According to Beck (1992), what term describes a society where individuals are constantly facing risks and are less controlled by traditional structures like the family?

• A. Risk society
• B. Postmodern society
• C. Consumer society
• D. Industrial society

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is Ulrich Beck’s concept of a risk society. Beck argues that modernity creates new, global risks—environmental hazards, technological dangers, economic instability—that don’t respect traditional class lines or family boundaries. Because people increasingly live with and have to manage these risks, the influence of traditional structures like the family weakens as individuals must navigate uncertainty and make choices in a reflexive, risk-focused world. This shift is summed up by the term risk society. It differs from postmodern society, which centers on cultural change and identity; from a consumer society, which emphasizes consumption as a social organizing principle; and from an industrial society, which describes an era dominated by manufacturing and stable traditional institutions.