Thinking with Ulrich Beck: security, terrorism and transformation

Ulrich Beck is considered to be one of the most innovative and provocative social science thinkers of the last 50 years. His landmark contribution, Risk Society: Toward a New Modernity, sought to capture the underlying dynamics of the late twentieth century, drawing attention to the anthropogenic dangers generated by capitalist modernization. First published in Germany in 1986 under the title Risikogesellschaft, the best-selling book was translated into several languages and thrust Beck into the academic spotlight. The social and institutional critique presented in Risk Society caused ripples that spread way beyond academia, with the risk society thesis becoming the subject of widespread debate. However, in the field of risk research, Beck’s work has received a mixed reception. While some scholars have contested the foundational claims made in the risk society thesis, others have actively deployed the framework to analyze various incidents, processes, and transitions. Rather than seeking to cast judgment on the value of Beck’s overall contribution to studies of risk in the social sciences, this article seeks to actively deploy three concepts developed by Beck over the course of his career: staging; organized irresponsibility, and emancipatory catastrophism. In order to elucidate the explanatory capacity of these concepts, the phenomenon of terrorism is used as a touchstone for discussion. Following on from this – and as a means of extending appreciation of Beck’s work in risk studies – key areas worthy of further excavation are identified.