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Risk and Blame: Essays in Cultural Theory
Abstract
The idea of risk has recently risen to prominence in political debate and in matters of public policy. Cognitive psychology treats decision-making as a private personal act but in real life, dangers are presented in standardized forms which pre-code the individual's choices. This collection follows on from the programme for studying risk and blame that was implied in the book "Purity and Danger". The first six essays in this book argue that any analysis of risk perception that ignores cultural and political bias is worthless. For the sake of a mistaken idea of objectivity, research on risk perception tries to avoid politics, the idea of nature is inherently politicized. The next five essays range over questions in cultural theory. A culture is viewed as a way of life which standardizes concepts and values. It is held steady by the institutions in which it is articulated. Questions of autonomy, credibility and gullibility, the social origins of wants, and the recognition of distinctive thought styles are at present only beginning to be treated systematically in a framework. This book should be of interest to undergraduates, postgraduates and academics of social anthropology, philosophy, political and cultural theory.
... A number of researchers have shown how today's Western society is governed by a risk-taking mindset that transforms people into at-risk individuals (Beck 1992;Douglas 1986Douglas , 1994Ericson et al. 2000;Lupton 2023). A key point is how morality and politics have a decisive impact on what and who is considered to be at risk, and furthermore how it will be the experts' perceptions of risk that form the basis for political measures and that make some people appear to be at risk (Mik-Meyer and Villadsen 2014). ...
... A key point is how morality and politics have a decisive impact on what and who is considered to be at risk, and furthermore how it will be the experts' perceptions of risk that form the basis for political measures and that make some people appear to be at risk (Mik-Meyer and Villadsen 2014). Among other things, Mary Douglas shows how risk cannot be understood isolated from what is considered dangerous and how this is conditioned by politics and morality as cultural phenomena (Douglas 1994). ...
... With reference to Douglas, we can therefore ask what dominant mindset makes it riskier for children to have contact with their parents than not to have contact. What kind of societal morals and cultural policies designate child welfare parents as dangerous individuals (Douglas 1994;Mik-Meyer and Villadsen 2014)? ...
This article discusses contact and interaction between children, siblings and parents after a care order. We have collected and analyzed audio recordings of discussions between child welfare employees in Norway. In these meetings, the employees discuss and decide the extent and organization of visits and contact between parents and children under public care. Visitation mainly emerges as a risk in the discussions and thus as something that must be limited. This article shows how this risk can be seen in the context of a political or moral discourse in which these parents are given an identity and a position as “dangerous”. However, there are some exceptions. In these exceptions, parents emerge as significant and important, and contact is seen as an opportunity for the child. Here, it is the risk of not having contact that stands out.
... Our theoretical framework in this study is underpinned by Mary Douglas's (1992) sociocultural approach to risk as a historically and socially situated form of social control and regulation. Douglas' sociocultural theory of risk differs from dominant top-down theories of risk such as those of Beck or Foucault that frame risk as a distinctly modern form of governmentality resulting from globalisation and growing reliance on scientific expertise to govern and discipline human action and knowledge about society (Alaszewski, 2021). ...
... Pertinent to these community-oriented approaches, Douglas (1992) instead focuses on the role risk plays at a community level by considering how it is deployed to (re) configure the relationship between centre and periphery amongst members in a particular community (Douglas, 1992). Douglas contends that risk is associated with danger and othering processes that are pronounced where tensions emerge between the centre and the periphery (Douglas, 1992). ...
... Pertinent to these community-oriented approaches, Douglas (1992) instead focuses on the role risk plays at a community level by considering how it is deployed to (re) configure the relationship between centre and periphery amongst members in a particular community (Douglas, 1992). Douglas contends that risk is associated with danger and othering processes that are pronounced where tensions emerge between the centre and the periphery (Douglas, 1992). ...
Risk identification has been at the heart of media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Less consideration has been paid to the way that the media itself has (re)produced these risk categories, and how this has changed over the course of the pandemic. The aim of this article is to understand how risk has been constructed in the Aotearoa, New Zealand news media over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reports findings from a longitudinal media analysis of mainstream news media articles (n = 388) published in the first week of March 2020, March 2021 and March 2022. Underpinned by a socio-cultural theoretical understanding of risk, we conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the 22 most relevant articles from a week of coverage during each month of March. Our analysis identified three key themes by which we characterise the discussions of risk as these developed from 2020 to 2022: (1) Subjects of risk; (2) Spaces of risk; and (3) The nation facing risk. We conclude that the dominant frame surrounding risk was one of mutual risk and solidarity. We suggest future policies around pandemic risk mitigation must attend to both the range of competing risks as well as the different epistemologies (including scientific and indigenous worldviews) informing risk. We suggest that researchers, policy makers and reporters involve the voices of those ‘at risk’ into their publications. This analysis shows the value of taking a sociocultural analysis of risk as it is framed within a particular national-cultural context.
... For instance, the statement, "nipping problems in the bud" found in Reforming and Revitalising (2007, p22) suggests there is no room for error within this policy hence the inevitable use of the control model of rehabilitation thus making the practice of rehabilitation explicitly punitive. More so, Douglas (1992) contends the promise to protect which confirms the existence of threat, thereby legitimising anxiety. Robinson and McNeill (2004) and McNeill (2010) suggest that, an over-reliance on risk managerial process will result in failure to rehabilitate the offender. ...
... He highlights that both the state and social workers have a duty to promote social justice and it is after this that constructive punishment which is aimed at letting the offender understand the effect of their offending and the need for a change or reparation, can be pursued. Douglas (1992) contends the promise to protect which confirms the existence of threat, thereby legitimising anxiety. Robinson and McNeill (2004) and McNeill (2010) suggest that, an over-reliance on risk managerial process will result in failure to rehabilitate the offender. ...
This research has set out to investigate the current over-population of prisons in Scotland. Using a narrative approach to literature, it has evaluated, summarized and drawn conclusions on sources identified. It has analyzed current penal policy in Scotland through the lens of the philosophies of punishment, exploring how the theories identified translate from policy to practice and from practice to the lived experiences of service-user. The research findings suggest that culture of risk aversion and the use of short term prison sentences have contributed significantly to the current prison populations. This research argue further that the risk approaches do not only infringe on the rights of the vulnerable but seem to be more expensive than the rehabilitation approaches in terms of the budgetary allocations for prisons and community services. It also opinioned that the Presumption Against Short Periods of Imprisonment (Scotland) Order 2019 and section 17 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 have the potential to increase the current prison population, therefore, consideration should be given to repealing it as it defeats the purpose of the Community Payback Order.
... Uma recente descoberta da ciência ou uma inovação tecnológica resulta em uma infinita possibilidade de futuros, aos quais pouco somos convidados a opinar sobre e avaliamos ainda menos as incertezas desses caminhos. A despeito dos benefícios envolvidos, as pessoas, em diferentes níveis, estão se sentindo mais expostas e submetidas a mais riscos (Douglas;Wildavsky, 2012). Não é de estranhar que o risco tenha se tornado objeto e conteúdo de políticas curriculares para educação em ciências (Schnorr;Ranniery, 2021). ...
... Essa percepção ampliada do risco é influenciada pelos meios de comunicação, pela ciência e por instituições políticas, que moldam a forma como as pessoas compreendem e respondem às incertezas. Desde Mary Douglas (1994), somos convidados a olhar para como as normas, valores e tradições colocadas em riscos manifestam uma condição de insegurança e incerteza. Mudanças climáticas, aquecimento global, queimadas das florestas, acidentes ambientais e pandemias são termos que promovem essas discussões, pois parte da população observa e interage com essas problemáticas, seja de alcance local ou global. ...
