Concepts of risk : a classification

Abstract

The need for social science perspectives in risk analysis and risk management is impeded by the fragmentation of the social sciences and the claim of exclusiveness or incompability with competing perspectives. This analysis has demonstrated that such a competition is neither theoretically compelling nor helpful. It has become evident that a novel and integrated framework is necessary to capture the full extent of the social experience of risk and to study the dynamic processing of risks by the various participants in a pluristic society. Such a novel approach cannot and should not replace the existing perspectives, but should instead offer a meta-perspective that assigns each perspective an appropriate place and function.