Our work
Sir Paul Judge’s inaugural lecture on Risk and Enterprise at the 252nd session of the RSA initiated the exploration of risk at the RSA and led to the creation of the Risk Commission. The central theme of the lecture was that that the public has a relatively poor understanding of risk and that this has a negative impact on modern society. The examples given clearly demonstrated the detrimental impact that risk aversion and the pursuit of risk elimination can have on individuals and society.
While this lecture was important in highlighting some key themes in risk discourse, inevitably, this early discussion only scratched the surface of a discourse that is far-reaching, diverse and complex. The Risk Commission has spent the last 13 months speaking with experts, attending lectures, conferences and seminars. We have researched much of the current literature and digested the debates.
As a result of our work thus far our focus has evolved to one which places an investigation into the sociology of risk much higher on the agenda, that is, a study of the development, structure and function of risk in our modern society. Such a study leads to a number of fundamental questions which we intend to explore, these include;
> Can we define ‘risk’ in the context of modern society?
> Do we understand the risks that affect us:-
- everyday
- on rare occasions
- at different stages of our lives
(Are these measurable? Evidence vs. Anecdote)
> What influences our understanding and perception of risks?
- education
- media
- family
- society
- peers
- Government and legislation
- environment
- relationships
(To what extent? Are they positive or negative? Are they changeable?)
> How do risks impact our lives? To what extent does our understanding, perception and responses to risk affect our lives?
> Whose responsibility is it to mitigate and manage risks?
- Government?
- family?
- community?
- individuals?
> How far should we try to mitigate and manage risks?
Risk has long been an important factor for industries such as the insurance sector. Recently many have applied risk principles to discussions about the nature of modern society and the associated issues. In order for this application to continue and be used constructively, the Risk Commission believes that it is essential that all stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of the language, debates, resources and information used. We aim to ensure this happens.
The remit of the Risk Commission incorporates all of these elements. We aim to be the common thread through all discussions about risk in contemporary society and provide a network that is accessible to the general public, experts, policy makers and the media.
The Risk Commission began with an exploration of risk in childhood. Last year witnessed a particular focus on children and childhood by think-tanks, organisations and the government in recent months with studies from;
1 – The Good Childhood Inquiry at The Children’s Society which intends to open a debate on what makes for a good childhood today. They hope to shape future policy and inspire our relationships with children.
2 – DEMOS have been investigating children, play and the UK public realm with a specific focus on relationships between children and wider society.
3 – The Conservative Party Childhood Inquiry which will investigate the way children are treated in Britain with the aim of improving their lives within families and the wider community.
With the emergence of studies such as the recent UNICEF ‘Child well-being in rich countries’ which placed the UK among one of the worst places for a child to grow up in the West, it is unsurprising that these have been instigated by groups such as these. But while these studies have a particular focus on children and their relationships with various sectors of society, the Risk Commission cast its net far wider.
We believe that in order to fully understand the experiences of childhood, the environment in which it exists must first be thoroughly explored. There are inextricable links between the changing values in society and levels of depression; links between the breakdown in communities, government regulation and the increasing number of ASBO’s; links between mortality rates and adult perceptions of danger. These are simply a few examples that demonstrate the connection between all aspects of modern society – all of which we intend to explore or facilitate a means by which they can be explored.
Read more about our work: Risk and Childhood.
We look forward to discussing our progress with you in the coming months and hope that you will register and engage using this website as a portal that will communicate your views, comments and suggestions.
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Follow the evolution of our work starting here;
Terms of Reference
Risk Overview