Abstract
Based on an overview of the history of risk from ancient Greece to the modern era, the chapter discusses some of the most influential perspectives on risk in contemporary social theory. This includes the (world) risk society perspective, the governmentality perspective, and the systems theoretical perspective. A claim is advanced that each of these perspectives highlights key aspects of risk and thus can be seen as contributing, when connected to other perspectives, a coherent understanding of the role risk plays in contemporary societies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Cambridge Handbook of Social Theory : Contemporary Theories And Issues |
| Editors | Peter Kivisto |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Place of Publication | New York/Cambridge |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Publication date | 17 Dec 2020 |
| Pages | 313-332 |
| Chapter | 16 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781107162693 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781316677452 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 17 Dec 2020 |
Keywords
- Danger
- Governmentality
- Insurance
- Risk
- Second-order observation
- Systems theory