Å Boholm
Biographic Data
| ID | 31530 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Å Boholm |
| GIVEN NAMES | Å |
| FAMILY NAME | Boholm |
| SIGNATURE | BOHOLM Å |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Gothenburg |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0247-3798 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 299 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 22 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1991 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Indispensable, yet Invisible
Local policy-makers’ incentives to address an issue is conditioned by how they perceive public attention. Our study focuses on drinking water management at the municipal level in Sweden. Provisioning and management of drinking water is a responsibility of the local governments. Interviews with local politicians and public administrators in seven municipalities reveal that local policy-makers think that citizens view provisioning of drinking water…
Drinking water risk management
Drinking water provisioning can be approached as a paradigmatic case of transboundary risk management that requires government collaboration. In Sweden, as in most other countries, the provision of safe drinking water and the control of its quality is a responsibility of local governments. This explorative case study investigates how local level decision-makers (politicians and public administrators) identify and understand risks to drinking wate…
Scientists’ Understandings of Risk of Nanomaterials
There is a growing literature on how scientific experts understand risk of technology related to their disciplinary field. Previous research shows that experts have different understandings and perspectives depending on disciplinary culture, organizational affiliation, and how they more broadly look upon their role in society. From a practice-based perspective on risk management as a bottom-up activity embedded in work place routines and everyday…
Anthropology and Risk
Drawing on theory from anthropology, sociology, organisation studies and philosophy, this book addresses how the perception, communication and management of risk is shaped by culturally informed and socially embedded knowledge and experience. It provides an account of how interpretations of risk in society are conditioned by knowledge claims and cultural assumptions and by the orientationof actors based on roles, norms, expectations, identities, …
Dis-Ag-reement
What constitutes a potentially hazardous object is often debated. This article analyses the polemic construction and negotiation of risk in the Swedish controversy over the use of antibacterial silver in health care and consumer products. This debate engages the media, government agencies, parliament and government, non-governmental organizations and companies. Texts and websites from these actors were studied using content analysis. Antibacteria…
Anthropology and decision making
This article, part of a set of three articles, calls for a critical reexamination of a plethora of phenomena relating to choice and decision making, occasionally addressed by anthropologists, but more regularly studied by economists, political scientists, psychologists, and organization scholars. By means of a bird's-eye research overview, we identify certain weak spots pertaining to a formalistic unicentral view of human rationality, and argue t…
The practice of risk governance
In contradistinction to generic and formal risk governance models such as the IRGC framework, this paper advocates the relevance of a contextual and practice-based approach to organizational risk governance. Three cases illustrate the socially situated dynamics of risk governance practice: public transportation management, river management, and railway planning. Risk governance is shown to derive from how actors, in their daily activities, mediat…
Nanotechnology, risk and communication
A relational theory of risk
This paper outlines a relational theory of risk. According to this theory, risk emerges from situated cognition that establishes a relationship of risk between a risk object and an object at risk, so that the risk object is considered, under certain contingent circumstances and in some causal way, to threaten the valued object at risk. This relational theory of risk is a theory about the interpretative nature of risk that answers the key theoreti…
Speaking of Risk
The risk communication (RC) field is dominated by the practical and normative socio-technical aim of improving communication on risk (CR), especially from the viewpoint of regulatory agencies and government administrations. Despite some change of scope and orientation over the past 30 years, two theoretical ideas have persisted: the subjective–objective risk dichotomy and the transmission (also known as code) model of communication. This theoreti…
The Public Meeting as a Theatre of Dissent
Land‐use and environmental planning typically involves diverse actors such as representatives of government authorities and administrations, special interest organisations, scientific experts, lawyers, stakeholders and concerned citizens. During the course of the planning process, communication is not limited to written documents. The Swedish Environmental Code also calls for public meetings and consultation efforts with stakeholders. Considering…
New perspectives on risk communication
Risk communication is a point of intersection of social communication, practical management and policy‐making. It covers such diverse activities as to inform and educate the public about risk, and
The successor of St Peter. Incorporated meanings and textual symbolism in medieval inaugurations
