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Risk amplification as social attribution

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Abstract

The Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) occupies a significant position as a risk perception model and is widely recognised in risk management discourse particularly when controversial risk episodes are unfolding. This is despite criticism that it does not achieve its integrative goals to be an overarching framework for diverse social science approaches. This article accounts for the longevity of SARF and explores some of the longstanding philosophical issues. The concept of risk amplification as a social attribution is presented to strengthen the integrative appeal of the framework and to act as a counter to objections that the framework necessarily reifies risk, is ill equipped to describe social complexity and sides with the risk assessor against ‘non-expert’ stakeholders.

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Notes

  1. LexisNexis is a database facility that allows full text searching of media archives. Counting occurrences of words and themes in support of research is rendered an easily accomplished task.

  2. Leximancer is a statistical software package that searches for patterns within text. Cluster analysis that would otherwise take many hours is automated.

  3. Patrick Wall is Associate Professor of Public Health in University College Dublin. He is former Chief Executive and one of the original founders of the Irish Food Safety Authority and former Chair of the European Food Safety Authority, which provides scientific advice about food and animal husbandry in the context of zoonosis.

  4. This is Douglas’ general position, predating SARF and therefore not specifically a criticism of social amplification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social, Economic and Geographic Science Group, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebucker, Scotland, AB15 8QH, Aberdeen, UK

    Dominic Duckett

  2. Department of Management Science, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, LA1 4YX, England, UK

    Jerry Busby

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  1. Dominic Duckett
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Duckett, D., Busby, J. Risk amplification as social attribution. Risk Manag 15, 132–153 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/rm.2013.2

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