Culture in the Risk Society

Abstract

SummaryBeck and others have proposed that in late modernity Western industrial sodeties are undergoing a process of tranformation into risk sodeties. The author of this article tends to agree, hut would like to draw attention to a concomitant cultural change. Whereas industrial society was no stranger to a risk culture, in risk society we are witnessing the development of a precautionaty culture. This article first outlines some major aspeds of this cultural transformation, providing the basis for a conceptual scheme of ideal types which distinguish between three types of public reacrions to damage and disgrace. Central in these ideal types are the (legal) concepts of guilt, risk and precaution. Second, the article offers a critique of the precautionary prindple, the legal concept of such crudal importance in the precautionary culture. A major conclusion is that if the precautionary principle can no longer be removed from the present day legal and political culture, it should at least be radically revised in order to remove some of its major shortcomings.

La aseguración como proceso de gestión y producción de riesgos. Entre la normalidad y la excepcionalidad política en la seguridad

“…Este concepto plantea las nociones de riesgo externo y riesgo fabricado, correspondientes a factores (im)previsibles que se imponen a causa de las propias decisiones humanas (Giddens, 1997). En la idea del riesgo, los daños derivados de acciones llevadas a cabo en situaciones de incertidumbre ya no se interpretan como «el resultado de un acto moralmente erróneo atribuible conforme al esquema de la responsabilidad individual», pues «el daño es visto como un inevitable efecto colateral de una actividad útil» (Pieterman, 2001: 149) 1 . Es decir, se pasa a hablar de un daño de origen difuso, donde el alcance de las actividades individuales por sí solas se diluye ante una «irresponsabilidad organizada para producir bienes productivos y simbólicos» (Beck, 1998: 39).…”

Mobile Phones and Service Stations: Rumour, Risk and Precaution

“…The mobile phone rumour and associated restriction is not an exotic urban legend that existed only in Cyberspace. The story thrived, and the restriction continues because of the wider context of a precautionary culture (Pieterman, 2001). Guarding against all risks, significant or remote, through blanket restrictions can erode distinctions and elevate the remote to the same level as the significant.…”

Téléphones portables et stations-service

“…Cette légende urbaine n'a pas existé que dans le cyberespace. L'histoire s'est développée et l'interdiction se maintient dans le contexte culturel plus vaste imprégné du principe de précaution 60 . Vouloir éliminer tous les risques, minimes ou sérieux, au moyen d'interdictions générales peut conduire à gommer les distinctions, et à mettre sur le même plan le risque minime et le risque sérieux.…”