Interrupting the social amplification of risk process: a case study in collective emissions reduction
Interrupting the social amplification of risk process: a case study in collective emissions reduction
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DOI：
10.1016/j.envsci.2008.12.001
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发表时间：
2009-05-01
影响因子：
6
通讯作者：
MacGillivray, B. H.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Busby, J. S.;Alcock, R. E.;MacGillivray, B. H.
我们研究围绕风险问题的理解的渐进分歧的主要方法之一是社会风险放大。本文描述了一个特定环境污染物的案例研究，一种化学阻燃剂可以被解释为产生了风险放大过程。它特别描述了一群工业组织如何集体行动以减少这种污染物的排放，显然是为了避免监管和抵制——也就是说，拦截社会放大过程并避免其二次效应。这项研究的目的是调查这种集体行动的构成素质：在参与者的眼中，定义它并使它有效的素质。这些包括制度化和独立性，赋予个人和集体利益的能力，吸引（而不是避免）批评的能力，以及有助于沟通的“品牌”，否则似乎是一系列互不相关的地方行动。尽管风险放大框架因暗示存在一些外部给定的风险水平随后被放大而受到批评，但它似乎确实捕捉到了涉及此类问题的行为者的心态。他们的言谈和行为就好像他们相信自己是风险放大过程的参与者。(C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd版权所有。
one of the main approaches we have for studying the progressive divergence of understandings around a risk issue is that of social risk amplification. This article describes a case study of a particular environmental contaminant, a chemical flame retardant that could be interpreted as having produced a risk amplifying process. It describes in particular how a group of industrial organizations acted collectively to reduce emissions of this contaminant, in an apparent attempt to avert regulation and boycotts-that is, to intercept the social amplification process and avoid its secondary effects. The aim of the study was to investigate the constitutive qualities of this collective action: the qualities that defined it and made it effective in the eyes of those involved. These include institutionalisation and independence, the ability to confer individual as well as collective benefit, the capacity to attract (rather than avoid) criticism, and the 'branding' that helps communicate what otherwise appear to be a set of unconnected, local actions. Although the risk amplification framework has been criticised for implying that there is some externally given risk level that is subsequently amplified, it does appear to capture the mentality of actors involved in issues of this kind. They talk and act as though they believe they are participants in a risk amplification process. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.