Deadline extended!!!

Due to the high amount of abstracts submitted the definite deadline for the Call for Papers has been extended to Tuesday 8th January.


Call for Papers

TG04  'Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty'
The End of Rationality? The Challenge of New Risks and Uncertainties in the 21st Century

First ISA Forum on Sociology
'Sociology and Public Debate'
Barcelona, September 5-9 2008

The human request and need to control an uncertain future for decision making and to prepare for possible harms as well as the desire to explore the unknown and extending knowledge and abilities are as old as the human existence (Bernstein). They brought forward a huge range of institutional and individual strategies among which instrumental rationality and statistical probabilistic calculation is central for modern societies (Weber, Ewald). It is controversial to what extent we currently face a crisis of instrumental rationality and statistic-probabilistic techniques (Beck) or whether we rather experience a change in cultural priorities or moral values (Douglas). Increasing risk communication might mainly result from a change in governmental power and regulation (O'Malley; Rose) or a lack of an overall integrative rationality (Luhmann). 

The streams of the Thematic Group (TG04) on The Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty invites papers which focus on the variety of institutional and individual strategies to manage risk and uncertainty and in particular papers which focus on questions of social change.

Session-streams
Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty and Public Debate 
Rationalities of Governance and Regulation 
Risks in Financial Markets 
Risk and Health and Illness 
Social Work and Risk 
Risk and Crime and Prevention 
The Morality of Risk - Risk Moralities 
Power, Democracy and Risk 
Risk as Media Event 
Socio-Cultural Differences 
Risk, Difference and Social Inequality 
The Everyday Management of Risk 
Biographical Coping with Risk and Uncertainty 
Edgework and Voluntary Risk Taking 
Risk in Decision Making 
Theorizing Risk and Uncertainty 

Please send abstracts by 8 January 2008 to [log in to unmask]

The overall topic of the conference Sociology and Public Debate is addressed in a session on the "Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty and Public Debate". 
Chair: 
Peter Taylor-Gooby ([log in to unmask]), SSPSSR, SCARR, University of Kent, UK
Keynote(s): N.N.

A special focus of this conference is on "Rationalities of Governance and Regulation". An introductory session will give an overview on this area of research. Since governance and regulation is an interdisciplinary topic contributions from different disciplines are welcome such as sociology, political science, social legal studies etc. 
Chair: 
Bridget Hutter ([log in to unmask]), LSE, UK
Keynote(s): 
Tom Baker University of Connecticut, USA and/or Jonathan Simon ([log in to unmask]) University of California, Berkeley, USA. 
Peter Lunt ([log in to unmask]) Brunel, UK.
Peter Taylor-Gooby ([log in to unmask]), SSPSSR, SCARR, University of Kent, UK Bridget Hutter ([log in to unmask]), LSE, UK

In this context a stream on "Risks in Financial Markets" will focus on the organisational and individual strategies and forms to control the risks and uncertainties of financial markets. This involves the institutional strategies to control organisational activities as well as financial managers' behaviour and can be seen in contrast to individuals' action patterns and interests which might resist to or dodge social regulation.
Chair: 
Helena Flam ([log in to unmask]) Univeristy of Leipzig, Germany
Keynote(s): 
Jocelyn Pixley ([log in to unmask]) University of New South Wales, Australia

The link between institutional framing and individual strategies is central for the two streams on "Risk and Health and Illness". One will focus on institutional control strategies while the second stream addresses patient's coping strategies. Of particular importance are papers which can systematically link both. These topics are especially relevant where controversies on the reformation of the health sector as in Britain or Germany are ongoing and better knowledge is urgently required.
Chair: Andy Alaszewski ([log in to unmask]), CHSS, University of Kent, UK
Keynote(s): 
Judith Green, ([log in to unmask]) London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK Nick Pidgeon, ([log in to unmask]), University of Cardiff, UK Annmarie Ruston ([log in to unmask]) Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK

In several domains (health and illness, psychiatry, social care, social work, crime prevention) calculative probabilistic strategies compete with non-formalised professional expertise. The sessions on "Social Work and Risk" and "Risk and Crime and Prevention" invites papers which focus on the competing rationalities and their impact on professional practice.
Chair for Social Work and Risk: Jo Warner ([log in to unmask]) University of Kent, UK
Keynote(s): 
Jo Warner ([log in to unmask]) University of Kent, UK David Denney ([log in to unmask]) Royal Holloway University London, UK Nigel Parton ([log in to unmask]), University of Huddersfield, UK

Chair for Risk, Crime and Prevention: Hazel Kemshall ([log in to unmask]) De Montfort University, UK
Keynote(s): 
Hazel Kemshall ([log in to unmask]) De Montfort University, UK Sandra Walklate ([log in to unmask]) University of Liverpool, UK

