Abstract
Imagining worst cases is useful because these types of accidents happen all the time—they are normal accidents. Investigating worst cases encourages grappling with the catastrophic potential of development and exploring the implications of the technological landscape of this modern age of precarity. The following entry describes the ways in which modern social systems process the inherent risks of these new technologies. Social factors of economics, power, and vulnerability shape who stands to bear the largest share of the unintended risks of modern development. Economic and political interests factor heavily into how these risks are calculated, understood, communicated, and managed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Technological Hazards and Disasters in the Social Sciences |
| Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. |
| Pages | 723-728 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781800882201 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781800882195 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2024 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences
- General Environmental Science
- General Social Sciences
- General Engineering