Series
AY 2012
Arts and Sciences

Risks and Society (Global Focus on Knowledge)

Produced by
#Politics & Law
#Population & Social Issues
#Environment
#Economics & Finance
#Food Science, Agriculture & Fisheries
#Life Sciences & Medicine
#Robotics & Technological
#Disaster Prevention & Resilience
#Psychology & Cognition
#科学技術
#ガバナンス
#社会学
#リスク
#環境問題
#サステナビリティ
#経済学
#食料
#リスク管理
#感染症
#技術
#社会問題
#安全管理
#心理学
#災害
#Official UTokyo Courses (OCW)
#Arts and Sciences
In today’s society, while people enjoy various benefits associated with progress in scientific technologies, they also face various risks including those involving security and the environment. For example, national security risks stem from the diversion of scientific technology originally intended for civilian purposes to military use. Uncertainty is inevitable in science, and technologies can be used for various purposes which are not always predictable. Given this situation, a certain level of restriction placed on the use of technology is necessary. On the other hand, it is important that freedom of research and to pursue activities freely be recognized in society in order to accelerate innovation. A certain level of risk is necessary during the trial and error experimental process in order to achieve innovation. In order to make proper social decisions regarding scientific technologies under the circumstances described above, what considerations are necessary and how and when should we make such judgments? How should we develop systems to make such decisions? One difficulty is that, depending upon the stance of the main actors involved, a huge difference exists between perceived benefits and risks. In this lecture, following a discussion on the basic theme of how we should handle risks at a societal level, we will further delve into how to respond to risks in industries conducive to the application of scientific technologies such as energy, finance and food. When these risks are handled at a societal level, a number of points need to be considered from various fields in parallel. These will be described in lectures from the view points of the study of failure, national security research, social psychology and research in disaster prevention in response to multiple disasters.

Content List

Outlines

1:28
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#1 From the view point of governance of scientific technologies – how should we consider the balance between various risks and benefits associated with the usage of scientific technologies in society?

4月11日（水）　科学技術ガバナンスの視座－社会における科学技術利用に伴う様々なリスクとベネフィットのバランスをどのように考えるのか 4月18日（水）　ベックのリスク論－科学的合理性と社会的合理性

Lecturer | Hideaki Shiroyama
1:28
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening
1:18
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#2 ” Risk Society” by Beck – scientific and social rationality

4月11日（水）　科学技術ガバナンスの視座－社会における科学技術利用に伴う様々なリスクとベネフィットのバランスをどのように考えるのか 4月18日（水）　ベックのリスク論－科学的合理性と社会的合理性

Lecturer | Yuko Fujigaki
1:18
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

Risk response by field

1:23
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#4 Global warming and associated risks

Global warming changes the global climate, which causes profound effects in many areas. For example, severe local rainstorms and flooding increase in monsoon areas in Asia, while draught is accelerated in the central regions of continents and the Mediterranean coast. However, these climate changes do not necessarily lead to immediate risks. Risk is a function of climate change and societal weakne…

Lecturer | Akimasa Sumi
1:23
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening
1:25
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#5 How should we face risks in the financial market?

What are the risks associated with economic activities? In particular, the source of risks in financial markets and countermeasures to deal with them will be simply explained. Risks in economic activities are additionally associated with a number of hidden economic problems, which will also be explained.

Lecturer | Noriyuki Yanagawa
1:25
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening
1:27
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#6 Theory, regulations and application of food safety

The main cause and mechanism of the threat to food safety and sense of security will be explained and diversity in food safety problems will be identified. The multi-faceted feature of the roles of government, manufactures and consumers, as well as the associated cost burden of ensuring safety will be explored.

Lecturer | Yasuhiro Nakashima
1:27
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening
1:14
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#7 Risk management of global health – infectious diseases as examples

The medical field cannot alone shoulder the burden of global health, which also lies at the forefront of politics, diplomacy, economy, trade and business. The limitations and problems associated with normal risk management of global health as led by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be discussed from various aspects, utilizing the example of emerging infectious diseases such as new strains…

Lecturer | Kenji Shibuya
1:14
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

Cross-sectional viewpoint against risks

1:23
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#8 Knowledge of failure – risks and chances

A perfectly safe machine is not necessarily an ideal machine. In its desire for convenience, society draws a fine line between risk and safety and therefore engineers must carefully consider the balance between the two states.

Lecturer | Masayuki Nakao
1:23
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening
1:21
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#9 Expansion of safety and security and the paradox of risk selection

When one faces multiple threats, it is difficult to rank them in terms of their level of seriousness. A warning for a large-scale threat can be easily overlooked and risks can be underestimated prior to an incident taking place and overestimated after the fact; these are the results of the paradox of risk selection. This paradox will be discussed.

Lecturer | Kiichi Fujiwara
1:21
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening
1:16
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#10 Social psychology of risks and trust

Who determines risk? If we place our trust in institutions such as government and society, can we rely on them to make decisions? The social psychological approach to these subjects will be discussed.

Lecturer | Kenichi Ikeda
1:16
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening
1:16
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#12 Development of social consensus and safety regulations regarding technology usage

6月13日（水）　失敗学－リスクとチャンス 絶対的に安全な機械が理想的とは限らない。社会はその利便性を考慮して 適当に安全とリスクの間に境界線を引くので、エンジニアもそのバランスを考慮 しなければならない。6月20日（水）　安全保障の拡大とリスク選択のパラドックス 複数の脅威を前にしてどの脅威がより重要であるか、判断は難しい。そのために生まれるのが、大規模な脅威の予告も捨象されやすい、事件発生前にはリス…

Lecturer | Hideaki Shiroyama
1:16
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

Conclusions

1:20
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening

#13 Problems and prospects of risk research – toward reconstruction of risk theory

From a review of the content of the lectures given, the following points will be discussed: 1) What are the existing problems in current risk research? 2) Which direction should research be aimed? 3) What do risks mean for today’s society? and 4) How should risks be managed?

Lecturer | Kohji Ishiara
1:20
Resources
Available
Available for
Audio-Only
Listening
Back to Series List