Risk and Culture: An Essay on the Selection of Technological and Environmental DangersCan we know the risks we face, now or in the future? No, we cannot; but yes, we must act as if we do. Some dangers are unknown; others are known, but not by us because no one person can know everything. Most people cannot be aware of most dangers at most times. Hence, no one can calculate precisely the total risk to be faced. How, then, do people decide which risks to take and which to ignore? On what basis are certain dangers guarded against and others relegated to secondary status? This book explores how we decide what risks to take and which to ignore, both as individuals and as a culture. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Risks are Hidden | 16 |
Risks are Selected | 29 |
Scientists Disagree | 49 |
Assessment is Biased | 67 |
The Center is Complacent | 83 |
The Border is Alarmed | 102 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Aaron Wildavsky Abalone Alliance acceptable action affinity group American Amish Anabaptist analysis Ankole argument Baruch Fischhoff behavior benefits border cancer carcinogens cause Chauncey Starr chemicals choice choose claim Clamshell Alliance coalitions commitment concern costs cultural bias dangers debate decision disaster economic environment environmental equality expect fear future hierarchist hierarchy Hima human Hutterites Ibid idea increase individual individualist industrial institutions internal intervener groups involuntary irreversible issues kind leaders leadership live lobbying Mary Douglas membership ment modern moral movement nature nuclear power Old Order Amish organiza organization Paul Slovic perception person physical political pollution beliefs present principles problems processes public interest groups questions regulations Richard Peto risk assessment risk averse safety scientists sect sectarian selection Sierra Club social system society strategies tarian theory threat tion values voluntary worry