RiskandPleasureDeborahLupton

Alterna7vediscoursetoriskasahazardthatshouldbemanaged. Voluntaryengagementwithriskasanexci7ngstatethattranscendsordinary, daytodaylimits. Escape,adventures,andtripsintotheextraordinary. IsBurningMananexampleofEdgework?

HurtlingdowntheroadtotheBlackRockDesert,thecolorspaint themselveslikeaspicecabinetsage,dust,slategray.Youbelong hereandyoupar7cipate.You'renottheweirdestkidintheclassroom there'salwayssomebodytherewho'sthoughtupsomethingyounever evenconsidered.You'retheretobreatheart.Imagineanicesculpture emiOngglacialmusicinthedesert.Imaginetheman,gree7ngyou, neonandbenevolence,watchingoverthecommunity.You'rehereto buildacommunitythatneedsyouandreliesonyou.

ExtremeSports FeatsofdaringRichardBranson TrainsurnginAustralia Religiousac7vi7esandecstasy Riot,war,violentgang,excessindrinkinganddrugs Unselshrisktaker Edgyar7st Humanitarianrisks Facepacedriskyprofessions Virtuosity,courage Educa7onasriskyexpenditureof7meandmoney Whataresomeriskthatarenotexclusivelyconsideredasmale,as economicallyprivileged,asWestern? LuptondiscussesCarnivalasformofritualizedconfronta7onwiththeOther, withguresoflife<>deathofrestraint<>excess.Thisisherexampleofa ritualthatincludesanen7repopula7on,menandwomen,withasmany groupsofpeopleasBrazilitself.DoesUShaveaCarnival?

Edgework,Risk,andUncertaintyStephenLyng VoluntaryRiskTaking

InterviewwithHunterS.Thompson,CharlieRose,Feb25,2007

EdgeworkTheory
Individualexperienceforeground Mo7va7onsforvoluntaryrisktakingcanbefoundinthe immediateexperiencewithchallengesandexhilara7ons. Beingontheedgeandfeelingmostalive. CulturalUnderstandingbackground Whatculturalstructurespromotevoluntaryedgework? Dullnessofworkplace(aliena7onoflabor)KarlMarx Increaseinra7onalbureaucraciesMaxWeber RiskSocietyitselfStephenLyng

Workmeaningfulandmeaningless Thesocialcondi7onsthatsustainhumanbeingswhopossesa broadrangeofskillsformasteringtheirsocialandmaterial environmentscannotbefoundinasocialordercharacterizedby alienatedlabor,classconict,oversocializa7on,andradical individualism.Lyng,S.pg124 AlienatedWork:lackingcontroloverthecondi7onsofoneswork andhavinglihleopportunityforthedevelopmentanduseof skills.Lyng,pg127 UnremiOngsearchforselfasreal,authen7c,important.Pg124 MarxisttheoryoflaborandGeorgeHerbertMeadoftheI/Me dialogue.

Ra7onaliza7on&Bureaucracies Therepresenta7veisassis7ngothercustomers Thera7onaliza7onprocesshasrelegatedpeopletoan ironcageofrou7nizedbehavioranddiminished opportuni7esforcrea7veac7onS.Lyng,pg125 MaxWeberatrendtowardra7onaliza7onthatleadsto everincreasingbureaucra7za7on. Somenewavenuestoreenchantment:deep consump7on,religiousfervorfundamentalistand otherwise,edgeworkS.Lyng

Risksociety,riskagency,andtheethicofself SecondModernity Beckschronicindeterminacyofriskandrisktaking,of livingwithrisk,ismuchmoreofapiecewiththe elusivedeterminacyofows.LashinLyng,pg130 Ratherthanrepresen7ngaformofcounteragencyin latemodernity,edgeworkmustbeseenasthepurest expressionoftheagen7cquali7esdemandedbythe risksociety.Lyng,pg130

AnalystsSayItWillBeDiculttoShieldLuxuryHotelsFrom TerroristAhacksNYTimes

FireghtersrescuedaC.RichDienderer,anexecu7vevice presidentwithTransi7onalTechnology,fromatopoorattheTaj Hotelwitharescuebasket.(Photo:MichaelRubensteinforThe NewYorkTimes)[Anaheimbaseddatastorageprovider Transi7onalTechnologyInc.hasbeenboughtoutbyaMarinadel ReyrmthatwillmoveitsheadquarterstoAnaheim.]

Edgeworkisincreasinglywhatins7tu7onsexpectofpeople.

LimitExperienceastranscendence MichelFoucault19261984 Bytakingupthechallengeofnego7a7ng limitsoredges,theactorini7atesa projectofrselfcrea7on,drawingonthe uidityofthebodytoiden7fynewways ofbeing.

FollowingUlrichBeckswork,Lyngarguesthatedgeworkis preciselythereexiveresponsetowardlivinginarisk society. Actorsbecomemoreawareofthelibera7ngsideof livingwithuncertainty. Axerall,ashumanswesharesomeoriginalexperiences withedgeworkandtrust,rightfromtheverybeginning.