Un recent debat sur la memoire collective et la transmission de la connaissance s'est attache a distinguer deux formes primaires de production opposant pratiques d'incorporation et pratiques d'inscription. Celles-ci doivent etre moins considerees comme mutuellement exclusives que comme deux modalites coexistantes produisant chacune les messages par lesquels la societe commemore son passe. Un recours a la theorie de Kantorowicz sur les deux corps …
Neglected and overemphasized risks
Research on risks has mainly been devoted to detailed analyses of such risks that are subject to public debate and policy decision making. However, many if not most of the risks that are now the subject of regulation were once neglected. Experts in conjunction with regulators have a crucial role in putting risks on the policy agenda. But what views do experts have on the matter of attention to risks? In order to answer this question risk assessme…
Greater good' in transit
Large-scale technological projects are born as visions among politicians and leaders of industry. For such visions to become real, they must be transformed from a virtual existence in the minds of their creators to a reality that can be accepted, even welcomed, by the public, not least by the communities who will become neighbors to those projects. Democracy implies that political decisions over the expenditure of public funds should answer not m…
The cultural nature of risk
In risk research, culture has been used mainly as a 'black box' of unknowns into which 'irregularities' of risk perceptions that could not be otherwise accounted for can be referred. In social anthropology it has been taken for granted that what is to be considered a 'risk' depends entirely on cultural settings and assumptions; risks are culturally defined and selected. This article takes a critical stance towards any such simplistic ideas about …
Situated risk
Comparative studies of risk perception
This paper critically reviews a number of cross-national studies of perceptions of risks which have been conducted in accordance with the 'psychometric paradigm' developed by the Oregon research group in the 1970s. It considers attempts to study risk perception comparatively, from other theoretical and methodological perspectives, and discusses various issues that are highlighted in a comparative framework, relating to distinctions between 'objec…
Reinvented Histories
Risk perception and social anthropology
Cultural theory', launched by social anthropologist Mary Douglas, has been highly influential in the inter-disciplinary field concerned with the study of risk perception and risk communication. The theory derives from the grid-group analyses that Douglas developed in the 1970s. Cultural theory aims to explain universal 'cultural bias' by way of a general typology of group formation and a concomitant cosmology or world view. This article criticall…
The Coronation of Female Death
The Doge of Venice
The cultural nature of risk
In risk research, culture has been used mainly as a 'black box' of unknowns into which 'irregularities' of risk perceptions that could not be otherwise accounted for can be referred. In social anthropology it has been taken for granted that what is to be considered a 'risk' depends entirely on cultural settings and assumptions; risks are culturally defined and selected. This article takes a critical stance towards any such simplistic ideas about …
A relational theory of risk
This paper outlines a relational theory of risk. According to this theory, risk emerges from situated cognition that establishes a relationship of risk between a risk object and an object at risk, so that the risk object is considered, under certain contingent circumstances and in some causal way, to threaten the valued object at risk. This relational theory of risk is a theory about the interpretative nature of risk that answers the key theoreti…
Risk perception and social anthropology
Cultural theory', launched by social anthropologist Mary Douglas, has been highly influential in the inter-disciplinary field concerned with the study of risk perception and risk communication. The theory derives from the grid-group analyses that Douglas developed in the 1970s. Cultural theory aims to explain universal 'cultural bias' by way of a general typology of group formation and a concomitant cosmology or world view. This article criticall…
The practice of risk governance
In contradistinction to generic and formal risk governance models such as the IRGC framework, this paper advocates the relevance of a contextual and practice-based approach to organizational risk governance. Three cases illustrate the socially situated dynamics of risk governance practice: public transportation management, river management, and railway planning. Risk governance is shown to derive from how actors, in their daily activities, mediat…
Anthropology and decision making
This article, part of a set of three articles, calls for a critical reexamination of a plethora of phenomena relating to choice and decision making, occasionally addressed by anthropologists, but more regularly studied by economists, political scientists, psychologists, and organization scholars. By means of a bird's-eye research overview, we identify certain weak spots pertaining to a formalistic unicentral view of human rationality, and argue t…
Situated risk
The Public Meeting as a Theatre of Dissent
Land‐use and environmental planning typically involves diverse actors such as representatives of government authorities and administrations, special interest organisations, scientific experts, lawyers, stakeholders and concerned citizens. During the course of the planning process, communication is not limited to written documents. The Swedish Environmental Code also calls for public meetings and consultation efforts with stakeholders. Considering…
