Culture of Fear : Risk-Taking and the Morality of Low Expectation

Safety has become the fundamental value of the 1990s. In a world obsessed with abuse, stranger danger, disease and environmental damage, we are constantly told that we are at risk, and urged to take greater precautions and seek more protection. Yet the facts often fail to support the scare stories about new or growing risks to our health and safety, so why do we panic? And what does the predisposition always to believe the worst about the human condition tell us about the society we live in today? Culture of Fear argues that the preoccupation with safety and survival reflects an outlook of low expectation and Frank Furedi critically examines the roots and the consequences of contemporary risk consciousness. Through challenging the fatalistic mood of the times, Furedi outlines a bold argument in favor of the human potential to confront problems and to take risks.