This dissertation addresses the risk society in the context of urban- environmental risks and their legal treatment, to evaluate the state practice validation of organized irresponsibility in matters of urban- environmental risks. For this, it begins by presenting the case of Vale do Reginaldo , a region located in the city of Maceió/AL , which includes a number of features typical of the legal texts and doctrinal names " risk area" , sometimes called "poor community" or "favela" . Among these characters is the massive human interference in natural processes, the low purchasing power of the population and the periodic occurrence of environmental disasters. Examines the site since its abiotic system to the human system, including the history of population density of the region, in order to analyze the recent interventions Vale Reginaldo’s Revitalization Program, which integrates the activities of the Union , State and City . Each took loved some basic responsibilities, which should be integrated and contribute to the mitigation of flood risks , slip and landslides , safeguarding the population that currently inhabits housing risk . Years before this project, others were developed and proceeded to the mapping of risk areas in the region. Presented the case, is considered the legal treatment of urban and environmental risks from the international context to the content of constitutional legislation, noting the ineffectiveness in the case of several standards exposed . The theory of risk society, modeled initially by Ulrich Beck , and evaluated in the third part of the work , is the basis to explain and justify the observed situations . / Esta dissertação aborda a sociedade de risco no contexto dos riscos urbano-ambientais e seu tratamento jurídico, visando avaliar a prática estatal de validação da irresponsabilidade organizada em matéria de riscos urbano-ambientais. Para isso, inicia-se o trabalho apresentando o caso do Vale do Reginaldo, região situada no Município de Maceió/AL, que comporta uma série de características típicas do que os textos legais e doutrinários nomeiam “área de risco”, outras vezes designada “comunidade carente” ou “favela”. Entre estes caracteres se encontra a massiva interferência humana nos processos naturais, o baixo poder aquisitivo da população e a periódica ocorrência de desastres ambientais. Examina-se o local desde seu sistema abiótico até o sistema humano, incluindo o histórico de adensamento demográfico da região, para poder analisar as recentes intervenções do Programa de Revitalização do Vale do Reginaldo, que integra a atuação da União, Estado e Município. Cada um dos entes assumiu algumas responsabilidades básicas, que deveriam estar integradas e concorrer para a mitigação dos riscos de inundação, deslizamento e desbarrancamentos, salvaguardando a população que atualmente habita moradias de risco. Anos antes deste projeto, outros foram desenvolvidos e procedeu-se ao mapeamento das áreas de risco na região. Apresentado o caso concreto, é analisado o tratamento jurídico dos riscos urbano ambientais, desde o contexto internacional até o conteúdo da legislação infraconstitucional, observando-se a inefetividade no caso concreto de diversas normas expostas. A teoria da sociedade de risco, modelada inicialmente por Ulrich Beck, e avaliada na terceira parte do trabalho, serve de base para explicar e justificar as situações observadas.

O propósito do princípio da precaução é evitar danos irreversíveis ao meio ambiente e à saúde humana ao permitir a ação preventiva, mesmo na ausência de certeza científica sobre as causas ou conseqüências de determinada atividade. A precaução é uma resposta às novas tecnologias e aos fenômenos que podem provocar impactos irreparáveis e incomensuráveis e que, portanto, precisam ser revistos pela comunidade internacional, Estados e indivíduos. Significa, também, envolver a participação popular nas decisões sobre quais riscos são aceitáveis em determinada sociedade e quais devem ser evitados. A base sociológica sob a qual está baseado o trabalho é a teoria de Ulrich Beck sobre a sociedade de risco global. O princípio da precaução é analisado sob os prismas dogmático e funcional: as principais características do princípio são apresentadas, bem como as críticas ao instituto; também são expostas as funções do princípio da precaução, sua eficácia social e status jurídico. A fim de explicar as dificuldades que circundam o tema dos princípios do direito internacional do meio ambiente, as principais teorias dos princípios são analisadas, concluindo-se que os princípios do DIMA necessitam de uma teoria própria. Na última parte, o trabalho procura demonstrar como o princípio da precaução pode ser operacionalizado através do fortalecimento institucional, sobretudo da Convenção-Quadro das Nações Unidas sobre Mudança do Clima. O tema das mudanças climáticas é paradigmático, já que exige ação internacional preventiva a fim de evitar os impactos do aquecimento global, mesmo face à inexistência de consenso científico sobre as causas e consequências desse fenômeno. Ao permitir maior participação democrática e abrir espaço para que a percepção pública sobre os riscos possa refletir em decisões jurídico-políticas, o arranjo institucional criado pela Convenção permite, ainda que com algumas falhas, uma discussão maior sobre os desafios que circundam o tema. Considerando os fundamentos