Multidimensional Risk in the XXI Century

At the start of 2020, with the emergence of Covid-19, risk turned from a state of virtuality into reality and the anticipated catastrophe became factual. Suddenly, we were confronted with the pervasiveness of multidimensional risks that spill over into different social domains partly escaping control of our perfected scientific-technological society. Public controversies over the pandemic, made evident how risks result from a process of social construction which involve different social actors with their load of ideologies, strategies, and vested interests. To disentangle processes of social construction of risk is the common thread of contributions collected in this book. They are a selection of the papers discussed conference organised by the ISA/ESA network on Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty in 2021 entitled «Multidimensional Risks in the XXI Century». Using different perspectives, chapters examine global and cultural implications of risk and uncertainty across a range of contexts, including the pandemic, the workplace, and the city. Beside the discussion on fears and contradictions of current risky times, the book offers a fresh perspective allowing to catch a glimpse of the new that at times springs from apparent disorder, rendering the possibility of emancipation toward a more sustainable and shared future at least thinkable.