Educar na sociedade contemporânea implica enfrentar desafios complexos. Assim, este estudo visa investigar o encontro da teoria da sociedade do risco na formação de professores de biologia, especificamente no contexto do Programa Institucional de Bolsa de Iniciação à Docência (PIBID). Ao longo de 18 meses utilizamos diferentes instrumentos para a produção dos dados: formulário investigativo, cartas reflexivas, sequências didáticas e portfólios. A análise foi realizada utilizando a abordagem da análise temática, em que identificamos três eixos analíticos, permitindo investigar diferentes dimensões desse encontro. Os resultados indicam a importância de incorporar as noções de risco e complexidade na formação de futuros educadores para lidar com as incertezas do mundo atual, problematizando os modos como ensinamos biologia em uma sociedade de riscos.
... Within daily practices, alongside rituals, uncertainty-related emotions played a crucial role in developing various strategies to manage people's concerns (Alaszewski & Coxon, 2009;Caiata-Zufferey, 2012). Fear, guilt and empathy among other emotions, significantly influenced individual and collective reactions to risk and 'contaminated' the imagery of daily existence (Douglas, 1966;1992;Gantiva et al., 2021). These emotions were also central to the public's adherence to safety measures and their strategies for managing concerns (Bergamo, 2024). ...
... Meanwhile, slightly older young professionals narrated a more complex emotional landscape marked by caution, frustration, and empathy. Fear and guilt were relevant in understanding how young people responded to the lowered COVID-19 risk and the uncertainty that followed, whereby their subjectivity appeared to be expressed and developed according to prevailing moral and ethical values, illustrating Douglas's argument that emotions play a central role in the social construction of risk (Douglas, 1966;1992). Indeed, the age cohorts within our study, particularly the youngest (those aged 18 to 25), adhered to recurring patterns of the Italian family as an essential institution. ...
... Sua concepção expandiuse no contexto dos jogos de azar, e posteriormente foi incorporada na economia, engenharia, epidemiologia e ciências sociais. Sua noção é própria da modernidade, que enfatiza a incorporação cultural da noção de probabilidade (Douglas, 1992). ...
A obra traz um rico panorama dos conceitos recorrentes na pauta feminista e das mulheres e vai além, apresentando temas e significados em sua dimensão histórica, política e social. Estão explicados fenômenos que envolvem os vários aspectos, tipos e cenários das violências e também formas de resistência, além de informações sobre análises científicas que ampararam a criação de procedimentos, normas, abordagens e técnicas que hoje estão regulamentados e em funcionamento em diversos setores públicos de forma regular e/ou ainda embrionária. Além disso, houve uma preocupação importante: passar aos leitores as mais importantes noções sobre conceitos de liberdade, direitos humanos, justiça, aspectos da educação masculina que levam à prática da violência e outros temas. O ‘Dicionário’ é o resultado de um trabalho que reuniu muitas vozes: mais de cem colaboradores, pesquisadores e/ou profissionais de universidades, agências governamentais, serviços públicos de saúde, seguridade social, segurança pública, jurídico-policiais e organizações não governamentais trabalharam coletivamente na escolha de verbetes significativos e na elaboração dos mesmos.
... This anger, as villagers believe, can manifest in various ways -cursed crops, sickness in livestock, or even death. This aligns with research on indigenous risk perception, which highlights the fear of upsetting the balance between humans and the spirit world Douglas (1992). When human economic pursuits are perceived as exploitative, the Dohjung uyu's resentment builds, potentially leading to dramatic displays of anger through storms, floods, and landslides. ...
This paper investigates the co-evolution of human-forest relations and the agency of spirits (uyu) among the Nyishi tribe inhabiting Arunachal Pradesh, India. We argue that the Nyishi belief system, particularly the concept of uyu, offers a unique lens through which to understand forest management practices and contemporary ecological challenges. Uyu are categorized into benevolent and malevolent classes, with the Dohjung uyu playing a central role in narratives concerning human interactions with the forest. Jhum cultivation and hunting are conceptualized as a form of exchange with the uyu, and ethical considerations are embedded within the Nyishi belief system. The ongoing transformation of the region, marked by out-migration, economic shifts, and Christianization, presents both opportunities and challenges for the future of human-uyu relations and forest sustainability in the Nyishi highlands.
... However, it is insufficient to conceptualize risk on probability and based on (Western) rationality only. Anthropologist Mary Douglas emphasizes the social construction of risk and shows its moral underpinning and relationship with blame [36]. Based on her work, several studies have tried to articulate these theories by analyzing the tools and techniques for managing risks, and how they shape social interactions [37,38]. ...
Systemic radionuclide therapy (SRT) using substances such as ¹⁷⁷Lu is an approach in cancer treatment that aims to destroy malign tissues by injecting radionuclides directly into patients’ bodies via the bloodstream. This treatment connects benefits of care with risks related to radioactivity. Our research conducted in French hospitals shows that managing risk is an integral part of SRT, spanning from implementation, hospitals’ protocols, specific management, hospital settings, and training, to the individual experiences of health professionals and patients who are both exposed to radioactivity. This article argues that understanding how risks are managed in SRT not only requires making them identifiable, quantifiable, and calculable through medical devices in the context of evidence-based medicine, but also necessitates fostering trust throughout the treatment. This article explores and provides insights into three intertwined dimensions of trust in risk management: epistemic, (inter)-organizational, and interpersonal.
... Επιπλέον, η έννοια του ρίσκου (όπως κι αυτές της ασφάλειας και των ορίων) αποτελεί μια κοινωνική κατασκευή η οποία βασίζεται πάνω σε ατομικές αντιλήψεις και υποκειμενικές αξιολογήσεις καταστάσεων και πιθανοτήτων (Douglas, 1992;Sandseter κ.ά, 2020). Η παραδοχή αυτή συνεπάγεται και διαφορές στον ορισμό του ρίσκου και του ριψοκίνδυνου παιχνιδιού από κουλτούρα σε κουλτούρα (και κατ' επέκταση στις ευκαιρίες που δίνονται στα παιδιά) (Sandseter & Sando, 2016). ...
Ερευνητές από διαφορετικά πολιτισμικά πλαίσια συζητούν ολοένα και περισσότερο σχετικά με την ισορροπία μεταξύ της ασφάλειας των παιδιών κατά το παιχνίδι και της ανάγκης τους να ρισκάρουν και να δοκιμάσουν τις δυνάμεις τους σε διάφορα επίπεδα. Από πρόσφατη αναζήτηση στην ελληνική βιβλιογραφία προέκυψε ότι οι έρευνες που μελετούν το ριψοκίνδυνο παιχνίδι των παιδιών στο ελληνικό νηπιαγωγείο είναι περιορισμένες. Μέσα στο πλαίσιο αυτό, η παρούσα έρευνα στόχο της είχε να διερευνήσει πώς αντιλαμβάνονται την έννοια του ριψοκίνδυνου παιχνιδιού Έλληνες και Ελληνίδες νηπιαγωγοί και κατά πόσο το επιτρέπουν ως είδος παιχνιδιού στους χώρους του νηπιαγωγείου. Στην έρευνα συμμετείχαν 20 εκπαιδευτικοί που εργάζονται σε δημόσια νηπιαγωγεία και η συλλογή των δεδομένων έγινε με ημι-δομημένες συνεντεύξειςΟι συνεντεύξεις απομαγνητοφωνήθηκαν και η επεξεργασία τους έγινε με τη μέθοδο της θεματικής ανάλυσης. Από την ανάλυση των δεδομένων προκύπτει, μεταξύ άλλων, ότι οι συμμετέχοντες, ως ριψοκίνδυνο παιχνίδι ορίζουν συμπεριφορές των παιδιών που θεωρούν ότι ενέχουν κίνδυνο για τη σωματική ακεραιότητά τους, όπως για παράδειγμα το ανέβασμα στα τραπέζια ή τα παγκάκια της τάξης, ο συνωστισμός σε παιχνίδια της αυλής ή το σκαρφάλωμα σε δέντρα και κατασκευές. Ενώ στην πλειονότητά τους οι εκπαιδευτικοί φαίνεται να αναγνωρίζουν τον ενθουσιασμό των παιδιών όταν ρισκάρουν στο παιχνίδι και να μπορούν να διακρίνουν τα οφέλη που πηγάζουν από αυτές τις δράσεις, ταυτόχρονα φαίνεται να φοβούνται τον «υπέρμετρο ενθουσιασμό αυτής της ηλικίας» και προσπαθούν να τον τιθασεύσουν με απαγορεύσεις οι οποίες επιβάλλονται, ως επί το πλείστον, προκαταβολικά. Τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας συζητούνται από την οπτική της επαγγελματικής ανάπτυξης των εκπαιδευτικών.
... Isso pode gerar um ciclo vicioso, no qual grupos marginalizados são frequentemente culpabilizados por problemas que estão além de seu controle, enquanto aqueles(as) em posição de autoridade continuam a manter sua dominação. Ao culpar um grupo ou pessoa impopular por eventos indesejados, aqueles(as) que estão em posição de autoridade podem evitar críticas e consequências que poderiam recair sobre si (Douglas, 1994). ...
Resumo O objetivo do presente artigo foi analisar processos de responsabilização e culpabilização entre pessoas com diferentes filiações institucionais e comunitárias envolvidas no melhoramento urbano de um assentamento precário cuja implementação enfrentou atrasos e problemas variados. As notas de campo foram os recursos utilizados para registro das interações, e a análise de cunho qualitativo, indutivo e discursivo enfocou as atribuições, posicionamentos e jogos de poder identificados. Os resultados mostram o uso de diferentes estratégias de evitação e atribuição de responsabilidade e culpa no processo e sua relação com o exercício do poder e os posicionamentos de autoridades governamentais, pessoal da área técnica, conselheiros e moradores(as) do local. Conclui-se que o estudo complexifica o entendimento das atribuições de culpa e responsabilidade em uma perspectiva discursiva.
... Risiko er ikke en objektiv størrelse som gjør at barnevernsarbeidere alltid vet hvordan handle, selv om fenomener som vold mot barn kan lede oss til å tro det. Ved å innta et historisk og prosessuelt perspektiv trer det tydelig frem at det er nødvendig å forholde seg refleksivt til tolkninger og beslutninger, som alltid vil vaere sammenvevd med normative og moralske vurderinger (Douglas, 1992). Grensedragninger blir trukket, og på veien vil noen defineres å vaere innenfor normaliteten, andre utenfor. ...
Sammendrag
I dagens samfunn stilles det store forventninger til foreldrerollen, og det å tilegne seg
ekspertkunnskap har blitt selvsagt for dagens foreldre. Det rådende foreldreskapsidealet er
barnesentrert og intensivt langs flere linjer: det er økonomisk kostbart, emosjonelt krevende,
og den tette oppfølgingen av barna er tidsintensiv. Samtidig som det finnes mye kunnskap om
foreldrepraksisers betydning for barns velferd, har det også blitt rettet kritikk mot at det er en
fare for å behandle foreldreskap som et kontekstløst fenomen.
Denne avhandlingen har en kritisk og problematiserende tilnærming, og handler om hva som
skjer når barnevernet nettopp forsøker å få foreldre til å endre seg i tråd med dominerende
kunnskap og normer for hva som utgjør godt foreldreskap. Relasjoner mellom foreldre med
ulik klassebakgrunn og barnevernet er et sentralt analytisk utgangspunkt, og den overordnede
problemstillingen er: Hvordan utspiller normer for foreldreskap seg i en norsk
barnevernskontekst?
Det empiriske materialet for studien består av en spørreundersøkelse besvart av 256 foreldre i
kontakt med barnevernet, samt kvalitative intervjuer med 37 av disse foreldrene. I tillegg inngår
kvalitative intervjuer med 16 barnevernsarbeidere som var i kontakt med 21 av de samme
foreldrene. I en av artiklene blir én families kontakt med barnevernet benyttet som empirisk
utgangspunkt, og her inngår det også et intervju med barnet i familien sammen med foreldrenes
og barnevernsarbeiderens intervju.
Avhandlingen består av fire artikler. I Artikkel 1 undersøkte vi om det var sammenheng mellom
foreldrenes sosioøkonomiske status og deres foreldreskapspraksiser. Analysene viste både
foreldre med høy og lav sosioøkonomisk bakgrunn, svarte at de hadde høy grad av
involverende / positive foreldrepraksiser, noe som kan sies å være i tråd med dagens
foreldreskapsidealer. Men analysene viste også at lav sosioøkonomisk bakgrunn likevel var
assosiert med noe høyere grad av positive / involverende foreldrepraksiser enn for foreldre med
høy sosioøkonomisk bakgrunn. Dette viser et litt annet mønster enn det som har vært rapportert
for den generelle populasjonen av foreldre som ikke har kontakt med barnevernet.
I artikkel 2 blir normer for foreldreskap tematisert med utgangspunkt i to barnevernsarbeideres
narrativer om én middelklassefamilie hver som de har vært i kontakt med i sitt arbeid. Analysen
viser hvordan de ofte tatt-for-gitte middelklassenormene kan spilles ut i barnevernets
konstruksjoner av foreldrenes identitet. Begge familiene posisjoneres som ressurssterke, og
barnevernsarbeidernes narrativer viser kjønnede og klassede beskrives av foreldrene, som
sammenfaller med dominerende normer for intensivt morskap. Analysene viser hvordan
(middelklasse)idealet for foreldreskap normaliseres, noe som også involverer konteksten for
foreldreskapet, slik som eksempelvis levekår. Foreldrene gis stort aktørskap, og barnevernet
får en noe mindre rolle. Metaforisk så vi på interaksjonen slik den utspilte seg, som seremonier
som opprettholder foreldrenes status.
Artikkel 3 handler om uintenderte konsekvenser dreiningen mot foreldreskapet kan få i
interaksjonen mellom barnevernet og familier som har komplekse levekårs- og
helseutfordringer. Artikkelen er basert på intervjuer med foreldre, barn og saksbehandler i
samme barnevernssak, og viser hvordan normer for foreldreskap kan utspille seg som en
kraftfull form for makt, på tross av gode intensjoner. Stigma som fenomen kommer til uttrykk
i kategoriseringer og nedvurderinger av foreldrene, og er også tett sammenvevd med politiske
beslutninger om økonomisk omfordeling. Foreldrenes (og barnets) perspektiver ble devaluert,
og barnevernet la til en viss grad begrensinger for deres aktørskap. Samtidig var det rom for å
utfordre stigma: Barnevernsarbeideren demonstrerte noe refleksivitet knyttet til sine moralske
nedvurderinger av foreldrenes livsstil, og foreldrene gjorde også motstand mot stigmamakten
de opplevde.
