Global Risks and Social Inequality: Critical Remarks on the Risk-Society Hypothesis

Abstract

Abstract: The consists of two related parts. In its first part, hypothesis views modern as being in a transition from societies to In its second part, it states modern undergo a process of individualization. Essentially, Ulrich Beck and others elaborate both parts of hypothesis with respect to industrial in general and to German in particular. Critics argue hypothesis misjudges relation between societal risk distribution, conflict, and social It fails to understand main reasons for risk-related in when it supposes basic characterizing risk are different from basic in class societies. It fails mainly because it ignores possibility of causal attributions and risk perceptions directly related to antagonistic (class) positions. As far as postulated process is concerned, risk hypothesis represents a peculiar mixture of supposedly right and wrong assumptions. The hypothesis seems quite right in assuming changing modes of social integration: Not so much traditional ties as market and competitive mechanisms determine social life, often advancing to its most private corners. The hypothesis fails, however, in its structural implications. In particular, view postulated trends question hierarchy model of social is neither theoretically convincing nor empirically tenable. Instead, neither exposition to global nor is likely to make more egalitarian. Furthermore, instead of assuming risk-societies overcome class conflicts, paper envisions emergence of a new risk-related cleavage in Introduction: The Risk-Society Hypothesis (1) The (Beck, 1992) views modern as being in a transition from societies to To Beck, class are scarcity societies concerned with the distribution of socially produced wealth and related conflicts (op.cit, p. 20). He states sooner or later in continuity of modernization social positions and of a `wealth-distributing' begin to be joined those of a `risk-distributing' society, and clarifies by is meant above all radioactivity, which completely evades human perceptive abilities, but also toxins and pollutants in air, water and foodstuffs, together with accompanying short- and long-term effects on plants, animals and people (op.cit, p. 22). Essentially, risk-society hypothesis implies a set of three related propositions, namely a globalization and conflict proposition concerning relationship between social inequality (the logic of wealth distribution) and risk (risk distribution), and a proposition concerning individualization of social inequality. (a) Globalization Proposition The globalization proposition states hazards in risk are modernization with an inherent tendency toward globalization. Though it is conceded the history of risk distribution shows that, like wealth, adhere to class pattern, only inversely, there exist broad overlapping areas between class and risk society to extent one is tempted to conclude risks seem to strengthen, not to abolish, class society. Although the possibilties and abilities to deal with risks, avoid them or compensate for them are probably unequally divided among various occupational and educational strata, Beck explicitly rejects conclusion that through these reflective and well financed dealings with old social inequalities are strenghtened on a new level. Instead, that does not strike at heart of distributional logic of (op.cit, p. 35f.). …