Social Construction Of Risk

A wide range of literature is available on the subject of risk perception. For a brief overview, readers are referred to Risk and Modern Society edited by Lofstedt and Frewer (1998). For a detailed investigation with respect to social constructions of risk, a collection of writings from prominent authors is presented in Social Theories of Risk edited by Krimsky and Golding (1992). 

Dake K (1992) Myths of nature cultural and social construction of risk. J Soc Issues 48(4) 21-37... 

Mazur, A Hazardous Inquiry, pp. 11-15 J. A. Tarr and C. Jacobson, Environmental Risk in Historical Perspective, in B. B. Johnson and V. T. Cov-ello, The Social and Cultural Construction of Risk (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1988), pp. 317-344 Wagner, Hazardous Waste. ... 

However, this has led to a substitution of PPE for safety itself, a consequence at direct odds with accepted risk assessment philosophy. Whichever hierarchy of risk reduction is utilised, PPE is always near the bottom in terms of a risk reduction strategy, if not actually in last place. The Health and Safety Executive (2003) states that PPE should be the last resort in health and safety management, yet its visibility and prominence within the construction site environment has led to a social construction of safety so tightly interwoven with PPE that the two are rarely separated. Although PPE is certainly an artefact of safety, it is not safety itself, and it is important that this distinction should be explored to ensure it is better understood. 

For foundational works in the social construction of technology, see Bijker, Hughes and Pinch (1987). Exemplary (and relevant) works in the tradition of actor network theory include Latour (1987, 2004), Mol (2002) and Gallon (1987), which is also an interesting example of when SCOT almost met ANT. The foundational work in STS for thinking about the risk society is Beck (1992). 

Rodrigue, C. M. (1999). Social Construction Of Technological Hazard Plutonium On Board The Cassini-Huygens Spacecraft (narrative for a proposal resubmitted to the Decision, Risk, and Management Science Program. National Science Foundation. January 14-... 

Fowlkes, Martha, and Patricia Miller. Chemicals and Community at Love Canal. In The Social and Cultural Construction of Risk, edited by Branden Johnson and Vincent Covello, 55-80. Dordrecht, the Netherlands D. Reidel, 1987. 

Risk is considered as the probability of a negative event occurring and can be quantified. However, this form of risk can be understood as "danger." The perception of risk is a socially constructed phenomenon, and is more difficult to measure. Psychological risk is based on perception rather than... 

The discussion in the preceding sections has illustrated some of the principal ways in which chemical risks are socially constructed and selectively mediated, serving some interests over others. In this context, the work of German social theorist,... 

Social norms and the anomalies of risk perception Perhaps the most striking departure of the real world from the theoretical construct of conventional economics is the predominance of irrational perceptions and evaluations of risk. Of course, on closer examination the standard account of rationality is so narrowly circumscribed that it excludes a considerable amount of perfectly reasonable behavior. 

Cherishing life, preventing disaster, protecting the physical and mental health and safety of people is the key to promote economic development, social security and national stability. The core and the basic requirements of scientific development concept determine that the people-oriented takes human life first. In coal mine, as a high-risk industry, it is required to use more safe development to build consensus, strengthen the construction of safety culture, and enhance initiative and effectiveness. 

Environmental Social — Lower level of energy consumption — Smaller mischarges and fewer rejects — Lower heat radiation load at workplace — Preservation and creation of Jobs — Construction of high-tech facilities — Health risk of microwave radiation leakage... 

ABSTRACT The boom of large-scale complex projects over the world leads the risk management more and more imperative, which achieves good economic and social benefits. The risks of safety, quality, progress and investment of the large complex project construction were discussed, and a large complex project performance evaluation model of risk control was established, which can accomplish the fuzzy evaluation of risk control performance. This method makes the project managers to control the risk of project construction quantitatively and qualitatively. 

According to most authors, risk and disasters are socially constructed phenomena and should therefore be studied in the contexts in which they occur (Rodriguez, 2005). In fact, at the level of the individuals and their communities responses to natural and technological disasters, the discussion between actual risk and perceived risk is put aside by the fact that social vulnerability and resilience, defined as the abilities to deal with disasters and to create new life styles in accordance to the conditions derived from them (Manyema 2006), depend almost entirely on the perception of risks. 

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