da teoria de Beck sobre a modernização reflexiva, a origem política dos riscos e a democratização das discussões sobre eles, o papel da subpolítica na sociedade atual e a irreversibilidade de catástrofes ambientais, conclui-se que o princípio da precaução é indispensável ao direito e à política ao inserir a responsabilização a priori dos possíveis danos e a participação social nas decisões futuras / The purpose of the precautionary principle is to avoid irreversible damage to the environment and human health by allowing preventive action, even in the absence of scientific certainty regarding the causes or consequences of certain activity. Precaution is an answer to new technologies and phenomena that may promote irreparable and incommensurable impacts and, therefore, need to be reviewed beforehand by the international community, states and individuals. Furthermore, it nurtures popular participation in decision-making regarding what risks are acceptable in a given society and what risks should be avoided. The sociological foundation of this work is Ulrich Becks world risk society. The precautionary principle is analysed under the dogmatic and functional viewpoints: the principles main characteristics and critiques are presented, and I also explore the precautionary principles functions, social efficacy, and legal status. In order to explain the difficulties pertaining to the subject of international environmental law, this thesis analyzes the main theories on legal principles, and concludes that a more suitable theory for international environmental law principles is needed. In the last part, this work demonstrates how the precautionary principle can be operationalized through institutional strengthening, especially of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Climate change is a paradigmatic case, since it demands international preventive action in order to avoid the impacts of global warming, even in the absence of scientific consensus regarding its causes and consequences. By allowing greater democratic participation and by creating space for communication so that public perception can be reflected in legal and political decisions, the institutional arrangement created by the Convention allows for, if imperfectly, a wider discussion about the challenges of climate change. Considering the foundations of Becks theory about reflexive modernization, the political origin of risks and the democratization of discussions on risks, the role of subpolitics in modern society and irreversibility of environmental catastrophes, this work concludes that the precautionary principle is indispensable to law and politics by adding a priori responsibility of possible damages and social participation in future decisions.

Um dos aspectos mais relevantes da crise da modernidade é a elevação dos riscos socioambientais associados ao intenso desenvolvimento industrial, sendo que o setor químico contribuiu significativamente para a construção deste quadro de vulnerabilidade socioambiental. Desde o final da década de 80, no entanto, as grandes corporações químicas adotaram um discurso enfatizando a necessidade de integrar a variável socioambiental como um componente fundamental para garantir sua competitividade e sua legitimidade perante a opinião pública. Esta pesquisa procurou analisar, a partir do desenvolvimento de estudos de caso em empresas no setor químico, como os programas de educação corporativa refletem nas práticas gerenciais, influenciando os indicadores de desempenho das empresas nos campos ambiental e social. Os resultados desse trabalho apontam que, embora nenhuma das empresas pesquisadas apresente características ideais para a disseminação de um conhecimento socioambiental, as organizações que optam por tratar a educação corporativa de forma estratégica tendem a elevar seu desempenho ambiental e social. Isto foi observado tanto na fase em que o foco foi apenas o controle da poluição, quanto no presente em que características da abordagem de prevenção à poluição estão sendo integradas. / One of the most important aspects of the crisis of modernity is the increase in environmental risks, associated with the expansion of industrial development. The chemical sector has contributed significantly to current state of social and environmental vulnerability. Since the end of the 1980s, however, the large chemical companies have been adopting a discourse which emphasizes the need to integrate social and environmental variables as fundamental components of their operational planning in order to ensure their competitiveness and the legitimacy in terms of public opinion. The research presented in this dissertation uses case studies of companies in the chemical sector to analyze the impact that corporate education programs have on management practices in the company and performance indicators in the environmental and social areas. The results of this research indicate that, while none of the companies examined present ideal characteristics for the dissemination of social and environmental knowledge, those corporations that choose to treat corporate education as a strategic element also tend to have better environmental and social performance. This was observed both in periods when the focus was strictly centered on pollution control, as well as more recently when the preventative approach to pollution is becoming more influential.

