Risk, Education and Culture

This book focuses on the theoretical considerations of risk, presenting case studies relating to risk and education. It highlights the importance of understanding risk perceptions and processes in education from a cultural perspective. In recent years education has become increasingly perceived as an area of risk. A number of highly publicized incidents have heightened awareness of the potential dangers to be found in teaching institutions. Although there is now a substantial conceptual literature on risk and the meaning of the risk society, such ideas have not to date been rigorously applied to the educational sector. The authors of this innovative volume address this gap, discussing the relevance of risk discourses to educational processes. They recognize that risk discourses themselves (both academic and political) do not necessarily relate to actual dangers within education and they examine the differences between the risk narratives of expert and layperson, teacher and student, practitioner and academic. This book will greatly interest both sociologists and educationalists interested in the interaction between education and contemporary trends in society.

While Hope (health, natural and social sciences, U. of Sunderland) and Oliver (education and professional development, U. of Huddersfield, UK) acknowledge that real incidents are fueling fears about school safety, they contend that concerns are also being driven by educators' increasing awareness of the need to deal with such problems and a lucrati