ABSTRACT
Beck’s work was rooted in the European experi ence where prosperous residents were con - cerned about issues like nuclear power and food safety. These concerns have led to the enthusiastic health and safety culture found in most Westernstyle countries today. A growing aversion to risk in the MDCs is based on a perceived value of the future during a longer expected life-span. This view is less common in the LDCs, where more frequent hazard impacts occupy the thoughts of three-quarters of the people in the world – notably the poorest members of society living in urban slums or remote rural areas. Indeed, rather than improving safety and life expectancy, it is possible that modernization has brought added risk for some people.