New perspectives on risk communication
Risk communication is a point of intersection of social communication, practical management and policy‐making. It covers such diverse activities as to inform and educate the public about risk, and
Dis-Ag-reement
What constitutes a potentially hazardous object is often debated. This article analyses the polemic construction and negotiation of risk in the Swedish controversy over the use of antibacterial silver in health care and consumer products. This debate engages the media, government agencies, parliament and government, non-governmental organizations and companies. Texts and websites from these actors were studied using content analysis. Antibacteria…
Neglected and overemphasized risks
Research on risks has mainly been devoted to detailed analyses of such risks that are subject to public debate and policy decision making. However, many if not most of the risks that are now the subject of regulation were once neglected. Experts in conjunction with regulators have a crucial role in putting risks on the policy agenda. But what views do experts have on the matter of attention to risks? In order to answer this question risk assessme…
Reinvented Histories
Indispensable, yet Invisible
Local policy-makers’ incentives to address an issue is conditioned by how they perceive public attention. Our study focuses on drinking water management at the municipal level in Sweden. Provisioning and management of drinking water is a responsibility of the local governments. Interviews with local politicians and public administrators in seven municipalities reveal that local policy-makers think that citizens view provisioning of drinking water…
Drinking water risk management
Drinking water provisioning can be approached as a paradigmatic case of transboundary risk management that requires government collaboration. In Sweden, as in most other countries, the provision of safe drinking water and the control of its quality is a responsibility of local governments. This explorative case study investigates how local level decision-makers (politicians and public administrators) identify and understand risks to drinking wate…
The Doge of Venice
Scientists’ Understandings of Risk of Nanomaterials
There is a growing literature on how scientific experts understand risk of technology related to their disciplinary field. Previous research shows that experts have different understandings and perspectives depending on disciplinary culture, organizational affiliation, and how they more broadly look upon their role in society. From a practice-based perspective on risk management as a bottom-up activity embedded in work place routines and everyday…
The Coronation of Female Death
The Doge of Venice
The Coronation of Female Death
Risk perception and social anthropology
Cultural theory', launched by social anthropologist Mary Douglas, has been highly influential in the inter-disciplinary field concerned with the study of risk perception and risk communication. The theory derives from the grid-group analyses that Douglas developed in the 1970s. Cultural theory aims to explain universal 'cultural bias' by way of a general typology of group formation and a concomitant cosmology or world view. This article criticall…
Reinvented Histories
Comparative studies of risk perception
This paper critically reviews a number of cross-national studies of perceptions of risks which have been conducted in accordance with the 'psychometric paradigm' developed by the Oregon research group in the 1970s. It considers attempts to study risk perception comparatively, from other theoretical and methodological perspectives, and discusses various issues that are highlighted in a comparative framework, relating to distinctions between 'objec…
The cultural nature of risk
In risk research, culture has been used mainly as a 'black box' of unknowns into which 'irregularities' of risk perceptions that could not be otherwise accounted for can be referred. In social anthropology it has been taken for granted that what is to be considered a 'risk' depends entirely on cultural settings and assumptions; risks are culturally defined and selected. This article takes a critical stance towards any such simplistic ideas about …
Situated risk
Neglected and overemphasized risks
Research on risks has mainly been devoted to detailed analyses of such risks that are subject to public debate and policy decision making. However, many if not most of the risks that are now the subject of regulation were once neglected. Experts in conjunction with regulators have a crucial role in putting risks on the policy agenda. But what views do experts have on the matter of attention to risks? In order to answer this question risk assessme…
Greater good' in transit
Large-scale technological projects are born as visions among politicians and leaders of industry. For such visions to become real, they must be transformed from a virtual existence in the minds of their creators to a reality that can be accepted, even welcomed, by the public, not least by the communities who will become neighbors to those projects. Democracy implies that political decisions over the expenditure of public funds should answer not m…
The successor of St Peter. Incorporated meanings and textual symbolism in medieval inaugurations
