Risk society

Risk society is a coined by German sociologist Ulrich Beck keyword and main title of one of his books of 1986, which was also very successful in the general book market.

Basic thesis

The basic thesis is that we are witnessing a break within modernity, leached out of the contours of the classical industrial society and a new shape, which expresses so-called ( industrial society ) risk society. Similar to dissolved the corporative ossified agricultural society in the 19th century, the modernization and peeled out the structure image of an industrial society, modernization today resolves to the contours of industrial society and in the continuity of modernity creates a different social form (13-14).

To distinguish the second from the first, industry social modernity differs Beck especially between the " logic of wealth production " and the ever more penetrating " logic of risk production ":

" In advanced modernity the social production of wealth is systematically accompanied by the social production of risks. Accordingly, the distribution problems and conflicts of the lack Company are overshadowed by the problems and conflicts that arise from the production, definition and distribution of scientifically and technically produced risks. " It comes to a " [ ... ] change the logic of wealth distribution [ ... ] to logic of risk distribution "(p. 25, emphasis in original).

In proportion as the modern society deals with self-produced risks, it is reflexive: "It's not [ only ] to the harnessing of nature to the disentanglement of people from traditional constraints, but [ ... ] much to the problems resulting from technical-economic development process of modernization itself is reflexive ' himself on the topic and problem. "(p. 26).

Risks

The term " risk " summarizes Beck on the one hand " scientific pollutant distributions ", on the other hand, "social risk situations " such as unemployment (p. 31). Characteristic is that the associated risks are usually no longer distributed by class boundaries, but tend to every can relate, as radioactivity does not distinguish between rich and poor: "Not is hierarchical, smog is democratic " (p. 48). There was a tendency for more equal distribution of unemployment across all tiers.

Beck points out that risks are always also the result of social construction process. Be perceived as threatening not the abstract risks themselves, but their concrete theming through the mass media. This means that " reality [ ... ] cognitively structured by a schematism of safety and danger and is perceived " (p. 48).

Paradoxically, however, leads inflation " perceived risks " overall more indifference, "Where everything is transformed into hazards, is somehow nothing more dangerous" (p. 48).

Success in science and the public

For this purpose, that his book achieved an unusual sociological literature sales success and the title quickly became the " household word " was, has out the access for lay facilitating readability undoubtedly contributed also threatening Europe in the year of the show in 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Beck this, in a preface to the second edition in May 1986:

"The speech of [ ... ] Risk Society [ ... ] received a bitter aftertaste. Much that has been fought in the argumentative writing - imperceptibility of the dangers their knowledge dependent, their nationality over [ ... ] - reads after the Chernobyl disaster as a plate description of the present. Oh, it would have remained the evocation of a future that is necessary to prevent it! "

The sociologist Armin Nassehi certifies Beck therefore, "clearly met the spirit of the times " to have. Beck has succeeded " with an enormous [ ... ] diagnostic sensitivity," " to designate the uncertainty of the project of modernity " (p. 253f. ).

Nassehi leads this first general uncertainty of modernity (which thereby becomes a reflexive modernity ) ultimately to a " common reference problem " back: " Uncertainty about the consequences of present actions for immediate or far-reaching futures" (p. 252). Consequence is the " paradoxical situation that needs to be traded, although there ultimately is not the appropriate basis " (p. 254).

Criticism

The relative importance of acceptance of social stratification, which claims Beck is skeptical seen by many sociologists and denied, for example, in case of disasters.

The importance of the risks presented by Beck uniquely high as historically, is in light of new research on the ecological Self Danger to ancient civilizations, which could also lead to the collapse of these companies, some perspective. This is especially true for Becks restriction on the risk as a significant feature to describe societies.

Further Reading

  • Ulrich Beck ( 1988): antidotes. Organised irresponsibility. Q.s. Frankfurt: Suhrkamp. ISBN 3-518-11468-9
  • Ulrich Beck ( 1991): Politics in the risk society. Q.s. Frankfurt: Suhrkamp. ISBN 3-518-38331-0
  • Marc Lothar Mewes: Public law and liability law in the risk society. The deficits of public law and the possibilities and limitations of risk management by tort law and liability insurance, Frankfurt am Main 2006
  • Ingo Mörth / Doris Baum ( eds. ) (2000 ): Society and living on the threshold of the new millennium. Present and future of adventure, risk, information and world society
  • Herfried Münkler, Matthias Bohlender, Sabine Meurer: Security and Risk. How to cope with risk in the 21st century, transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2010
  • Cornelius Prittwitz: Criminal Law and risk. Studies on the crisis of Criminal Law and Criminal Policy in the Risk Society, Frankfurt am Main 1993, ISBN 978-3-465-02587-0
  • Andreas Metzner, The Pitfalls of Objects - About the risks of the Company and its reality, Frankfurt, New York (Campus ) 2002, ISBN 978-3-593-37026-2

Swell

  • Model of society
  • Globalization
  • Globalization Critical Literature
  • Sociological publication
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