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Análise de riscos tecnológicos na perspectiva das ciências sociais

Technological risk analysis from the perspective of the social sciences

Resumos

A tecnologia, seus riscos e as formas científicas de analisá-los surgem com o próprio desenvolvimento das sociedades contemporâneas e cada vez mais fazem parte do nosso cotidiano. O objetivo deste artigo é, numa perspectiva histórica e crítica, demonstrar que tanto os riscos de origem tecnológica, como suas análises, resultam de processos sociais, não podendo ser reduzidos a dimensões físicas, químicas e biológicas. Estas características dos riscos tecnológicos e suas análises tornam necessária a incorporação das ciências sociais em suas várias disciplinas (história, antropologia, sociologia, ciência política, entre outras) não só para o desenvolvimento de análises de riscos mais abrangentes em termos de escopo e de impactos nos gerenciamentos de riscos, mas também para maior compreensão cie nossa sociedade tecnológica e de intervenção na mesma. Conclui-se que no atual momento as ciências sociais devem participar das análises de riscos, colocando-se alguns desafios para seu efetivo processo de incorporação.

riscos tecnológicos; análises de riscos; ciências sociais


Technology, technological risks, and the scientific methods for analyzing these have emerged as part of the development of contemporary societies and are increasingly apart of our everyday lives. From a historical and critical perspective, this article shows that both technological risks as well as their analysis derive from social processes and cannot be reduced to physical, chemical, and biological dimensions alone. These characteristics of technological risks and risk analysis make it necessary to link the field into the social sciences (e.g., history, anthropology, sociology, political science, and others) not only so that risk analyses may become broader in scope and have greater impact on risk management but also so that they can afford a better understanding of our technological society and how to intervene in it. It is concluded that the social sciences must take part in risk analysis, albeit this process of incorporation will entail certain challenges.

technological risks; risk analysis; social sciences


ANÁLISE

Análise de riscos tecnológicos na perspectiva das ciências sociais

Technological risk analysis from the perspective of the social sciences

Carlos Machado de FreitasI Carlos Minayo GomezII

IPesquisador associado do Centro de Estudos da Saúde do Trabalhador e Ecologia Humana (Cesteh/ENSP/Fiocruz). Av. Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, &— RJ. E-mail: carlosmf@manguinhos.ensp.fiocruz.br

IIPesquisador titular da Fiocruz e coordenador cio Centro de Estudos de Saúde do Trabalhador e Ecologia Humana (Cesteh/ENSP/Fiocruz). Av. Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro — RJ

RESUMO

A tecnologia, seus riscos e as formas científicas de analisá-los surgem com o próprio desenvolvimento das sociedades contemporâneas e cada vez mais fazem parte do nosso cotidiano. O objetivo deste artigo é, numa perspectiva histórica e crítica, demonstrar que tanto os riscos de origem tecnológica, como suas análises, resultam de processos sociais, não podendo ser reduzidos a dimensões físicas, químicas e biológicas. Estas características dos riscos tecnológicos e suas análises tornam necessária a incorporação das ciências sociais em suas várias disciplinas (história, antropologia, sociologia, ciência política, entre outras) não só para o desenvolvimento de análises de riscos mais abrangentes em termos de escopo e de impactos nos gerenciamentos de riscos, mas também para maior compreensão cie nossa sociedade tecnológica e de intervenção na mesma. Conclui-se que no atual momento as ciências sociais devem participar das análises de riscos, colocando-se alguns desafios para seu efetivo processo de incorporação.

Palavras-chave: riscos tecnológicos, análises de riscos, ciências sociais.

ABSTRACT

Technology, technological risks, and the scientific methods for analyzing these have emerged as part of the development of contemporary societies and are increasingly apart of our everyday lives. From a historical and critical perspective, this article shows that both technological risks as well as their analysis derive from social processes and cannot be reduced to physical, chemical, and biological dimensions alone. These characteristics of technological risks and risk analysis make it necessary to link the field into the social sciences (e.g., history, anthropology, sociology, political science, and others) not only so that risk analyses may become broader in scope and have greater impact on risk management but also so that they can afford a better understanding of our technological society and how to intervene in it. It is concluded that the social sciences must take part in risk analysis, albeit this process of incorporation will entail certain challenges.

Keywords: technological risks, risk analysis, social sciences.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Recebido para publicação em setembro de 1996.

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Datas de Publicação

  • Publicação nesta coleção
    18 Ago 2006
  • Data do Fascículo
    Nov 1996

Histórico

  • Recebido
    Set 1996
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