Mens de tre første artiklene på ulikt vis tematiserer normenes formative potensiale i
barnevernskonteksten, vier jeg artikkel 4 til å først og fremst tematisere foreldrenes rom for å
handle annerledes. Fenomenet hverdagsmotstand blir utforsket både empirisk og teoretisk.
Foreldrene i utvalget gjør motstand mot intervensjoner (eller mangler på det) og mot å bli
posisjonert som ikke-vitende i interaksjon med barnevernet. De gjør motstand mot normer for
foreldreskap, eksemplifisert med normer knyttet til hvordan gå kledd, psykologisering og
profesjonalisering av foreldreskapet, og normer for matlaging. Motstand betyr ikke
nødvendigvis at foreldre er misfornøyde med barnevernet som helhet, eller at de tar total
avstand fra rådende normer for foreldreskap. Jeg argumenterer for at motstand bør bli akseptert
og anerkjent som en viktig og naturlig del av dynamikken i barnevernet, og som et uttrykk for
agens som det er viktig å ta på alvor.
Samlet sett kan barnevernets rolle i samfunnet sees som del av en del av en lengre historisk
prosess for sivilisering av foreldreskapet. Avhandlingens kan leses som et bidrag til å tilby
kunnskapsalternativer, og siviliseringsperspektivet dreier seg ikke om hvorvidt barnevernets
intervensjoner er legitime eller ikke. Avhandlingen har illustrert at det naturligvis er mange
prosesser som foregår samtidig, og normer for foreldreskap utspiller seg på ulikt vis i møte
mellom ulike foreldre og barnevernet. Foreldre generelt synes imidlertid å tilegne seg de
rådende normene for godt foreldreskap. Samtidig viser avhandlingen at å behandle motstand
som et eget ontologisk fenomen, også åpner opp for andre kunnskapsalternativer enn det å først
og fremst studere maktutøvelse, noe som lenge har vært en tradisjon innen kritisk
barnevernsforskning. Med dette håper jeg å kunne bidra til å i større grad forene
motstandsstudier og sosialt arbeid, og med det bidra til å «åpne opp» motstand som fenomen i
sosialt arbeid.
Summary
In today's society, the expectations of parenthood are high, and acquiring expert knowledge has
become second nature for modern parents. The prevailing ideal of parenting is child-centered
and intensive in multiple dimensions: it requires financial investment, emotional involvement,
and time-consuming oversight of children’s activities. While there is extensive knowledge
about the importance of parental practices for children's well-being, critiques have also
emerged about the risks of viewing parenting as a decontextualized phenomenon.
This dissertation adopts a critical and exploratory approach, examining what occurs when child
welfare services seek to guide parents toward changes aligned with prevailing norms and
knowledge on good parenting. The study’s analytical focus is on relationships between parents
from various socioeconomic backgrounds and child welfare services, framed by the
overarching research question: How do parenting norms unfold within a Norwegian child
welfare context?
The empirical material consists of survey responses from 256 parents involved with child
welfare services, as well as qualitative interviews with 37 of these parents. Additionally,
qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 child welfare workers who had interactions with
21 of the same parents. One of the articles focuses on one family's experience with child welfare
services as an empirical case study, including an interview with the child, alongside interviews
with the parents and the child welfare worker.
The dissertation comprises four articles. In Article 1, we examine the relationship between
parents' socioeconomic status and their parenting practices. The analysis demonstrated that
both parents with high and low socioeconomic backgrounds reported high levels of involved
and positive parenting practices, consistent with modern parenting ideals. However, the
analysis also indicated that parents with lower socioeconomic backgrounds displayed slightly
higher levels of positive and involved parenting practices compared to parents with higher
socioeconomic backgrounds. This finding diverges somewhat from patterns observed in the
general population of parents not in contact with child welfare services.
In Article 2, parenting norms are explored through narratives from two child welfare workers
about their work with middle-class families. The analysis revealed how assumed middle-class
norms can shape child welfare's constructions of parental identity. Both families were portrayed
as resourceful, and the child welfare workers’ narratives reflected gendered and classed
descriptions of the parents, aligning with the dominant ideal of intensive motherhood. The
analysis demonstrated how the (middle-class) parenting ideal is normalized, extending beyond
parental behaviors to include contextual aspects like living conditions. The parents were
granted considerable agency, while child welfare services assumed a more background role.
We interpreted these interactions metaphorically as status maintenance ceremonies.
Article 3 addresses unintended consequences that can arise when child welfare services
emphasize parenting in their interactions with families facing complex living and health
challenges. Based on interviews with parents, children, and caseworkers involved in the same
case, this article shows how parenting norms can impose strong forms of control, even when
well-intentioned. Stigmatization occurred through categorizations and derogatory portrayals of
the parents and was deeply intertwined with political decisions on economic redistribution. The
perspectives of both parents and children were often marginalized, with child welfare services
potentially placing constraints on the family members’ agency. However, there were also
opportunities to challenge this stigma: the child welfare worker exhibited some reflexivity
about their moral judgments of the parents' lifestyle, and the parents resisted the stigmatization
they experienced.
While the first three articles address the formative influence of norms in the child welfare
context from various perspectives, Article 4 primarily examines parents’ capacity to act
differently. This article explores the phenomenon of everyday resistance both empirically and
theoretically. The parents in the sample resisted interventions (or lack thereof) and challenged
being positioned as uninformed or uninvolved in interactions with child welfare services. They
also resisted certain parenting norms, such as expectations around dress, the psychologization
and professionalization of parenting, and norms around cooking. However, resistance does not
necessarily imply that parents are dissatisfied with child welfare services as a whole or that
they entirely reject prevailing parenting norms. Rather, I argue that resistance should be
recognized as a natural, valuable dynamic within child welfare services, representing an
expression of agency that deserves serious consideration.
Viewed as a whole, the role of child welfare services in society may be understood as part of a
broader historical process aimed at civilizing parents. The dissertation can be read as a
contribution to alternative knowledge perspectives, with the civilizing perspective not aiming
to address the legitimacy of child welfare interventions. The dissertation illustrates that while
parenting norms unfold differently across interactions between parents and child welfare
services, parents generally seem to embrace the predominant ideals of good parenting.
Furthermore, by treating resistance as a distinct ontological phenomenon, the dissertation offers
alternative perspectives beyond the traditional focus on power dynamics, which has long been
a central theme in critical child welfare research. In doing so, I hope to foster greater integration
of resistance studies within social work and to “open up” resistance as a recognized
phenomenon in the field.
... Fatalistic actors have also been called "isolates" (e.g. Douglas, 1992, 105, Douglas, 2005. Mitterrand, described by Verweij (2011, 168:n185) as a fatalistic leader, actively promoted null interactions among his staff; "they were not encouraged to get together (in fact they were discouraged from developing joint viewpoints)." ...
We contribute to the understanding of social relationships within cultural contexts by proposing a connection between a social theory, relational models theory (RMT: Fiske 1991, 1992) and a social and political one, cultural or plural rationality theory (PRT: Douglas, 1982, Thompson et al., 1990). Drawing examples from the literature of both theories, we argue that each relational model of RMT may be implemented in ways compatible with each cultural bias of PRT. A cultural bias restrains the range of congruent implementations of relational models, but does not preclude any relational model altogether. This stands in contrast to earlier reconciliation attempts between PRT and RMT. Based on hypothetical one-to-one mappings, these attempts expect each cultural setting to be significantly associated with some, but not all, relational models. The framework we develop helps explain the findings of these previous attempts and provides insights into empirical research by clarifying which associations to expect between relationships and cultural contexts. We discuss the theoretical basis of our framework, including the idea that RMT and PRT apply to different levels of analysis: RMT's relational models are tied to relationships between two actors and PRT's cultural biases to structures of social networks.