The social controversies on risk and uncertainty refer to a range of dimensions. Of increasing importance are morals and ethics which will be addressed by a session on "The Morality of Risk - Risk Moralities". 
Chair: Jonathan Simon ([log in to unmask]) University of California, Berkeley, USA
Keynote(s): 
Tom Baker ([log in to unmask])University of Connecticut, USA Johannes Brinkmann ([log in to unmask]) Norwegian School of Management, Norway 

Deeply involved in societal management of risk and uncertainty are questions of legitimacy, participation, democracy and power. This is addressed by a stream on "Power, Democracy and Risk". 
Chair: Pat O'Malley ([log in to unmask]) University of Sydney, Australia
Keynote(s): 
Pat O'Malley ([log in to unmask]) University of Sydney, Australia

The media are central for the communication of risks and uncertainties in the public. Media does not just mediate between social actors. Media actively influence public controversies by its own production logic of media coverage. This stream invites papers which discuss "Risk as Media Event".
Chair: Jenny Kitzinger ([log in to unmask])
Keynote(s): 
Gaspar Mairal Buil ([log in to unmask]) Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain Jenny Kitzinger ([log in to unmask]) University Cardiff, UK

International and trans-national research repeatedly shows how socio-cultural differences influence the perception and responses to risks and the strategies how risks and uncertainties are managed. A stream on "Socio-Cultural Differences" in institutional management and individual coping with risk will discuss how culture matters and which cultural differences are observable.
Chair: Åsa Boholm ([log in to unmask])
Keynote(s): 
Åsa Boholm ([log in to unmask])

In his book on the risk society (1992) Beck opposed the allocation of risks to traditional class inequalities. In risk societies risks which are attached to social class do overlapp with new risks. How differences are entangled with manifest inequaulities is addressed by the session "Risk, Difference and Social Inequality".
Chair: David Abbott ([log in to unmask]) University Bristol, UK
Keynote(s):
Andreas Cebulla ([log in to unmask]), National Centre for Social Research, UK Anwen Jones ([log in to unmask]), Deborah Quilgars ([log in to unmask]) & David Abbott ([log in to unmask]), SCARR, UK

A couple of sessions focus on individual's strategies to cope with risk and uncertainties. The stream on "The Everyday Management of Risk" focuses on the tension between the different rationalities of everyday life coping with risk from instrumental strategies to manage risk to intuitive and emotional strategies. 
Chair: Tom Horlick-Jones ([log in to unmask]) Cardiff, UK
Keynote(s): 
Marc Poumadère ([log in to unmask]), Symlog, Paris, France Susan Shapiro ([log in to unmask]), American Bar Foundation, Chicago, USA Tom Horlick-Jones ([log in to unmask]) Cardiff, UK

A special stream "Biographical Coping with Risk and Uncertainty" invites papers which bring together the biographical dimension with institutional and individual ways to manage risk and uncertainty. This is a shared session with RC38 Biography and Society.
Chair: Jens O. Zinn ([log in to unmask]); Brian Roberts ([log in to unmask])
Keynote(s):
Monika Wohlrab-Sahr ([log in to unmask]) University Leipzig, Germany Karen Hennwood ([log in to unmask]) Cardiff, UK Jens O. Zinn ([log in to unmask]) University of Kent, UK

A further stream on "Edgework and Voluntary Risk Taking" invites papers on the voluntarily high risk taking. Empirical as well as more theoretically driven presentations are welcome. This stream will be introduced by a session where the edgework approach and critical contributions are discussed.
Tom Baker ([log in to unmask])University of Connecticut, USA
Keynote(s): 
Stephen Lyng ([log in to unmask]) Carthage College, USA Jonathan Simon ([log in to unmask]) University of California, Berkeley, USA

In the session Theorizing Risk and Uncertainty central theoretical issues will be discussed.
Chair: Jens O. Zinn ([log in to unmask]);
Keynote(s): 
Barbara Adam ([log in to unmask]) Cardiff University, UK Ortwin Renn ([log in to unmask]) University of Stuttgart, Germany Jens O. Zinn ([log in to unmask]) University of Kent, UK

The conference streams will finish with a round table on "Risk and Uncertainty - State of the Art and Perspectives" This will discuss insights from the conference and perspectives for further research. 
Chair: Jens O. Zinn ([log in to unmask]) University of Kent, UK Round table

Please submit your abstract (max. 500 words) by 8th January 2008 to Jens Zinn ([log in to unmask]) and indicate the session/stream you would like to present your paper.