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Description of the Module Items Description of the Module Subject Name Sociology Paper Name Contemporary Social Theory Description of the Module Items Description of the Module Subject Name Sociology Paper Name Contemporary Social Theory Module Name/Title Modernity, risk and reflexivity: Ulrich Beck Pre Requisites Concepts on risk and reflexivity by Ulrich Beck Objectives This module seeks to highlight the ideas and concepts of Ulrich Beck on modernity, risk society and reflexive modernization. Key words Risk, Reflexive Modernization, Risk Society Module Structure Modernity, risk and reflexivity: Ulrich Beck Introduction, The „Risk Society‟, Knowledge and Risk Society, Risk and Reflexive Modernization, Reflexive Modernization, Individualization, Criticism to Beck‟s Work, Conclusion, Summary References, Learn More. Role Name Affiliation Principal Investigator Prof. Sujata Patel Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad Paper Coordinator Dr. Dev Pathak Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, South Asian University Content Writer Amiya Kumar Das Department of Sociology, Tezpur University Content Reviewer Dr. Dev Pathak Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, South Asian University Language Editor Dr. Dev Pathak Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, South Asian University MODERNITY, RISK, AND REFLEXIVITY Risk Society and Reflexive Modernization: Ulrich Beck 1. Introduction Sociology is largely seen as an outcome of modernism emerged out of modernist philosophy and thinking. It took a proper disciplinary shape in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Forerunners of sociology discipline such as Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber were engaged in analysing the social changes that occurred in the modern period. „As a modernist project, it was committed to the idea that it was possible to produce reliable knowledge about society that human beings could use to shape their futures for the better‟ (Bilton et al 2002). In common understanding, „modern‟ means contemporary or newest. For sociologists, it is the advent of enlightenment philosophy or enlightenment movement clubbed with industrial revolution and scientific progress where reason and rationality became the buzzword. Modernist thinkers emphasised that this modernism emerged in Western Europe and others followed it, though this view is contested by many social thinkers. Along with the modernist idea, science and technology developed in an unpredictable way. People started questioning the religious institutions. Most people started governing themselves in tune with the modernist ideology where they thought they have control over their own life. Along with the advent of modernization process, society changed drastically mostly in the western part of the world. It had both advantages and disadvantages. The industrialization brought about development along with other forms of hazards and risks. Often in common parlance risk is defined as potential exposure to a given danger or hazard in terms of health and wealth. It is also sometimes regarded as anticipating uncertainty and it is mostly subjective in nature. In present times risk has taken a prominent place in the discourse of welfare for human beings. Mostly it is used in the context of health and wealth. In earlier days the risk was attributed to fate, luck, nature‟s fury and to some other types of supernatural powers. But because of the Enlightenment and modernity, reason and logic became important tool for analyzing social processes. They tried to find out causal relationship between all types of phenomena. Risk became a matter of scientific prediction rather than explanation on the basis of supernatural powers. In recent times risk can be anticipated from not only hazardous industries, but also from a kind of lifestyle where we use too much of electronic devices from cooking instruments to use of mobile phones. Risk is also attached to the wellness and illness behaviour. After the prominence of AIDS and other types of fatal diseases, health is also exposed to risks. 2. The ‘Risk Society’ The concept of Risk Society was mainly developed and conceptualised by German sociologist Ulrich Beck and later expanded by Anthony Giddens and Niklas Luhmann. Though Giddens‟ ideas on risk society have similarity with Beck‟s, Luhmann differs from Beck‟s approach in his ideas. In common understanding it denotes to the modern society‟s engagement and response to the element of risk. Giddens points out that mostly the risk is used in the negative connotation. „The word refers to a world which we are both exploring and seeking to normalise and control‟. Essentially, “risk” always has a negative connotation, since it refers to the chance of avoiding an unwanted outcome‟ (Giddens 1999: 3). Giddens traces back to the origins of risk society to two fundamental transformations which are affecting the lives of the people. Each is connected to the increasing influence of science and technology. The first transformation he calls it as the end of nature; and the second one is the end of tradition (Giddens 1999). Giddens talks about the initial phase of human civilization where people were threatened by forms of natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, plagues, droughts and so on. Now, since last few decades, humans worry about what they have done to nature. This transition makes one major point of entry in risk society. Giddens emphasises on the distinctions should be made between „risk‟ and „hazard‟. He suggests we must differentiate risk from hazard or danger. He stresses that though life in the middle ages was hazardous, there was no notion of risk. In the medieval period people were more dependent on god or supernatural power to save themselves from the fury of nature. Giddens emphasizes that the idea of risk is associated with the aspiration to control the future. When the whole society is preoccupied with future and its safety, it generates the notion of risk. According to Giddens, the idea of risk was first used by western explorers when they ventured into exploring geographical space through water ways. The word risk refers to both exploration and seeking to normalize and control the future. Giddens argues that essentially, „risk‟ always has a negative connotation as it refers to the chance of avoiding an unwanted outcome. But it has positive aspects as well, in terms of the taking of bold initiatives in the face of a problematic future (Giddens 1999). Ulrich Beck is considered as the pioneer of the idea on risk society and has substantial contribution to the idea of modernization and risk society. He views modernization and risk society to be closely related. He understands modernization as a process where changes took place due to rationalization and technological inventions. In the footnote he writes: Modernization means surges of technological rationalization and changes in work and organization, but beyond that it includes much more: the change in societal characteristics and normal biographies, changes of lifestyle and forms of love, change in the structures of power and influence, in the forms of political repression and participation, in views of reality and in norms of knowledge. In social science's understanding of modernity, the plough, the steam locomotive and the microchip are visible indicators of a much deeper process, which comprises and reshapes the entire social structure (Beck 1992: 50, footnote no.1). Confronting with the dangers of modernization, Beck suggested the concept of reflexive modernization. This concept will be discussed in the coming section. Relating the process of modernization and risk society, he defines risk society as „a systematic way of dealing with hazards and insecurities induced and introduced by modernization itself. Risks, as opposed to older dangers, are consequences which relate to the threatening force of modernization and to its globalization of doubt. They are politically reflexive‟ (Beck 1992: 21). Both Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens relate risk society to the advent of modernity. They develop the concept of reflexive modernization and reflexivity to understand how individual and society scrutinise itself. Both the sociologists argue that human civilization has been facing risk since early period in terms of natural disasters. But the modern society is facing risk in terms new kind of illnesses, crime, accidents which are offshoots of the modernization process. Beck points out that capitalist expansion and consumerism practices are also responsible for creating the condition of risk. Rich people might avert risk through certain kind of precautions by buying good food and water. But it is difficult to avoid the polluted air. He says it is the knowledge and information which is more useful than wealth to avert risk. Giddens argues that though risk is associated with a certain kinds of social practices, it also can be avoided by discipline and changed economic and consumption behaviour in the society. 3. Knowledge and Risk Society Both Beck and Giddens have strongly pointed out the role of knowledge in the risk society. How information and knowledge can put us away from the risk. Deborah Lupton in her book „Risk‟ categorizes risk society into the following theoretical categories. These are cognitive, socio-cultural, social constructionist theories on risk. 3.1 Cognitive Science Perspective Deborah Lupton holds the view that the cognitive science perspective is a kind of techno-scientific approach to risk, emerging from fields as engineering, statistics, and psychology and so on to calculate the probability of danger or hazard. She remarks that „risks, according
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