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RiskandPleasureDeborahLupton

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Alterna7vediscoursetoriskasahazardthatshouldbemanaged.

Voluntaryengagementwithriskasanexci7ngstatethattranscendsordinary,

daytodaylimits.

Escape,adventures,andtripsintotheextraordinary.

IsBurningMananexampleofEdgework?

HurtlingdowntheroadtotheBlackRockDesert,thecolorspaint

themselveslikeaspicecabinetsage,dust,slategray.Youbelong

hereandyoupar7cipate.You'renottheweirdestkidintheclassroom

there'salwayssomebodytherewho'sthoughtupsomethingyouneverevenconsidered.You'retheretobreatheart.Imagineanicesculpture

emiOngglacialmusicinthedesert.Imaginetheman,gree7ngyou,

neonandbenevolence,watchingoverthecommunity.You'rehereto

buildacommunitythatneedsyouandreliesonyou.

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ExtremeSportsFeatsofdaringRichardBransonTrainsurfinginAustraliaReligiousac7vi7esandecstasyRiot,war,violentgang,excessindrinkinganddrugsUnselfishrisktakerEdgyar7stHumanitarianrisksFacepacedriskyprofessionsVirtuosity,courageEduca7onasriskyexpenditureof7meandmoneyWhataresomeriskthatarenotexclusivelyconsideredasmale,as

economicallyprivileged,asWestern?

LuptondiscussesCarnivalasformofritualizedconfronta7onwiththether,

withfiguresoflifedeathofrestraintexcess.Thisisherexampleofa

ritualthatincludesanen7repopula7on,menandwomen,withasmany

groupsofpeopleasBrazilitself.DoesUShaveaCarnival?

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VoluntaryRiskTaking

Edgework,Risk,andUncertaintyStephenLyng

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InterviewwithHunterS.Thompson,CharlieRose,Feb25,200

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EdgeworkTheory

IndividualexperienceforegroundMo7va7onsforvoluntaryrisktakingcanbefoundinthe

immediateexperiencewithchallengesandexhilara7ons.

Beingontheedgeandfeelingmostalive.

CulturalUnderstandingbackgroundWhatculturalstructurespromotevoluntaryedgework?

Dullnessofworkplace(aliena7onoflabor)KarlMarx

Increaseinra7onalbureaucraciesMaxWeber

RiskSocietyitselfStephenLyng

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Workmeaningfulandmeaningless

Thesocialcondi7onsthatsustainhumanbeingswhopossesabroadrangeofskillsformasteringtheirsocialandmaterial

environmentscannotbefoundinasocialordercharacterizedby

alienatedlabor,classconflict,oversocializa7on,andradical

individualism.Lyng,S.pg124

AlienatedWork:lackingcontroloverthecondi7onsofoneswork

andhavinglileopportunityforthedevelopmentanduseof

skills.Lyng,pg12

UnremiOngsearchforselfasreal,authen7c,important.Pg124

MarxisttheoryoflaborandGeorgeHerbertMeadoftheI/Me

dialogue.

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Ra7onaliza7on&Bureaucracies

Therepresenta7veisassis7ngothercustomers

Thera7onaliza7onprocesshasrelegatedpeopletoan

ironcageofrou7nizedbehavioranddiminished

opportuni7esforcrea7veac7onS.Lyng,pg125

MaxWeberatrendtowardra7onaliza7onthatleadsto

everincreasingbureaucra7za7on.

Somenewavenuestoreenchantment:deepconsump7on,religiousfervorfundamentalistand

otherwise,edgeworkS.Lyng

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Risksociety,riskagency,andtheethicofself

SecondModernity

Beckschronicindeterminacyofriskandrisktaking,of

livingwithrisk,ismuchmoreofapiecewiththe

elusivedeterminacyofflows.LashinLyng,pg130

Ratherthanrepresen7ngaformofcounteragencyin

latemodernity,edgeworkmustbeseenasthepurest

expressionoftheagen7cquali7esdemandedbythe

risksociety.Lyng,pg130

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AnalystsSayItWillBeDifficulttoShieldLuxuryHotelsFrom

TerroristAacksNYTimes

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FirefightersrescuedaC.RichDiffenderffer,anexecu7vevice

presidentwithTransi7onalTechnology,fromatopfloorattheTaj

Hotelwitharescuebasket.(Photo:MichaelRubensteinforThe

NewYorkTimes)[AnaheimbaseddatastorageproviderTransi7onalTechnologyInc.hasbeenboughtoutbyaMarinadel

ReyfirmthatwillmoveitsheadquarterstoAnaheim.]

Edgeworkisincreasinglywhatins7tu7onsexpectofpeople.

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MichelFoucault19261984

Bytakingupthechallengeofnego7a7nglimitsoredges,theactorini7atesa

projectofrselfcrea7on,drawingonthe

fluidityofthebodytoiden7fynewways

ofbeing.

LimitExperienceastranscendence

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FollowingUlrichBeckswork,Lyngarguesthatedgeworkis

preciselythereflexiveresponsetowardlivinginarisk

society.

Actorsbecomemoreawareofthelibera7ngsideoflivingwithuncertainty.

Aerall,ashumanswesharesomeoriginalexperiences

withedgeworkandtrust,rightfromtheverybeginning.

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