This study aims to gain an increased understanding of generalized anxiety disorder based on how the target group describe their experiences. The data was gathered through podcasts where people with GAD talked about their life situation, what strategies they use to manage general anxiety and what they think relieves general anxiety. The gathered data was then analyzed through a thematic analysis where four main themes were developed; a constant worry, managing stigma, controlling or avoiding and only relive, not cure. These themes were analyzed based on Goffman's theory of stigma and Gidden's theory of the risk society. The results show that people with GAD live with a constant anxiety that affects their entire life situation, such as their work, leisure, and social relationships. Their anxiety can be likened to an allergy to uncertainty as it´s triggered by something they cannot control. They feel stigmatized by others and feel that they often need to hide their stigma by living behind a facade. To deal with generalized anxiety, three different strategies are used, which are trying to control everything, avoiding anxiety by not exposing oneself to things that cause concern or by keeping oneself busy. However, these strategies can aggravate the condition but there are many things that can relieve general anxiety. The most prominent factors are medicine, therapy, emotional support and self-help such as exercise and meditation. But the results show that the symptoms persist despite great efforts and several treatments, which indicates that more research and more effective interventions are required. The study concludes that GAD is not only a problem that exists within the individual but also in interpersonal relationships and in the society. It also concludes that there must be a change in the structures of society regarding mental illness, and that interventions should not only be directed towards the individual but also towards the relatives. This because the results show that relatives are also affected and that their influence can both aggravate and improve the individual's condition. / Den här studien syftar till att få en ökad förståelse för generaliserat ångestsyndrom utifrån hur målgruppen själva beskriver sina upplevelser. Empirin samlades in genom poddar där personer med GAD berättade om sin livssituation, vilka strategier de använder för att hantera generell ångest och vad de anser lindrar generell ångest. Materialet analyserades genom en tematisk analys där fyra huvudteman togs fram; en konstant oro, hantera stigma, kontrollera eller undvika och endast lindra inte bota. Dessa teman analyserades utifrån Goffmans stigmateori och Giddens risksamhällesteori. Resultatet visar att personer med GAD lever med en konstant oro som påverkar hela deras livssituation, så som deras arbete, fritid och sociala relationer. Deras oro kan liknas med en allergi mot ovisshet då den triggas av sådant de inte kan kontrollera. De upplever sig stigmatiserade av andra och känner att de ofta behöver dölja sitt stigma genom att leva bakom en fasad. För att hantera generaliserad ångest används tre olika strategier vilka är att försöka kontrollera allt eller att undvika ångesten genom att inte utsätta sig för sådant som väcker oro eller att ständigt aktivera sig. Dessa strategier kan dock förvärra tillståndet, men det finns mycket som kan lindra generell ångest. De mest framträdande faktorerna är medicin, terapi, emotionellt stöd och självhjälp, som exempelvis meditation och träning. Resultatet visar dock att symtomen kvarstår trots stora ansträngningar och flertalet behandlingar vilket tyder på att mer forskning och effektivare interventioner krävs. Studien konkluderar att GAD inte enbart är ett problem som existerar inom individen utan även i mellanmänskliga relationer och i samhället som helhet. Därmed dras också slutsatsen att det måste ske en förändring i samhällsstrukturerna avseende psykisk ohälsa och att interventioner inte enbart bör riktas mot individen utan även anhöriga. Detta då resultatet visar att anhöriga också påverkas och att deras inflytande både kan förvärra och förbättra individens tillstånd.

