ULRICH BECK- RISK SOCIETY
Ulrich Beck (1992) coined the term 'risk society', which is used to describe the type of risks that
have primarily been created as a result of the industrialization and modernization processes.
Beck (1992) examined the hazards of pre-industrial society to see whether they are just as
damaging as the risks that we are facing in modernity.
(Ulrich Beck claimed that contemporary society is at the cusp of a transition between "industrial
society" and "risk society". Risk society, explained Beck, is "an inescapable structural condition
of advanced industrializaion" and "Modern society has become a risk society in the sense that
it is increasingly occupied with debating, preventing and managing risks that it itself has
produced." Beck contended that 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. Whereas in earlier class-based societies only the proletariat was victimized, in the
emerging worldwide risk society all groups - even the rich - are threatened. Beck made the
important point stressing that risk and class positions_overlap on national and international
Scales.
Ulrich Beck describes a paradigmatic shift from modernityto a "second modernity."He argues
that man-made, yet unwanted side-effects of modernity challenge the very basis of its
definition, producing growing societal uncertainties and thus leading to a new age where
people mUSt come to terms with the consequences of their actions. This ongoing process is
called "reflexive modernization." Reflexive does not mean "reflected'" or "conscious" in this
context: on the contrary, it refers to a "boomerang" effect, where mostly unplanned results of
(production) processes in modern societies backfire on these societies and force them to
change certainly nota consciously planned chain of events. As a result of this process, society in
the "second modernity" is no longer concerned with the distribution of power and wealth, but
instead with the way it handles risks. This influences the definition of societal groups as well: as
Beck described in The Risk Society, problems like ecological risks are not distributed according
to wealth, social milieus and strata, they affect societyas a whole. However, the ability to avert
risk is highly dependent on knowledge andinformation. here, mass media and journalismcome
into play by making these risks visible.)
The process of reflexive modernization challenges society and the individual alike. According to
Beck, it changes the way we work, the concept of the nation state, as well as the economic
basis of society. Overall, Beck sketches out second modernity as a non-linear, anti-determinist
time with competing, sometimes seemingly paradoxical developrments going onsimultaneously.
However, he also identifies political and social options in this process of dissolving norms and
changing power structures. So, Beck's theoretical work might be critical, but it is never
pessimistic: he understands sociology as ascience with political potential"/in opposition' to
many other contemporary sociologists.
danger, a danger that is cJused
the term risk' as asynonym for social security
uses
E, IKe most of society aspects of in aid of heightening
society, is
through the need of 'controlling' certain previously stated that ultimate security'
(Elliot, 2002). However, Beck (1999) had to Beck differs frorm the risk
risk' according
Unattainable to human beings. This 'pew which
pre-modern society: instead of 'risk' being generated by natural disasterS,
experience by individual
through the evolution of technology, and
ee seen as a 'stoke of fate', it has derived
choice.
than the production of wealth
LO oeCK the "production of risk has become more important
(AIDrow, 1996: 9). Here Beck introduces another key element to his debate, the idea of
'globalization'. He argues that the risk of nuclear rad1ation, many modern technologies, tne
greater mobility of diseases, global warming, and invasive species affects everyone, globaly.
Supported by Elliot (2002) who points out: that Beck mention even; the rich and powertul are
Unabie to avoid hazards such as global warming. ThuS, creating what Beck (1992) describes as
the boomerang effect', which simple means that even those who produced or once profited
Trom certain risks, will sooner or later be affected by them, thus, in effect, eliminating the
element of class inequalities.
This universal theory that Beck has created states that no one is safe from the harmful risk that
new-modernity predicted, it has emerged on aglobal scale, making boundaries seem irrelevant,
and for Beck this global scale was a by-product of 'reflexive modernization'. ThuS, seen as a
positive step forward on dissolving social inequalities, however with globalization occurring,
and the blurring of boundaries it led to social agents becoming more individualized.
In pre-modern SOciety it was stated that our lives were pre-destined, based on the chances
given at birth. However, under the notion of Beck's risk society', he argues that society is
reshaping its social structure and thus creating more individualized social agents,
Individualization leads to an increasing demand upon individuals, as well as increasing choice,
especially as there has been a breakdown of traditional certainties that were originally
structured through age, gender and social class, enabling society to be set free from the social
forms of industrial society. Generating more risk including "unemployment or
underemployment, marital instability and family breakdown, accompanied by high levels of
anxiety and insecurity."
Beck does state that certain groups of people are affected more than others by the distribution
andgrowth of risk. However, risk' has notsurpassed problems of inequality anddistribution of
goods, it has intensified them. For Marxist theoreticians the situation has become ambivalent;
onthe one hand income inequalities have remained unaltered, however the importance of the
socialclass system seems to have been significantly reduced.
He spspoke of a
of the new kind of
individual, capitaislism;the 'cap1talism without class, focusing
the result
transformed
personalfailure. 'novel of personalproblems the system lessened politically
into a of have
more on the
capitalism
and
Gender, Beck (1992) argued has experimentation' (Elliot, 2002: 7) allowing the 'risk'
strict also altered within
stereotypical ideologies. This is
divorce within society, which Beck areues primarily
society, there has been a breakdown of the
reflected through the increasing acceptance of
is the 'tran door'
Poventy as their
support and in essence stability through which women tal into e
is being reduced, and as a result; risk nas
become part of 'family life'.
tquality therefore, is challenged by'risk' because as a result of more decision making
within the
Tamily, there has become more of a need for the correct balance of their desires of
autonoy
and selt-expression, with their need for dependence and emotional stability that is established
through the dependence of asecure relationship. For Beck refers to the 'omni-dimensional'
inequality of genders; arguing that the ´epochal changes' that we have encountered regarding
law and education, are more apparent 'on paper' than the behavior and beliefs of society, and
rather than increasing equality, the paradoxical effect has intensified inequalities, with that
new 'personal risks', ike that of the insecurities related to employment and economy within
new modernity.
Individualization is therefore burdened with risk. With the breakdown of many of the
risks is
traditional certainties structured through age, gender and social class, a plurality of new
instability and family
generated, including unemployment or underemployment, marital
less certain
breakdown, accompanied by high levels of anxiety and insecurity. Life becomes
even while it is placed more under one's control.
structuring of
This move towards individualization does not mean that social inequalities or
Rather, in
opportunities through such attributes as clasS, gender or ethnicity have disappeared.
less obvious and
the face of individualization the influence of these structures has become
acknowledged as affecting life chances. Thus, this is the concept of risk society by Ulrich Beck.
