Addressing the risk paradox: Exploring the deand challenges around risk and uncertainty and the supply side of calculative practices

Abstract

This chapter argues that there is a paradox facing the use of risk analysis, whereby the demand for accurate assessments of risk can be seen to exceed the ability to supply effective calculative practices that have sufficient predictive validity needed to support policy decisions. This problem is exacerbated by the various meanings that are often ascribed to risk in a practical sense. The issue of risk—as measurable uncertainty—has proved to be especially problematic during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the tensions between policymakers and technical experts has led to public disagreements about the nature of the hazards associated with the virus and the associated strategies for mitigation. The chapter concludes by arguing that the paradox at the core of risk analysis can only be addressed if organizations and policy makers both accept and acknowledge the inherent uncertainties that often lie at the core of their attempts to quantify radical forms of uncertainty.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190848927.013.18

Repository URI

https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/236539/