Social media has become a prime tool in communicating during crises. Ongoing COVID-19 pandemic illustrates this trend strongly with the Canadian government conveying messaging through many platforms. In this thesis, we aimed to explore how Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Canada (HC) communicate with Canadians through social media, namely Twitter. Based on insights from social media practices drawn from work by Wendling et al. (2013); Lin et al. (2016) and from social mediated crisis communication theory of Austin et al. (2012), we sought to find what type of social media strategies adopted to execute crisis communication during COVID-19 pandemic. We also aimed at understanding to what extent these reflect the theoretical framework of the present study. To undertake this research, we opted for a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis enabled by thematic analysis to identify categories of meaning and their trend. We found that social media strategies adopted by PHAC and HC have many aspects in common with the theoretical framework, yet they offer many nuances in practices driven mainly by the length of the crisis and the uncertainty it has caused. This thesis brings theory into practice by researching an ongoing crisis, gauging social media use practices against messaging strategies. It also calls on the need for updating theories and good practices in light of the outcomes of the COVID-19 crisis.

Den pågående vaccineringen mot covid-19 har inneburit att många människor börjar se ljuset i tunneln på den mörka tid som coronapandemin orsakat. Det råder dock inte konsensus kring vaccinet som uteslutande positiv för folkhälsan då vissa istället väljer att betona riskerna som vaccinet kan medföra framför fördelarna med vaccination.Tidigare forskning visar att faktorer som tillit, risker och individuella medicinska överväganden, likväl som kulturella aspekter har en avgörande roll i riskuppfattning gällande vaccinering.Studiens teoretiska referensram utgår från Becks teori om risksamhället, Giddens begrepp tillit till expertsystem, samt Douglas kulturella riskteori och beskyllningskultur.Syftet med denna pilotstudie är att undersöka studenters riskuppfattning gällande vaccinet mot covid-19, samt ifall riskuppfattning påverkas av faktorer som förändrad tillit och solidaritetsgrad.Datainsamlingen utgörs av en kvantitativ metod i form av enkätundersökning, där studiens urval består av medlemmar i gruppen ”Dom kallar oss studenter” på Facebook. Data från undersökningen analyserades sedan genom univariat analys samt multivariata regressionsanalyser.Resultat från studien visar att studenter med försämrad tillit till myndigheter uppfattar risker med biverkningar från vaccinet i högre grad än studenter som har en likvärdig eller förbättrad tillit till myndigheter. Det visar även att studenter med hög solidarisk inställning ser mindre risker med biverkningar från vaccinet än de med låg solidarisk inställning.Nyckelord: Covid-19, Risk, Förändrad tillit, Tillit till expertsystem, Risksamhället, Solidaritet, Kulturell riskteori, Kris. / The ongoing vaccination against covid-19 has meant that many people begin to see the light in the tunnel of the dark time that the corona pandemic has caused. However, there is no consensus about the vaccine as exclusively positive for public health as some instead choose to emphasize the risks that the vaccine may entail over the benefits of vaccination.Previous research shows that factors such as trust, risks and individual medical considerations, as well as cultural aspects, play a crucial role in risk perception regarding vaccination.The theoretical frame of reference in this study is based on Beck’s theory of the risks society, Giddens’ trust in expert systems, and Douglas’ cultural risk theory and blameculture.The aim of this pilot study is to investigate students’ perception of risk regarding the vaccine against covid-19, and whether risk perception is affected by factors such as changes in trust and degree of solidarity.The data collection consists of a quantitative method in the form of a survey, where the study sample consists of members of the group ”Dom kallar oss studenter” on Facebook. Data from the survey were then analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate regression analyzes.Results from the study show that students with impaired trust in authorities perceive risks of side effects from the vaccine to a greater degree than students who have an equivalent or improved trust in authorities. It also shows that students with a high degree of solidarity see less risks with side effects from the vaccine than those with a low solidarity attitude.

