Ulrich Beck: A Critical Introduction To The Risk Society Critical Introduction To The Risk Society

Ulrich Beck Has Emerged As One Of The Leading Thinkers Of The Age. His Principal Claim To Fame Is As Author Of The Widely Acclaimed 'risk Society', First Published In 1986. Since This Time, Beck's Work Has Had A Profound Effect On The Trajectory Of Social Theory, Leading To Him Being Hailed As A Zietgeist Sociologist. The Risk Society Thesis Has Gained Credence Within The Academic Community And Across The Disciplines As A Means Of Explaining The Large-scale Changes That Have Enveloped Contemporary Society. Despite Its Continued Popularity As A Touchstone For Debate, The Risk Society Perspective Is Yet To Be Systematically Unravelled. Gabe Mythen Provides Both An Introduction To And A Critique Of Beck's Work That Places His Contribution Within The Context Of Other Theorists Of Risk, Such As Giddens, Douglas And Foucault. Key Areas Of Analysis Include Risk And The Environment, Lifestyles And Risk, Public Perceptions, Media Representations Of Danger And The Changing Nature Of Political Engagement. Mapping The Risk Society -- Risk And The Environment -- Defining Risk -- Mediating Risk -- Perceiving Risk -- Living With Risk -- Risk, Reflexivity, And Trust -- The Politics Of Risk. Gabe Mythen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 195-208) And Index. Ulrich Beck has emerged as one of the leading thinkers of the age. His principal claim to fame is as author of the widely acclaimed 'Risk Society', first published in 1986. Since this time, Beck's work has had a profound effect on the trajectory of social theory, leading to him being hailed as a zietgeist sociologist. The risk society thesis has gained credence within the academic community and across the disciplines as a means of explaining the large-scale changes that have enveloped contemporary society.

Despite its continued popularity as a touchstone for debate, the risk society perspective is yet to be systematically unravelled. Gabe Mythen provides both an introduction to and a critique of Beck's work that places his contribution within the context of other theorists of risk, such as Giddens, Douglas and Foucault. Key areas of analysis include risk and the environment, lifestyles and risk, public perceptions, media representations of danger and the changing nature of political engagement. Within a very short period of time, Ulrich Beck has emerged as one of the leading sociologists of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, often working parallel to Giddens and Scott Lash in highly theorised sociological exegeses. Beck's principal claim to fame is as the originator of the theory of the 'risk society' - a concept that has spread throughout the academic community and across the disciplines as a means of explaining the changes that have convulsed contemporary society. Despite being floated in Germany as early as 1986, there has yet to be a thorough examination of the value of the risk society thesis in understanding the dynamics of everyday life. Gabe Mythen proposes a critical introduction - and a critique - of Beck's work placing him within the context of other theorists of risk, such as Douglas and Foucault. Key areas of analysis include risk perception, the mediation of risk, risk and the environment, changing employment trends and patterns of political engagement Contents......Page 4 Acknowledgements......Page 5 Introduction......Page 6 1 Mapping the Risk Society......Page 16 2 Risk and the Environment......Page 35 3 Defining Risk......Page 58 4 Mediating Risk......Page 78 5 Perceiving Risk......Page 100 6 Living with Risk......Page 122 7 Risk, Reflexivity and Trust......Page 142 8 The Politics of Risk......Page 162 Conclusion......Page 185 Notes......Page 192 Bibliography......Page 200 Index......Page 214 Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- 1. Mapping the Risk Society -- 2. Risk and the Environment -- 3. Defining Risk -- 4. Mediating Risk -- 5. Perceiving Risk -- 6. Living with Risk -- 7. Risk, Reflexivity and Trust -- 8. The Politics of Risk -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index A critical introduction to the theory of risk, reviewing the contribution of leading sociologist, Ulrich Beck