Teaching GuideTerm
Faculty of Sociology
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Grao en Socioloxia
 Subjects
  Risk, culture and environment
   Contents
Topic Sub-topic
LESSON 1: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIZING ABOUT RISK Elements of the notion of risk. The notion of risk in the risk-cost-benefit analysis. Technical approach to risk. Psychological approach to risk. Sociological approach to risk. Conceptions of risk. Social nature of risk. Socio-cultural theories of risk. Risk, uncertainty and scientific knowledge. The precautionary principle. Risk communication and public opinion. Risk governance.
LESSON 2: RISK SOCIETY AND REFLEXIVE MODERNIZATION Risk as a new modernity. What is reflexive modernization? Risk society. Risk and reflexivity. Risks and uncertainties. Processes of "individualization". The emergence of sub-politics. Towards a new modernity: a greater differentiation, the model of the "round table" and the reform of rationality.
LESSON 3: ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS The construction of the division between nature and society. The instability of the concept of nature. The social construction of nature. The construction site of environmental issues. Science and social construction of environmental risk. The governance of environmental problems. The political transformation of modern environmentalism. The politics of nature. Environmentalism and globalization.
LESSON 4: TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS Sociological perspective on technology. Theory of socio-technical change. A network analysis of technical change. The social construction of facts and artifacts. The resistance to new technology. The thesis of "normal accident". Winner: technology as legislation or the political content of technological systems.
LESSON 5. RISK ASSESSMENT Risk and rationality. The role of the expert in risk assessment. Objectivity and values in risk assessment. Five dilemmas in the risk assessment. Strategic issues in risk assessment. The strategy of perceived risk and the opinion of the experts. The probabilistic strategy and democracy. The utilitarian strategy and uncertainty. The strategy of production. The isolationist strategy. New directions in risk assessment.
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