RISK UNCERTAINTY RATION ACTION (hb

by Ortwin Renn, Eugene A. Rosa, Thomas Webler

Winner of the 2000-2002 outstanding publication award of the Section on Environment and Technology of the American Sociological Association.Risk as we now know it is a wholly new phenomenon, the byproduct of our ever more complex and powerful technologies. Socially, ecologically and institutionally, it requires more than just a set of analytical tools. It demands a new way of looking at technological and environmental uncertainty.The authors present a fundamental critique of the prevailing approaches to understanding and managing risk - the' rational actor paradigm'. They show how these must incorporate the competing interests, values and rationalities of those involved and find a balance of trust and acceptable risk. The result is a comprehensive and enormously significant new theory of risk and uncertainty and of the decision making process they call for. The implications for social, political and environmental theory and practice are enormous.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001