Edgework: The Sociology of Risk-Taking

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Stephen Lyng
Routledge, Dec 1, 2004 - Social Science - 320 pages
What do skydiving, rock climbing, and downhill skiing have in common with stock-trading, unprotected sex, and sadomasochism? All are high risk pursuits. Edgework explores the world of voluntary risk-taking, investigating the seductive nature of pursuing peril and teasing out the boundaries between legal and criminal behavior; conscious and unconscious acts; sanity and insanity; acceptable risk and stupidity. The distinguished contributors to this collection profile high risk-takers and explore their experiences with risk through such topics as juvenile delinquency, street anarchism, sadomasochism, avant-garde art, business risks, and extreme sport.
 

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About the author (2004)

Stephen Lyng is Professor of Sociology at Carthage College, and author (with David D. Franks) of Sociology and the Real World.

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