... A percepção de risco, essencial para mitigar impactos, depende de fatores como a qualidade das informações e a percepção do impacto potencial, conforme Douglas [1994] e Wilkinson [2001]. No contexto educacional, essa percepção é afetada pela integração da IA como especialista no processo pedagógico, organizando vastas áreas do ambiente social e material, como sugere Giddens [1991]. ...
Esta pesquisa explora o tema da Inteligência Artificial (IA) sob a ótica dos riscos da modernidade tardia, segundo Ulrich Beck e Anthony Giddens. No que tange à elaboração de conteúdo acadêmico didático, há receio de que as chamadas alucinações da IA possam induzir a uma cadeia de equívocos capazes de prejudicar a formação discente e coube a esta investigação verificar se mediadores de disciplinas de Letras na modalidade EAD demonstram alguma percepção deste risco, o que é fundamental para que possam mitigá-lo. Este estudo investiga, portanto, a partir da visão dos mediadores, os riscos percebidos e os benefícios esperados em prol da educação, mostrando que o desconhecimento de riscos é um sério desafio para o emprego crítico da IA na educação.
... The ground is base, harsh, quotidian and dirty and the skateboarder is in constant physical interplay, with the ground feeling the contours and texture through vibrations (Glenney, Boutin, and O'Connor 2023). Applying a symbolic schema in line with the work of Mary Douglas (1984Douglas ( , 1992 we can consider the ground as impure, dirty, and polluted. The propensity for skateboarders to roll, play, and fall amidst the profane city skin becomes part of their own symbolic association. ...
This paper contributes to the development of psychoanalytical
theory in sport philosophy. It addresses the work of Carl Jung and
notes the paucity of discussion on his thinking in the realm of sport. Jung’s thought is proposed as a fertile realm for analysis of action sports through a case study of skateboarding. The archetype of the trickster is presented as a productive trope to frame skateboarding and attend to some of its conceptual ambiguities. Addressing symbolism, the taxonomy of skateboarding is presented as liminal, corresponding to attention between the poles of polluted urban streets and the effervescent lightness of the air. The trickster archetype is further explored in the frame of urban sociology and the collective unconscious, and through the therapeutic possibilities of skateboarding as a tool in individuation. The article concludes by highlighting the potential for Jung’s thought in further discussion on action sport and sport more broadly.
... Interestingly, our results point to an element which was absent from the naturalization model [3]: the importance of othering in the validation phase. Othering is a recurring reaction to perceived risk [72,73], including epidemics [9,10,74], because the self/other theme often lies at the root of common sense, shaping how we make sense of issues in the social world [27]. This importance of othering is particularly acute in the representational divide relating to the Freedom Convoy because both the media and Facebook page administrators were confronted with a representation that contradicted their own. ...
During the month-long “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa (Canada), protesters were ascribed many attributes (violent, extremist, hateful, disinformed) which they refuted. Protest organizers insisted the Freedom Convoy was peaceful, loving, and included “average Canadian citizens fighting for freedom”. This research is interested in the construction of this representational divide and its consequences. It analyzes the polarized social representations of the COVID-19 Freedom Convoy by using social representation theory, and more specifically, Negura and Plante’s model of “naturalization”. News articles (n = 516) from Canadian media and Freedom Convoy organizers’ Facebook posts (n = 611) were submitted to a rhetorical frame analysis. Results show how communications from organizers and the media both contributed to the naturalization of conflicting representations by (1) associating the movement with a desirable/undesirable identity, (2) neglecting nuanced perspectives, (3) instrumentalizing their representation to justify the legitimacy/illegitimacy of the protest, and (4) validating the representation by focusing on incidents that ratified the Freedom Convoy’s “goodness” or “badness”. We argue that this single protest became two opposed and morally charged “objects” impossible to reconcile, which prevented dialogue. Social implications of polarized naturalizations during epidemics are discussed.
... Care and risk appear as two sides of the same coin and are innately intertwined. Risk is a context matter (Castree et al. 2014) and culturally perceived (Douglas 1992, Wisner et al. 2004, Sherry et al. 2018, Oliver-Smith and Hoffman 2020 and subjectively defined (Gagné 2020). It strongly contradicts the explanation of modernity (Vedwan 2006), which emphasizes quantitative facts and figures (Innis 2008). ...
In the Himalayas, human beings have developed several behaviors and practices in the process of adaptation to the harsh environment. The theme of the paper is to explore the notion of care through the local practices of caring for standing crops. The paper is based on the more than nine-month-long ethnographic study in the Nhāson Valley of Nepal. The findings reveal that caring for standing crops is not just rooted in technical rationality imposed by external agencies; it is cultivated in the concept of ethics of saving to save and respect for others’ property. The beliefs and practices of caring for standing crops reveal that the landscape is not only for humans and animals but also for divine beings, whose presence must be recognized and acknowledged when discussing human-nature relationships. The study challenges the reductionist approach of these relationships by focusing on how farmers’ workaday practices like fencing; implementing social regulations; and performing rituals bring science and society together. This integration creates a resilient and robust ecological framework for environmental study.
... More recent psychological research has homed in on factors such as affective reactions, emotions, and worldviews in risk perception (Dickert et al., 2014;Magnan et al., 2021;Raile et al., 2022;Siegrist & Árvai, 2020;Slovic, 2010). Another broad approach has focused on risk perception as an element or outcome of cultural and social processes (Beck, 1992;Douglas, 1992;Giddens, 1994;Johnson & Swedlow, 2021;Lupton, 1999). The social amplification of risk framework (SARF) integrated many of these ideas about risk perception (Kasperson & Kasperson, 1996;Kasperson et al., 1988Kasperson et al., , 2022Pidgeon et al., 2003). ...
The way political identity serves as a foundation for political polarization in the United States permits elites to extend conflict rapidly to new issue areas. Further, the types of cognitive mechanisms and shortcuts used in the politically polarized information environment are similar to some of those used in risk perception. Consequently, political elites may easily create partisan risk positions, largely through politically focused social amplification of risk. The COVID‐19 pandemic provided a natural experiment for testing predictions about such risk politics. We asked questions about pandemic‐related views, behaviors, and policies at the outset of the pandemic in April 2020 and again in September 2020 via public opinion surveys. Our data and analyses focus primarily on a single state, with some analysis extended to four states. We begin by demonstrating strong linkages between political partisan identification on the one hand and support for co‐partisan elites, use of partisan information sources, and support for co‐partisan policies on the other hand. We then find evidence that pandemic risk positions correspond with partisan information sources and find support for a mechanism involving partisan‐tinted evaluation of elite cues. Partisan risk positions quickly became part of the larger polarized structure of political support and views. Finally, our evidence shows on the balance that partisan risk positions related to the pandemic coalesced and strengthened over time. Overall, while self‐identified Democrats consistently viewed the coronavirus as the primary threat, self‐identified Republicans quickly pivoted toward threats to their freedoms and to the economy.
... Discourses of blame can work to responsibilities through specifying where, what and whom should be subject to disease control measures (Abeysinghe & White, 2011). Underlying ideas and sociopolitical tensions may influence where blame is placed, as existing divisions in society may simultaneously be reinforced and deepened (Douglas, 1992). This echoes what Abeysinghe and White (2011, p. 318) found in how Australian media represented affected low-income nations as showing little action and insufficient management of avian influenza, rather than situating the emerging challenges within the structural and historical production of inequality that had led to scarce public health resources. ...
