Ulrich Beck - Gabe Mythen

Within a very short period of time, Ulrich Beck has emerged as one of the leading sociologists of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, often working parallel to Giddens and Scott Lash in highly theorised sociological exegeses. Beck's principal claim to fame is as the originator of the theory of the 'risk society' - a concept that has spread throughout the academic community and across the disciplines as a means of explaining the changes that have convulsed contemporary society. Despite being floated in Germany as early as 1986, there has yet to be a thorough examination of the value of the risk society thesis in understanding the dynamics of everyday life. Gabe Mythen proposes a critical introduction - and a critique - of Beck's work placing him within the context of other theorists of risk, such as Douglas and Foucault. Key areas of analysis include risk perception, the mediation of risk, risk and the environment, changing employment trends and patterns of political engagement.