300075 Risk Regimes (Ü) (SoSe 2005)

Among the many demands facing the political system and its capacity for collectively binding decision-making is the regulation of various kinds of risks. This concerns prominently technologically induced risks for the environment, but also risks such as terrorism or dangerous dogs. One interesting feature of risk regulation is its selectivity: many possible threats are never characterised as risks and consequently never discussed in a political context. Furthermore, there are important differences concerning the ways of regulating risks, e.g. the varying demands for public participation or the organizational solutions employed. The seminar will analyse phenomena of risk and offer theoretical explanations for diverging ways of dealing with risks. It provides an introduction to the topic of risk from the point of view of the social sciences, including major theoretical approaches and the exemplary analysis of risk regulation regimes.

Requirements for participation, required level

This seminar will be held in English.

Bibliography

Nassehi, Armin, 2000: Risikogesellschaft. In: Kneer, Georg/Nassehi, Armin/Schroer, Markus (Hg.), Soziologische Gesellschaftsbegriffe. Konzepte moderner Zeitdiagnosen, 2. Aufl., München: Fink