ABSTRACT
In this chapter the writings of Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens in relation to risk in late modernity are reviewed. The discussion begins with a review of Beck’s influential ‘risk society’ thesis and an explanation of what he means by the concepts of reflexive modernization and individualization. Beck’s recent writings on world risk society and the cosmopolitan turn are also reviewed. The chapter then turns to Giddens’ body of work on risk and late modernity, including his recent work on climate change, terrorism and the rise of fundamentalism. The chapter ends with an overview of critiques of Beck’s and Giddens’ perspectives on risk.
