Social risk - what is it? Types and features

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

Social risk is a fairly serious concept that applies to almost all types of human life. Its volume increased in proportion to the development of society and its evolution. Hundreds of years ago, only natural factors were classified as risks that could pose a real threat to society.

Then, with the development of the economy, trade and industry, social risk factors have increased significantly in number.

Common risk factors

Today, these include the likelihood of dismissal and unemployment, work-related injuries and disability, loss of a breadwinner. Modern science that studies the management of social risks refers to them almost any factors that, if they occur, can negatively affect the social, material and spiritual condition of a person who is considered as a separate unit.society.

General definition of the concept

The sociological definition of this concept suggests that social risk is a probable event recognized by society, which, if it occurs, can lead to the onset of a complete or partial loss of a person’s ability to work or provoke a limitation in the demand for his labor, which in turn turn, entails a complete or partial loss of earnings, which is a source of funds for a full existence.

Government support

Practically in all developed countries of the world, a list of social risks has been approved, protection against which is guaranteed at the state level. Most often, they include the following social risks:

pregnancy and motherhood (maternity leave);
death of breadwinner;
disease onset;
dismissal, layoffs, unemployment;
disability;
old age (pension payments);
occurrence of work injury.

In every civilized country, issues of social protection of the population are carefully considered. Thanks to this, the main risks are determined, in the event of which a member of the society may not be able to provide for his spiritual and material needs in full.

The social insurance risk in the state context is considered as the occurrence of a case that provides for subsequent state assistance within the framework of the state socialinsurance.

Study in various scientific and economic fields

Today, social risk is a category that is carefully studied and researched not only in sociology. It is studied in detail in the psychology of society, in pedagogy, and is also used in economic spheres. Especially carefully social risks are studied and used in the insurance system, and not only social, but commercial and medical.

The government sees social risks as a potential threat against which the state is obliged to protect its citizens through compulsory social insurance. In the event of a case of social risk, the state is obliged to provide its citizens with mandatory assistance and support.

In a separate context, the concept of social risk is considered in sociology, in the work of social educators and social workers. They carefully consider and study the so-called social risk groups, carry out preventive work with them and, if necessary, provide them with their professional assistance and support.

Depending on what area the concept of "Social risk" is considered, it has its own specifics and features.

Main types of social risks

Depending on the context, the main social risks can be divided into different types. Depending on whether they can be foreseen or not, they are divided into:

Foreseeable - those that can be foreseen, predicted, analyzed even before they occur. Typically, this kindRisks are always present in society and, with the right analysis, their onset can be predicted (the upcoming reduction and dismissal of employees, an increase in unemployment, problem families, which are social risk groups and need the support of a social worker).
Unforeseen - those that have no analogues in history or happen completely suddenly (accident, natural disaster). This type of risk is the most difficult for science, since it is almost impossible to calculate or predict its occurrence in any way.

Don't forget that social risk is the probability of an event that can happen both to a single individual and to a group of people. Depending on who is the subject of social risk, it can be single or group. In the first case, the risks of what could theoretically happen to an ordinary, single person are considered. In the second case, whole groups of social risk are considered. They may be affected by the following risks:

Natural risks are those that are a consequence of the realization of phenomena of animate and inanimate nature. These include floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters, as well as the properties or actions of various representatives of the biosphere that a person cannot control (the actions of microorganisms, the behavior of wild animals).
Social psychological risks - those that represent the likelihood of adverse circumstances as a result of interpersonal communications onthe level of a social group or an individual.

Can also have a negative impact on the entire social group, and on one person.

Socio-economic risks of society - those risks, the implementation of which by their actions can provoke organized or unorganized groups, their individual members who act in the interests of these groups. These types of risk include actions that are committed for the sake of national interests, corporate tolerance.