The predominant theorists of community in American sociology define community as either geographically confined local solidarities or as networks or relatively close primary ties. These definitions fail to recognize the realities of modern life, let alone life in the context of a global economy. Community according to the earliest community sociologists was a way of organizing society wherein all the social interactions necessary to the reproduction of daily life were embedded in moral relationships, which were historically primary ties located within local solidary communities. With modernity, most of these social interactions have been removed from those moral relationships, and now occur on in a global marketplace where individuals feel no moral responsibility for the consequences of their actions. In such a context, today's predominant theories are no longer viable. In order for community sociology to remain relevant, we need an approach to community which reincorporates all of interactions necessary to daily life and that recognizes the social costs of modernity. The three articles in this dissertation together offer critiques of today's predominant theoretical approaches—the Community Saved and Community Liberated arguments, as Barry Wellman has named them—and provide an alternative that is suited to social life embedded in a global marketplace. The alternative is based on an honest reading of the so-called Community Lost argument—honest in that it is not biased by the straw men built up by the Community Saved and Community Liberated proponents—and extends that argument to include the work of several late-modern theorists (particularly, Zygmunt Bauman and Ulrich Beck). This revived version of the Community Lost argument allows us to address directly all the social interactions necessary to community and to understand the relevance of local solidarities and networks of primary ties as centers of moral proximity.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie var att få en ökad förståelse för hur Sveriges miljöpolitik, höga driftkostnader och statligt agerande upplevs ha påverkat småskaliga lantbrukare i Sverige och deras levnadsvillkor. För att undersöka problematiken valdes åtta lantbrukare ut för att delta i semi-strukturerade intervjuer, där de fick uttrycka sina egna perspektiv och uppfattningar om lantbrukaryrket i förhållande till miljöpolitiska strategier och rekordhöga driftkostnader i lantbrukarbranschen. Det utvalda teoretiska ramverket att understödja denna sociologiska studie bestod i Becks tes om risksamhället, alienationsteorin och teorin om livsformsanalys. En doktorsavhandling och fyra vetenskapliga artiklar valdes också ut till studien, vilka agerade som inspirationskälla för intervjuguiden. Det empiriska materialet resulterade i en övergripande slutsats om att den ökade riskmedvetenheten och reflexiviteten har omvandlat lantbruket som livsform. Respondenternas synpunkter indikerar att svenska lantbrukares levnadsvillkor potentiellt är hotade, då lantbrukare finner sig alienerade från staten och upplever sig stundtals vara bortglömda av samhället i stort. I relation till samhälleliga reaktioner under COVID-19 pandemin och det pågående kriget i Ukraina, var den utvalda gruppen av lantbrukare ändå optimistiska kring lantbrukaryrket ur ett framtidsperspektiv. / The aim of this qualitative study was to get a better understanding of how Sweden’s environmental politics, high operating costs and governmental action are perceived to have affected small-scale farmers in Sweden. In order to do this, eight farmers got selected to participate in semi-structured interviews to express their own views and perspectives on farming as a profession in relation to Sweden’s climate mitigation strategies and record-high operating costs. The sociological theories selected to complement the research process were Becks concept of ”risk society”, the theory of alienation and the theory of lifeform analysis. One doctoral thesis and four scientific articles were also used in the study and functioned as a source of inspiration for the interview guide. The empirical data from the interviews led to the conclusion that the increase of ecological risk-awareness and reflexivity has transformed farming as a lifeform. The views of the selected participants indicate that the business conditions of Swedish farmers potentially are threatened, and that farmers find themselves alienated from the government as well as being overlooked by the general public. In relation to societal reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic and current war in Ukraine, the selected group of farmers remained optimistic about the farming profession and what the future holds.

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In recent years, Sweden has introduced new laws and undergone changes indicating a shift towards a society heavily focused on controlling and minimizing risks, such as those related to serious crimes. This trend mirrors Ulrich Beck's theoretical concept of the Risk Society. The aim of risk minimization is to ensure collective security, but this often comes at the expense of individual rights, as seen in recent Swedish legislation. This thesis explores the conflict between collective security and individual freedom in a Risk Society. The objective is to highlight the issues of potentially evolving into such a society. The study examines Beck’s Risk Society theory through John Stuart Mill's political philosophy on rights. Mill, a utilitarian and liberal, argues that individuals have certain rights and obligations towards society and that the only legitimate reason to restrict individual rights is to prevent harm to others. The thesis concludes that the Risk Society is characterized by paradoxical structures that create a reflexive loop, wherein subjective perceptions of risks are reinforced, leading to increased anxiety and political pressure to minimize these risks. Proposed solutions include raising awareness about our misunderstandings and exaggerations of risks and fostering a more open debate climate where ideas and opinions can be freely exchanged.