In the Risk Society Is ‘Security’ Ever Possible?

Q: In the risk society is ‘security’ ever possible? Modernity or the Modern Age as it is commonly referred to, drastically changed the society we live in. The rapid advancements in physics, chemistry, mathematics and other sciences have enabled humans to reach peaks that were previously rendered unimaginable, or even impossible in the pre-modernity era. From inventions like television sets, microwaves, cars and personal computers (PCs) to walking on the Moon and breaking the speed of sound – all pay credit to the modern era. The age of modernity therefore represents a shift from feudalism towards industrialisation, secularization and ultimately, capitalism itself (Barker, 2005: 444). The immense effects that these advancements and inventions had on our society, lead to the break between modernity and any other previous historical periods. The term ‘modern’ itself, originates in Latin and translates to, “just now” (Oxford Dictionary, 2011: internet). The implicit argument therefore, is that within modernity people are mainly focused on the present and future – no longer on the past (Wood, 1997: 544-545). As it will be shown, the advancements brought by modernity have more recently backlashed with a multitude of negative effects. Issues such as, climate change, toxic hazards, CO2 emissions, and food additives represent only a few threats that our society and the larger world face today, “In the modernization process, more and more destructive forces are being unleashed, forces before which the human imagination stands in awe” (Beck, 1992: 20). This brings us to the sociological concept of ‘Risk Society’ developed by Ulrich Beck in 1986 in Germany (translated into English in 1992). Throughout this paper we will seek to discover if ‘security’ is ever possible in the risk society. Within the risk society, absolute security, i.e. the absolute guarantee of protection of the individual against all hazards or risks created by modernity itself, is unachievable. However,

Bibliography: Book Sources: • Barker, Chris, (2005) • Beck, Ulrich (1992). Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. New Delhi: Sage Publications. • Beck, Ulrich, (1999). What Is Globalization?. Cambridge: Polity Press. • Kaldor, Mary, (2007). Human Security: Reflections on Globalization and Intervention. Cambridge: Polity Press • Lupton, Deborah, (1999) • Ulrich, Beck, (1995). Ecological Politics in an Age of Risk. Cambridge: Polity Press. Internet Sources: • BBC News Online, (2009) • Bone, James, (2009, Sept. 29th). “President Hu Jintao commits China to carbon-cutting deal”, The Sunday Times Online. http://www.timesonline.co.uk /tol/news/environment/article6845033.ece. Accessed 11th March 2011. • Greenpeace International (2011). “About Greenpeace”, http://www.greenpe ace.org/international/about/. Accessed 9th March 2011. • IAEA, (2011). “Revisiting Chernobyl: 20 Years Later”, http://www.iaea.org/ newscenter/focus/chernobyl/. Accessed 11th March 2011. • Oxford Dictionaries Online: The World’s most Trusted Dictionaries, (2011). http://oxforddictionaries.com. Accessed 7th March 2011. • The Coca-Cola Company, (2011). “Nutrition Lables”, http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/hal_nutritional_labeling.html. Accessed 6th March 2011. Journal Articles: • Wood, Ellen, (1997)