Science and technology for society - Management of social risk

Abstract

To establish the risk-based material engineering, survey of basic concepts on social risk is inevitable. The present study first surveyed the concept of "social risk" based on the basic literatures in the area of STS (Science and Technology Studies). Social rationality is considered as the concept to legitimate the decision making for public problems that even scientists and engineers cannot provide the right answers. Consensus conference, Focus groups, and Science shops are introduced as social devices to construct social rationality for selecting/evaluating the engineering for future society. These concepts and devices are important for construct the future of risk-based material engineering.