The World is in Risk

“The World is in Risk”

Madhuri Saha

For few months the world is dealing with a dangerous pandemic COVID-19, which has shocked the entire human society. We can relate this state of health emergency with the “Risk Society” thesis of Ulrich Beck, a contemporary German Sociologist.  He stated that post modern society is in risk as the nature is being exploited by the humans and who is constantly seeking to control it through technological development.

The COVID-19 is also the result of human intervention in nature. It has been revealed that virus originated from animals in China.

The outbreak of COVID-19 shows that society has been leading towards a vulnerable state as large populations including children, old, adults and disabled and particularly people with low income or marginalized sections are striving for security of life. This health crisis is directly linked to human behavior and the environment. From Beck's view, we live in not just a global society but a world risk society, a modernity in which progress cannot be assumed and in which advancement produces further risks, danger or dark side. With the help of Beck's idea, we can further analyze that the intervention of human in nature and uncontrolled desire for development may further produce adverse impact upon society and nature. People in modern advanced society have all the knowledge about the negative side of the technology and development but are not conscious about the severe consequences that is possible-risks.

In the modern society man is well equipped with great knowledge of material development but is still in lack of consciousness about the consequences or risks.

Article is written by Madhuri Saha, Student of BA Sociology 6^th Semester, University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya.

It is the Author’s own view point based on the sociological study and particularly Ulrich Beck’s theory __“Risk Society”.