... The result, as Malier also suggests, is that the social groups "with the least impactful lifestyle on the environment" are also the ones that are "moralized in the most intrusive and resolute manner" (Malier 2019(Malier : 1677. In this way, discourses of environmental responsabilization can reinforce particular understandings of "the other", with dominant groups erecting barriers in order to keep "polluting" forces out (Douglas 1992). ...
“Vulnerable others”, such as forced migrants, are often perceived and presented as problematic subjects, in that they would not easily conform to western, privileged notions of environmental sustainability. Grounded on ethnographic insights from refugees and social workers in the North of Italy, this article explores imaginaries, institutional encounters, and everyday experiences of refugees’ participation in the so-called sustainable transition. In this context, an adequate care for domestic environments emerges as one of the main tenets in the mission of socializing migrant bodies to ideals of environmental responsibility. Attending to the inherent ambivalences of normative notions of care and eco-friendliness, I engage in a reflection on how new and diverse orientations towards “sustainability” are formed and enacted in everyday life. At the same time, I show how the growing public significance of sustainable development is transforming paradigms and landscapes of conditional inclusion.
... In so doing, we analyse whether the perceptions and management of housing risk in policy practices enhance housing inclusion for refugees. Our application of the concept of risk involves an understanding that risks are socially constructed and vary depending on social, political, cultural, and historical contexts (Douglas, 1992;Hilgartner, 1992;Latour, 1996). A contrasting view emphasises the individual her/himself as a carrier of risks, i.e., a risk object, which entails a focus on identifying and treating the various characteristics that are deemed to place an individual more at risk (e.g., Parsell & Marston, 2016). ...
This article examines the concepts of “housing risk” and “responsibilisation,” and their impact on housing inclusion for refugees in a northern Swedish municipality. The interviews reveal that local policies often fail to recognize the welfare state’s responsibility to ensure housing for refugees, instead shifting this burden to social workers, individuals, and informal networks. Social workers face ethical dilemmas in balancing their roles as defenders of housing rights and extensions of the welfare state. The findings suggest that the discursive framing of refugees as “risky objects” reflects an ideology that discourages their long‐term settlement and silences housing inequality. Consequently, managing refugees’ housing risks through responsibilisation practices, rather than addressing systemic inequalities and national political failures, risks backfiring. The study calls for a reevaluation of housing policies by acknowledging housing inequalities and incorporating social workers’ insights and local conditions outside metropolitan areas.
... Understanding risk as situation-specific and embedded belongs to a social-constructivist discourse on risk. It emerged from the work of Mary Douglas (1986;1992), who did not think that risk should be seen as an artifact. This view has been concerned with how risk is always embedded in an institution and negotiated by actors, making it impossible to talk about risk as something objective. ...
In his article ‘Selective incapacitation revisited’, Thomas Mathiesen (1998) addresses the dominance of a technical and scientific language associated with the risk prediction culture that originated from a criminological research community where risk is considered as objective and measurable. In this article I discuss how practitioners perceive these aspects of risk prediction. For policymakers, targeting means using thresholds to target groups of offenders, but for frontline officers, it means targeting an individual. The officer must set an individualised assessment against the aggregated assessments from risk predictions. I will analyse how this has manifested in three Norwegian risk assessment projects: the offender assessment system, risk assessment of violent extremism, and early intervention to prevent youth crime. This article contributes to the understanding of how the political aspects of risk impact practitioners, and how the concept of risk as an artifact is understood by practitioners. I will first present the context of selective incapacitation and the history of research in this field. I will then contextualise the different understandings of risk within policy and practice. The main section is an analysis of the three cases. I end by discussing how acknowledgement of the political aspects of risk can promote sensitivity around the use of risk assessment tools.
... Citing Dryzek (1995), he notes the then-recent emergence of a "risk industry." He cites Douglas (1992) for his guiding principle that is there is no such thing as a blame-free risk. Thus, risk casts politicians into a "blame game" from which they cannot escape. ...
Scholars have not asked why so many governments created ad hoc scientific advisory bodies (ahSABs) to address the Covid-19 pandemic instead of relying on existing public health infrastructure. We address this neglected question with an exploratory study of the US, UK, Sweden, Italy, Poland, and Uganda. Drawing on our case studies and the blame-avoidance literature, we find that ahSABs are created to excuse unpopular policies and take the blame should things go wrong. Thus, membership typically represents a narrow range of perspectives. An ahSAB is a good scapegoat because it does little to reduce government discretion and has limited ability to deflect blame back to government. Our explanation of our deviant case of Sweden, that did not create and ahSAB, reinforces our general principles. We draw the policy inference that ahSAB membership should be vetted by the legislature to ensure broad membership.
... The most prominent theories concerning risk perception are the psychometric paradigm (Fischhoff et al. 1987) and cultural theory (Douglas 1992). These theories posit that individuals employ cognitive heuristics to simplify and categorize information, leading to biases in risk comprehension. ...
Communication campaigns addressing radon-related health risks havestruggled to promote health-protective behaviour effectively. Typicallyframed as a ‘naturally occurring gas ’, this study explores whether thisframing might attenuate radon risk perception. It compares the impactof framing radon as an ‘indoor air pollutant’ versus a ‘natural gas’ on riskperceptions and on intentions to protect against radon. It also exploresthe role of perceptions of the burdensomeness of mitigation, self-efficacyand stigma as potential moderators of the framing effect for healthprotection intentions. Using Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI),2,012 stratified respondents, representative of the Slovenian adult pop -ulation, completed a survey. Respondents were randomly assigned toone of two radon frames: ‘indoor air pollutant’ or ‘natural gas ’. Resultsreveal low compliance to test and mitigate radon, regardless of residingin high- or low-risk areas. Risk perception was significantly higher whenframed as ‘Indoor air pollution.’ However, the ‘natural gas’ frame resultedin slightly stronger intentions to test and mitigate radon. The impact offraming on intentions was significantly moderated by (a) perceptions ofthe burdensomeness and (b) the stigma. In conclusion, how radon riskis framed in communication strategies needs careful attention, as itinfluences risk perception and individuals’ intentions to take action.
... Unlike in the clinic or in other support groups where healthcare professions were present, patients on the Facebook group became an authority on the condition, enabling them to co-construct what Barrett's esophagus might be. The platform enabled members to work daily to challenge the definition of "risk" as synonymous with danger (Douglas 1992), instead emphasizing the possibility offered for avoiding the danger apparently inherent in the concept. A 10% risk of developing cancer suggested also a 90% chance of avoiding cancer, they affirmed. ...
This book explores the pervasive anticipation of catastrophe in contemporary society, examining how temporal expectations shape personal and collective experiences and influence our perspectives and responses.
A Time of Disastrous Anticipations highlights the role of anticipation in shaping societal narratives, exploring strategies for redefining responses to catastrophic imaginaries. Through a combination of theoretical insights with practical examples, it offers a comprehensive view of anticipation’s impact in contemporary society. The vista of disastrous anticipations reveals that catastrophe is not so much a matter out of place, but primarily a matter out of time.
Targeted at scholars, students, and professionals in sociology, disaster studies, and public policy, this book is also valuable for policymakers and practitioners interested in understanding the societal dimension of disaster anticipation.
