Risk and Hyperconnectivity

This book combines new risk theory, neoliberalization theory, and connectivity theory to explore the impact of hyperconnectivity on contemporary risk events.

In Risk and Hyperconnectivity, authors Hoskins and Tulloch explore three significant paradigms of work: new risk theory, neoliberalization theory, and connectivity theory. This innovative combination sheds light on how various risk events in the early twenty-first century have revitalized a neoliberal landscape encompassing media, economy, and security. The authors argue that hyperconnectivity serves as both a channel for risk and a risk in itself, fundamentally changing the way we perceive and remember events.

The book engages in interdisciplinary dialogue and case study analysis to address crucial questions surrounding risk in our modern age. It investigates the delicate balance between individual privacy and the security measures enforced by states or corporations. Furthermore, it examines whether hyperconnectivity represents a new risk condition and how our processes of remembering and forgetting influence citizen insecurity and the culture of risk, ultimately legitimizing neoliberal governance.

Through a detailed examination of significant risk events that have marked the twenty-first century, Risk and Hyperconnectivity illustrates the pivotal role of both established and emerging media in shaping the neoliberal narrative. The authors highlight how these media forces not only impact our understanding of the past and present but also influence future perspectives, prompting demands for alternatives to neoliberalism from a diverse range of stakeholders, including economics students and potential political leaders affected by austerity policies.