the one hand, they are real—they exist as objective, latent threats at the heart of scientific and technological progress. They cannot be ignored, even if authorities try to pretend they do not exist. At the same time, however, risks are also virtual; that is, they represent current anxieties about events that have yet to—or may never—happen.
Nonetheless, it is the apparent threat posed by these risks, the anticipation of disaster, which ushers in new challenges to the power of scientists, corporations, and governments. Beck observes that no one is an expert on questions of risk, not even the experts themselves. The intrinsic complexity of many risks means that scientists often cannot agree on questions of likelihood, possible severity, or how to set up proper safety procedures.
In fact, in the public mind, it is these same experts—in their manipulation of genes or splitting of atomic nuclei—who may have created the risks. However, while there is public scepticism about scientists, Beck notes that they are nevertheless essential in the risk society. Precisely because we cannot feel, hear, smell, or see the risks that we face, we need these experts to help measure, calculate, and make sense of them for us.
Making risks meaningful
Beck notes the important role played by so-called “new social movements” in raising public awareness of risk. For instance, Greenpeace, an independent organisation committed to environmental protection, runs many high-profile publicity campaigns to draw attention to the environmental risks both caused and downplayed by corporations and governments.
The media feed on public anxieties about risk, claims Beck. To increase sales, news providers latch on to stories of corporate or institutional failures to adequately manage risk or sensationalist stories of the hidden threats posed by technological developments.
While ultimately self-serving, Beck sees this as a positive thing because it helps develop public consciousness about risks and promote open debate. The media make risks visible and meaningful for people by giving abstract risks a powerful symbolic form.
Responses to risk
Beck identifies three main responses to contemporary risks:
- Denial: Ignoring or minimising risks.
- Apathy: Acknowledging risks but failing to act.
- Transformation: Taking global action to live positively under the shadow of risk.
Risk and inequality
In earlier times, wealthier individuals could shield themselves from risks, but modern risks, such as climate change, transcend boundaries of wealth, space, and time. For example, while outsourcing industrial production to developing nations might reduce immediate risks for wealthier countries, environmental consequences ultimately “boomerang” back.
Globalised fears and hopes
Beck argues that global risks require global responses. He highlights three positive outcomes:
- Collective responses to catastrophic risks.
- Increased media attention to how disasters disproportionately affect the poor.
- Dialogue between diverse groups, such as environmental activists and businesses, to address common threats.
Risk and reward: Positive possibilities
While Beck’s focus on risk may seem bleak, he underscores the constructive potential of risk awareness. Responses to global risks can lead to innovative solutions and societal transformation. For instance, fears about acid rain and global warming led to the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988.
Signposting: Relevance to A-level sociology
The risk society theory is best characterised as a late modern social theory. It is part of the theories and methods module, usually taught as part of the second year of A-level sociology.
Sources
Risk Society on Wikipedia