Risk and Culture : An Essay on the Selection of Technological and Environmental Dangers

Can we know the risks we face, now or in the future? No, we cannot; but yes, we must act as if we do. Some dangers are unknown; others are known, but not by us because no one person can know everything. Most people cannot be aware of most dangers at most times. Hence, no one can calculate precisely the total risk to be faced. How, then, do people decide which risks to take and which to ignore? On what basis are certain dangers guarded against and others relegated to secondary status? This book explores how we decide what risks to take and which to ignore, both as individuals and as a culture. Introduction : Can We Know The Risks We Face? -- Risks Are Hidden -- Risks Are Selected -- Scientists Disagree -- Assessment Is Biased -- The Center Is Complacent -- The Border Is Alarmed -- The Border Fears For Nature -- America Is A Border Country -- The Dialogue Is Political -- Conclusion : Risk Is A Collective Construct. Mary Douglas And Aaron Wildavsky. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The concern of many Americans with dangers to the natural environment is not justified rationally, according to the authors, but results from American cultural biases and the political goals of environmentalists