Also, such actions may not be fully conscious, but arise as a “crowd psychology” or “herd instinct”. The objects and subjects of socio-economic risks can be both individual members of society, and various firms, organizations, corporations, and even entire states. For example, for a manufacturing enterprise, there is a risk that the price of imported raw materials used in production may be increased. Such a risk may materialize if the necessary government decree is signed by an individual government official. This government official acts as a representative of a whole social system - the state, and acts in the interests of this social system. For this reason, for a manufacturing enterprise, such decisions are considered social risks.

Social risks in the insurance business

Slightly different, but no less thoroughway the problem of social risks is considered by insurance companies. To date, the insurance business is one of the most successful, as the demand for insurance services never falls.

Insurance companies offer both individuals and entire organizations, for a moderate monthly fee, to protect themselves in case of occurrence of one of the types of social risk. The cost of a social insurance policy and the amount of payment in the event of an insured event is calculated based on who in a particular situation acts as an object and subject of social risk, what is the probability of its occurrence, how theoretically high the frequency of occurrence of a particular social risk and how predictable it is.

The most popular insurance policies that protect against the onset of social risks

In the context of what social risks are most likely and dangerous for an individual of society, most often, insurance companies offer individuals insurance policies that protect a person from the following social risks:

loss of a breadwinner, his illness and inability to work due to the care he needs;
unemployment;
occupational injury;
serious illness and occupational illness;
disability;
medical assistance (in this case, insurance payments do not go to the maintenance of a sick person at the time when he lost his ability to work, but to pay for medicalservices, drugs);
cases when a person, for reasons beyond his control, loses the opportunity to earn money.

The problem of social risks in sociology, the main risk groups

Also, the concept of social risk in a special context is considered and analyzed in great detail by such a science as sociology, since the main object of its study is society and all the processes taking place in it. Sociology singles out peculiar groups of social risk, whose behavior or actions may pose a danger to the normal, full-fledged life of society.

Individuals who experience an increase in social exclusion, disruption in the process of social adaptation, narrowing of social interests and transformation of forms of social interaction with other social individuals are classified as peculiar groups of social risk. Most often they include:

addicts;
alcoholics;
people of no fixed abode.

Categories of these individuals are considered by social workers as those who are potentially capable of provoking the onset of social risks by their actions. That is why it is recommended to carry out thorough preventive work with this category of the population.

Threat risks for the family as a separate social unit

The family is one of the main objects of study in sociology, because in many ways, it is it that determines the integrity of society, its mood and is the key to its further full development. Special Interest of Social Workersfamilies with children are called because they are the ones who suffer the most when social risk is carried out in the family.

In this context, it is considered as a probable event that, if it occurs, can destroy the integrity of the family, affect the psychological and moral state of adults, lead to a decrease or complete reduction in the overall family budget, as a result of which, the primary needs of the child may not be satisfied.

Typology of social risk families

Families with a high likelihood of social risk include those who, for various reasons, experience life difficulties and who are in dire need of government support and assistance from social workers.

These include:

large families;
refugee and displaced families;
families with dependents, disabled;
incomplete families;
poor families.

Children of social risk

Children from the above families require special attention of teachers and social workers, as they are classified as children of social risk. In their case, we can talk about two types of risk:

in the first case, these children can be seen as a potential threat to society, as they may be prone to previant behavior and be poorly socialized;
in the second case, these children, on the contrary, are regarded as those who themselvesexposed to social threats: the risk of poor he alth, the inability to satisfy their primary needs; lack of normal living and material conditions for full development and life.

Helping educators and social workers to overcome social risks

Any educational institution is familiar with such a concept as "socio-pedagogical risks". In the context of pedagogy, it also has its own characteristics and can be considered from two sides:

risks of a teacher who has a pedagogical impact;
risks of pupils who are exposed to the teacher.

In the context of the problem of children from the social risk group, the probability of the second variant of socio-pedagogical risk is considered.

A child from a family with serious problems can have many problems in an educational institution, ranging from poor academic performance, conflicts with peers and teachers, to complete social disorientation and problems adapting to the educational process. The task of not only a social, but also an ordinary teacher is to find an individual approach to such a child and provide him with the necessary assistance in a timely manner.