Risk and Morality

'Risk and Morality presents up-to-date, and indeed cutting-edge, research. Risk analysis is taking off in sociology and especially sociology of law, and this collection makes a major contribution ... Ericson and Doyle have brought together a stunning array of authors, a veritable who's who of people working in the field. They have done the field a great service by commissioning these papers.' -- Malcolm M. Feeley, School of Law, University of California at Berkeley 'This book is an excellent multidisciplinary examination of various configurations of risk and morality ... I have learned much from reading it.' -- Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto

Collectively, the contributors explain why risk is such a key aspect of Western culture, and demonstrate that new regimes for risk management are transforming social integration, value-based reasoning and morality.

Risk and Morality examines how decisions about risk and uncertainty relate to moral principles and ethical conduct. Editors Richard Ericson and Aaron Doyle have brought together in this volume a selection of original essays on the topic by renowned scholars in the disciplines of philosophy, sociology, law, political science, geography, criminology, and accounting from Canada, the United States, England, France, and Australia. Presenting cutting-edge theory and research, the essays analyse the broader social, political, economic and cultural dimensions of risk and morality.

The concept of risk has become pervasive in recent years in political discourse, popular culture, organizational communications, and everyday life. The contributors' respective research projects on risk and morality in politics, business, legal regulation, crime prevention, insurance, extreme sports, and biotechnology provide original empirical evidence to substantiate their theories and address the ideological and policy relevance of their work. Collectively, the contributors explain why risk is such a key aspect of Western culture, and demonstrate that new regimes for risk management are transforming social integration, value-based reasoning and morality. Further, they illustrate that these new regimes do not necessarily foster more responsible conduct or greater accountability in institutions.