A szülés és születés biológiai meghatározottságán túl – mint minden státuszváltáshoz kapcsolódó esemény – kulturálisan meghatározott. A jó kezdet „minden dolgok kezdete”-ként (Deáky – Krász 2005) valamennyi kultúra számára alapvető értékeket jelenít meg. Ez az értékrend jellemző módon túlmutat a magzatra, az újszülöttre és az édesanyára vonatkozó utalásokon, s érvényessége kiterjed arra a világszemléletre, amelybe az adott szüléskultúra ágyazódik. Elméleti írásomban arra teszek kísérletet, hogy összevessem a premodern, a modern és a posztmodern szüléskultúrák szemléletmódját – amely megközelítésekre valamennyi rendszerben a jó szülés és jó születés biztosítékaként tekintenek. Tanulmányomban amellett érvelek, hogy noha a posztmodern szülésmódok átemelnek elvi és gyakorlati elemeket a premodern, „hagyományos” szüléskultúrák rendszereiből, s legitimációs alapként is tekintenek rá, mondanivalójuk kifejezetten posztmodern, értékrendjük posztmaterialista. A szülésben részt vevők szerepeinek értelmezése, a gyakorlat mögött meghúzódó elméleti háttér elemzése jó lehetőséget szolgáltat a premodern, a modern és a posztmodern szüléskultúra egymáshoz való viszonyának jellemzésére.
Apart from its biological determination, just like every other occasion related to a change of status, birth and parturition are also determined culturally. The good beginning, as „the conception of all things” (Deáky – Krász: Minden dolgok kezdete, 2005) displays values fundamental to all cultures. Characteristically, these values go beyond the references regarding the foetus and the mother, and unfold onto the ideology in which the specific birth culture is embedded. In this theoretical writing I attempt to compare the perspectives of pre-modern, modern and post-modern birth cultures – these approaches are regarded as ensuring factors to successful birth by every system. In this study I argue that although post-modern methods of parturition adapt theoretical and practical items from the systems of pre-modern, „traditional” birth cultures, and view them as a substructure of legitimacy, their substance is categorically post-modern, and their values are post-materialistic. The interpretation of the roles of the participants in childbirth, and the analysation of the theoretical background behind the practice give a good opportunity to describe the relationships between pre-modern, modern and post-modern birth cultures.
Keywords: birth, birth cultures, approaches of birth, value systems, authority
Juvenile recidivism remains a persistent challenge in Zimbabwe and Eswatini and the world at large, with rising cases of children reoffending despite going through rehabilitation to mend their behaviors. This study adopts a decolonial lens, exploring the causes of recidivism amongst the juveniles and appreciating the culturally sensitive strategies for reducing the phenomenon. Drawing on indigenous knowledge ways and restorative justice principles, this research investigates theinterconnectedness of community participation, social justice and culture. The study utilized a qualitative approach; data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Juvenile offenders were engaged, the community eldersand also professionals such as social workers, psychologists and superintendents from rehabilitation homes who worked withthe juvenile offenders in Zimbabwe and Eswatini. Data collected from participants revealed that factors such as poverty,negative peer influence, mass media, poor parental skills, poor implementation of reforms and substance abuse are causingchildren to reoffend. The findings highlight the limitations of colonial-era justice systems and the potential of decolonial community interventions to reduce recidivism amongst juveniles.
KEY WORDS: recidivism, juveniles, decolonisation, rehabilitation, community-centered, justice
Juvenile Recidivism remains a persistent challenge in Zimbabwe and Eswatini and the world at large, with rising cases of children reoffending despite going through rehabilitation to mend their behaviors. This study adopts a decolonial lens exploring the causes of recidivism amongst the juveniles and appreciating the culturally sensitive strategies for reducing the phenomenon. Drawing on indigenous knowledge ways and restorative justice principles, this research investigates the interconnectedness of community participation, social justice and culture. The study utilized a qualitative approach, data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Juvenile offenders were engaged, the community elders and also professionals such as social workers, psychologists and superintendents from rehabilitation homes who worked with the juvenile offenders in Zimbabwe and Eswatini. Data collected from participants revealed that factors such as; poverty, negative peer influence, mass media, poor parental skills, poor implementation of reforms and substance abuse are causing children to reoffend. The findings highlight the limitations of colonial- era justice systems and the potential of decolonial community interventions to reduce recidivism amongst juveniles.
KEY WORDS: recidivism, juveniles, decolonisation, rehabilitation, community-centered, justice
صدر عن المجلس العربي للعلوم االجتماعيّة
بناية علم الدين، الطابق الثاني
شارع جون كينيدي، رأس بيروت
بيروت، لبنان
2024 ©
هـذا العمـل متوفـر تحـت رخصـة المشـاع اإلبداعـي نسـب المصنـف 4.0 دولـي (CC By 4.0). وبموجب هـذه الرخصـة، يمكنك
نسـخ، وتوزيع، ونقـل، وتعديـل المحتوى مـن دون مقابل، شـرط أن تنسـب العمـل إلى صاحبـه بطريقة مناسـبة (بمـا في ذلك
ذكر اسـم المؤلف، وعنـوان العمـل، إذا انطبقت الحالـة)، وتوفير رابـط الترخيص، وبيـان إذا ما أجريـت أي تعديالت علـى العمل.
لمزيد من المعلومات، الرجاء مراجعة الترخيص هنا: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
إن ّ التســميات المســتخدمة فــي هــذا الكتــاب وطريقــة عــرض المــواد فيــه ال تعبّــر ضمنًــا عــن أي ّ رأي للمجلــس العربــي للعلــوم
االجتماعيّــة بشــأن الوضــع القانونــي ألي ّ بلــد أو إقليــم أو مدينــة أو منطقــة، وال بشــأن ســلطات هــذه األماكــن أو رســم
حدودها أو تخومها.
إن ّ الأفــكار والآراء الــواردة فــي هــذا الكتــاب هــي آراء المؤلفيــن/ات ولا تعبّــر بالضــرورة عــن وجهــات نظــر المجلــس العربــي للعلوم االجتماعيّة، ولا تلزمه بها.
The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the basic premises of the governmentality theory of risk, alongside key concepts in Foucault?s work on which it is based. According to this theory, the risk discourse represents a technology of power of neoliberal governmentality. Furthermore, the aim is to examine the functioning of the risk discourse in this context, using the example of epidemiological risks. It is hypothesized that the epidemiological risks can be understood as a means of neoliberal governmentality implemented within the new public health, as proponents of this theory suggest. This hypothesis is explored by reviewing the relevant literature on this topic in general and recent research on the COVID-19 pandemic and governmentality. The paper demonstrates that epidemiological risks represent manifestations of neoliberal governmentality carried out through discourse on risk.
Climate change education is a complex and controversial undertaking in the United States given the federated nature of educational policy and the partisan nature of climate change discourse. Despite international treaty obligations, the United States struggles to implement climate change education across its educational sector. This article examines the political and geographic factors at play in the standardization of climate change science education in Delaware. Using a geographically representative sample of science teachers, we explore the specificity of NGSS-informed climate change science standards enactment, including its relationship to both voting patterns and individual teacher politics. We show how teachers' political orientation and cultural worldview shapes climate change education independent of local context, raising important questions about professional ethics and the limitations of standards-driven science education reform during a time of intense partisan science denial and socially organized misinformation and dis-information campaigns. Specifically, we find that local political context has no effect on reports of teaching practice; instead, a science teacher's political orientation influences if and how they enact NGSS-driven climate change science education reforms. We conclude with considerations for the field of climate change science education given the social and political realities of the modern United States educational system.
Este artículo es una traducción autorizada de la obra original: “Dialogic Politics and the Civilising Process” publicada en Review of International Studies, volumen 31, número 2, páginas 327-348, por Cambridge University Press. DOI: 0.1017/S0260210505006507.