Un recent debat sur la memoire collective et la transmission de la connaissance s'est attache a distinguer deux formes primaires de production opposant pratiques d'incorporation et pratiques d'inscription. Celles-ci doivent etre moins considerees comme mutuellement exclusives que comme deux modalites coexistantes produisant chacune les messages par lesquels la societe commemore son passe. Un recours a la theorie de Kantorowicz sur les deux corps …
The Public Meeting as a Theatre of Dissent
Land‐use and environmental planning typically involves diverse actors such as representatives of government authorities and administrations, special interest organisations, scientific experts, lawyers, stakeholders and concerned citizens. During the course of the planning process, communication is not limited to written documents. The Swedish Environmental Code also calls for public meetings and consultation efforts with stakeholders. Considering…
New perspectives on risk communication
Risk communication is a point of intersection of social communication, practical management and policy‐making. It covers such diverse activities as to inform and educate the public about risk, and
Speaking of Risk
The risk communication (RC) field is dominated by the practical and normative socio-technical aim of improving communication on risk (CR), especially from the viewpoint of regulatory agencies and government administrations. Despite some change of scope and orientation over the past 30 years, two theoretical ideas have persisted: the subjective–objective risk dichotomy and the transmission (also known as code) model of communication. This theoreti…
A relational theory of risk
This paper outlines a relational theory of risk. According to this theory, risk emerges from situated cognition that establishes a relationship of risk between a risk object and an object at risk, so that the risk object is considered, under certain contingent circumstances and in some causal way, to threaten the valued object at risk. This relational theory of risk is a theory about the interpretative nature of risk that answers the key theoreti…
The practice of risk governance
In contradistinction to generic and formal risk governance models such as the IRGC framework, this paper advocates the relevance of a contextual and practice-based approach to organizational risk governance. Three cases illustrate the socially situated dynamics of risk governance practice: public transportation management, river management, and railway planning. Risk governance is shown to derive from how actors, in their daily activities, mediat…
Nanotechnology, risk and communication
Anthropology and decision making
This article, part of a set of three articles, calls for a critical reexamination of a plethora of phenomena relating to choice and decision making, occasionally addressed by anthropologists, but more regularly studied by economists, political scientists, psychologists, and organization scholars. By means of a bird's-eye research overview, we identify certain weak spots pertaining to a formalistic unicentral view of human rationality, and argue t…
Dis-Ag-reement
What constitutes a potentially hazardous object is often debated. This article analyses the polemic construction and negotiation of risk in the Swedish controversy over the use of antibacterial silver in health care and consumer products. This debate engages the media, government agencies, parliament and government, non-governmental organizations and companies. Texts and websites from these actors were studied using content analysis. Antibacteria…
Anthropology and Risk
Drawing on theory from anthropology, sociology, organisation studies and philosophy, this book addresses how the perception, communication and management of risk is shaped by culturally informed and socially embedded knowledge and experience. It provides an account of how interpretations of risk in society are conditioned by knowledge claims and cultural assumptions and by the orientationof actors based on roles, norms, expectations, identities, …
Scientists’ Understandings of Risk of Nanomaterials
There is a growing literature on how scientific experts understand risk of technology related to their disciplinary field. Previous research shows that experts have different understandings and perspectives depending on disciplinary culture, organizational affiliation, and how they more broadly look upon their role in society. From a practice-based perspective on risk management as a bottom-up activity embedded in work place routines and everyday…
Drinking water risk management
Drinking water provisioning can be approached as a paradigmatic case of transboundary risk management that requires government collaboration. In Sweden, as in most other countries, the provision of safe drinking water and the control of its quality is a responsibility of local governments. This explorative case study investigates how local level decision-makers (politicians and public administrators) identify and understand risks to drinking wate…
Indispensable, yet Invisible
Local policy-makers’ incentives to address an issue is conditioned by how they perceive public attention. Our study focuses on drinking water management at the municipal level in Sweden. Provisioning and management of drinking water is a responsibility of the local governments. Interviews with local politicians and public administrators in seven municipalities reveal that local policy-makers think that citizens view provisioning of drinking water…
Risk Perception and Management (14 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Political science (9 works) · Business (7 works) · Epistemology (6 works) · Politics (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Disaster Management and Resilience (5 works) · Geography (5 works) · Law (5 works)