RISK AND RECREANCY - WEBER, THE DIVISION-OF-LABOR, AND THE RATIONALITY OF RISK PERCEPTIONS

To date, most analyses of risk perceptions have focused on the charact eristics of individual perceivers, but given the societal changes that have occurred since the early days of the industrial revolution, ther e is need for greater attention to the institutions that are responsib le for risk management. Risks of death have been dropping significantl y for more than a century, but during that time, there has been a dram atic growth of societal interdependence and hence of the potential for recreancy - the failure of institutional actors to carry out their re sponsibilities with the degree of vigor necessary to merit the societa l trust they enjoy. In the case of facilities for handling nuclear was te, analyses of survey data find that the recreancy perspective explai ns roughly three times as much variance in levels of concern as do soc iodemographic and ideological variables combined. The recreancy concep t may also have significant applicability in other contexts involving the potentially problematic performance of specialized responsibilitie s.