The contemporary approach to security increasingly recognizes the significance of social dynamics in shaping the security environment. This article explores how the concept of the social world, as theorized by Adele Clarke, integrates with the three streams of security culture and Talcott Parsons' theory of the social system to provide a comprehensive understanding of security. The analysis emphasizes the role of social interactions, norms, and collective actions in defining and managing security, highlighting the interplay between different social groups, institutions, and cultural norms. By examining cases such as armed conflicts, cybersecurity, climate change, and migration, the article illustrates the practical application of these theoretical frameworks. Understanding the social world as a primary component of the security environment is essential for addressing contemporary global challenges and fostering the development of stable and secure societies.
Risk governance integrates science, social rights, and democratic principles to address risks and uncertainties. It encompasses risk assessment, management, and communication, emphasizing empiricism, public participation, and diverse knowledge systems. Political, cultural, and societal factors shape risk perceptions, requiring multi-actor, polycentric processes. Discursive practices adapt governance to socio-political contexts, particularly in the Global South, where risks are linked to uneven development. Effective risk governance balances scientific rationality with social consensus, fostering inclusive, sustainable approaches to managing technological, environmental, and societal risks. Risk governance transcends instrumental rationality, evolving through economic and social contexts. It is a flexible, multi-stakeholder framework integrating public and private actors, civil society, and non-state entities. Rooted in neoliberal governance and emphasizing shared values, it addresses uncertainties by balancing public perception and institutional action. As a counterbalance to state power, civil society enriches governance through democratic engagement and advocacy. Practical risk governance adapts to complexity, integrating diverse perspectives to ensure resilience, accountability, and inclusivity in managing risks and uncertainties. Risk governance aligns with welfare policies in the global south, emphasizing democratic justice to counter socio-economic exclusions and foster resilience. Risk governance integrates risk assessment, management, and communication within adaptive frameworks addressing systemic risks and uncertainties. Combining institutional theory and polycentric approaches, adaptive governance emphasizes stakeholder participation, social capital, and dynamic responsiveness to disaster and climate challenges. It redefines governance by aligning environmental, economic, and political systems to evolving vulnerabilities and risks.
The article examines the process of the development and complication of risks, starting with the transition from the traditional society to the “risk society” and the “world risk society” and further to the modern society, the essential features of which, according to the anthroposociocultural approach of N. I. Lapin, are “synergistic complexities”. They represent realities as the result of a nonlinear process of their formation in the context of the past, present and future. Their immanent essence is manifested in the self-development, self-organization and hybridization of nature, society, technology, which is expressed in the emergent effects of instability, inequality, and dynamic chaos that cover all the spheres of human life. As a result, risks become qualitatively more complex – they ultimately acquire the synergistically complex nature. However, at all stages of their development, the content of risks is determined not only by global trends of the transformation of the universe, but also by local national factors and the genotype of country’s culture. Seven types of synergistic complexities established in the new Russia and the synergistically complex risks that correspond to them are considered and analyzed. To diagnose these types of risks, the author’s nonlinear humanistic sociological imagination is proposed.
Health governance during pregnancy is grounded in cultural norms about good mothering, which centre around self-sacrifice and perceived conflicts between maternal and fetal bodies. Nonetheless, many health choices in pregnancy should have mutual benefits and risks for maternal and fetal bodies, including vaccination during pregnancy. This manuscript presents results from a discourse analysis of 440 texts about vaccines that are recommended in pregnancy in Canada, including inactivated influenza, tetanus-diphtheria-acellular-pertussis, and COVID-19 vaccines. Texts include publicly available online information (e.g., webpages, printouts, posters, videos, and other materials) developed by various authoritative institutions (e.g., public health services, professional organizations, vaccine manufacturers). This study contributes to feminist and risk theorist critiques of public health discourse by exploring how texts deploy emotionally laden technical discourses that govern pregnant individuals towards divergent goals. Specifically, they are governed towards socially desirable health decisions (e.g., vaccination acceptance) and towards agonizing over decision-making as “good mothers.” I analyze how texts pursue this divergent governance in three ways, by deploying discourses that reify conflict between maternal and fetal bodies, organizing the work of making choices around gendered power relations, and activating emotions around mothering responsibilities. My analysis compares how such governance differs across products by available evidence and by the intended purpose of vaccination to protect maternal and/or fetal bodies. I conclude by discussing the value of combining governmentality and cultural approaches to risk theory to understand how the interface of public health and mothering discourses reproduce power relations, and suggest recommendations on how to lessen that reproduction.
Contemporary societies are dominated by the discourse of the risk which refers to potential threats associated to feelings of insecurity, uncertainty, and fear, introduced by modernization itself (Beck, Risk society. Towards a new modernity. Sage, 1992, p. 21) and instigated by the mass media. The concept of risk can, however, connote other dimensions. Austen (The social construction of risk by young people. Health, Risk & Society, 11(5), 451–470, 2009, p. 452) states that “now risk taking is much more diverse, not centred on survival but pleasure and the relief of boredom. In this sense risk taking is now regarded as fun, a way of coping with the increased instabilities and uncertainties of living at risk”. The author highlights that young people in the new millennium face a wider scope of uncertainties (being at risk) and choices (risk taking) on how to run their lives. On the one hand, they are regarded as autonomous and knowledgeable and, on the other, as dependent and passive (p. 452).
Theoretical frameworks about risk have been influencing many discourses (economic, technological, political…) and social groups, an example being young people’s risk management (Cieslik & Pollock, Introduction: Studying young people in late modernity. In M. Cieslik & G. Pollock (Eds.), Young people in risk society: The restructuring of youth identities and transitions in late modernity. Routledge Revivals, 2002/2018). This chapter aims at carrying out a critical analysis of perceptions of risk associated to the negative dimension of fear and insecurity, which is widely accepted. It, thus, searches for elements that can give answers to the question how do young people perceive risk?, to determine appropriations anchored in the life of the Other, the young, as an example of a specific context.
In terms of methodology, the chapter adopts a qualitative approach to research as action that places creative intervention (photography, graphic representation, writing) at the centre of empirical observation, as a form of expressing worldviews. The research sample includes a group of young people and is examined to understand how the concept of risk can suggest different appropriations and how artistic intervention can promote individuals’ awareness of their participant voices.
How popular culture shapes attitudes towards workplace health, safety and wellbeing (WHSW) has received little attention in the literature. The chapter provides the rationale for examining whether some aspects of workers’ HSW are trivialised (if at all) in the Australian construction and renovation reality television show, The Block. Adopting an observational approach, the entire Season 16 (2020) (n = 50 episodes) was critically reviewed to assess the level of trivialisation of both identifiable hazards and low order controls. The observations focussed on workplace activities generally perceived or deemed as not high risk or not likely dangerous in the traditional WHSW sense. This introductory chapter sets the scene for the chapters to follow and provides the structure of the study. It also provides definitions that inform the research and provides the scope for the undertaking. It also presents a justification for exploring the convergence of reality TV and construction work and identifies the study’s limitations.
Two theoretical underpinnings which guide this research are explained in this chapter. The first is the cultural theory of risk perception. This theory is applied to The Block because wider moral questions are posed about categorising workplace practices within a social discourse. The second theoretical underpinning guiding this study is trivialisation as a mode of dissonance. The result of this dissonance is to reduce the activities to trivialisation because they are not seen as risky or unacceptable actions (Simon et al., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 68: 247, 1995). These theories assist in explaining why the individual on The Block potentially reduced the importance of certain elements of WHSW.
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