ABSTRACT
There are a number of ways in which the phenomenon of risk is addressed in the social scientific literature on risk perception. The most common is the realist perspective, which has developed and is expressed principally in technical and scientific approaches. One major approach adopting this perspective is that of cognitive science, based in psychology. An alternative perspective is social constructionism, advocated by those who are predominantly interested in the social and cultural aspects of risk. This chapter reviews these contrasting perspectives, discussing the epistemologies (knowledges) on which they are based and the different ways in which they represent risk, risk perception and the risk actor.
