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Myths of Nature: Culture and the Social Construction of Risk
Author(s) -
Dake Karl
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1992.tb01943.x
Subject(s) - mythology , perception , risk perception , natural hazard , interpretation (philosophy) , public health , risk assessment , risk communication , risk management , identification (biology) , safety culture , social psychology , environmental ethics , psychology , business , public relations , political science , risk analysis (engineering) , medicine , geography , economics , ecology , history , management , philosophy , computer science , biology , programming language , classics , nursing , finance , neuroscience , meteorology
Western cultures are engaged in a highly contentious debate involving the identification, assessment, and management of risks to the environment and to public health and safety. Daily claims of new dangers in the food, air, and water we consume, the chemicals, energy, and substances we use, and the products, processes, and artifacts that support us are exacerbating public fears regarding environmental and health hazards. Most research on the perception and communication of risk has focused on possible harms, largely ignoring the cultural contexts in which hazards are framed and debated, and in which risk taking and risk perception occur. This article argues that, while individuals perceive risks and have concerns, it is culture that provides socially constructed myths about nature—systems of belief that are reshaped and internalized by persons, becoming part of their worldview and influencing their interpretation of natural phenomena.