Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity"Ulrich Beck's panoramic analysis of the condition of Western societies has already been hailed as a classic. This first English edition will take its place as a core text of contemporary sociology alongside earlier typifications of society as postindustrial, and current debates about the social dimensions of the postmodern. Western industrial society is widely seen to be going through a decisive transitional period into a form defined variously as 'post-Enlightenment', 'post-Fordist' or 'postmodern'. Arguing that we are instead facing a different modernity typified by reflexivity, Ulrich Beck goes beyond these descriptions to provide a coherent picture of the direction of global social change. Underpinning the analysis is the notion of the 'risk society'. The changing nature of society's relation to production and distribution is related to the environmental impact, as a totalizing, globalizing economy based on scientific and technical knowledge becomes more central to social organization and social conflict. Within this framework, Ulrich Beck develops an overview of other key elements of current social development: the centrality of the political economy of knowledge; the changing roles of class and gender in a new work environment; and the politics (both personal and public) of the risk society. This major analysis of the present and future of modernity will be essential reading for students and scholars in sociology and general social theory." -- |
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acceptable action actual already alternative application areas arguments become beginning biography causes central century chemical civilization claims concept connected consciousness consequences continuity course criticism cultural danger decisions demands democratic dependent determine differentiation direct discussion distribution economic effects employment equality essential established existence experience fact forces forms future groups growing hand hazards historical human increase individual industrial society inequality institutional interests knowledge labor market limited living longer means modernization nature objective occurs opportunities organization planning plants political pollutants positions possible practice principle problems production progress protection question rationality reality reflexive relations relationships remains risk society role scientific sense side effects situations social sphere standards structure systematically theory things threatens threats tion traditional transformation turn values wealth women
Popular passages
Page 13 - The gain in power from techno-economic 'progress' is being increasingly overshadowed by the production of risks. In an early stage, these can be legitimated as 'latent side effects'. As they become globalized, and subject to public criticism and scientific investigation, they come, so to speak, out of the closet and achieve a central importance in social and political debates. This 'logic...
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity Volume 17 of Published in association with Theory, Culture & Society Volume 17 of Theory, culture & society Theory, culture and society : explorations in critical social science |
| Author | Ulrich Beck |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | SAGE, 1992 |
| ISBN | 0803983468, 9780803983465 |
| Length | 260 pages |
| Subjects | › › Social Science / Sociology / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |