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 attributed to risks that could pose a real threat to society.
Then, with the development of the economy, trade and industry, social risk factors increased significantly in quantity.
Common risk factors
To date, they include the likelihood of dismissal and unemployment, work-related injuries and the onset of disability, loss of a breadwinner. Modern science studying the management of social risks refers to them almost any factors that, if it occurs, can negatively affect the social, material and spiritual state of a person, which is considered as a separate unit of society.
General definition of the concept
The sociological definition of this concept indicates that social risk is a likely event recognized by society, which, if it occurs, can lead to the onset of a complete or partial disability of a person or provoke a limitation of demand for his work, which in turn entails a complete or partial loss of earnings, which is a source of funds for a full existence.
Governmental support
In almost all developed countries of the world, a list of social risks has been approved, the protection against which is guaranteed at the state level. Most often, these include the following social risks:
- pregnancy and motherhood (maternity leave);
- death of the breadwinner;
- the onset of the disease;
- dismissal, layoff, unemployment;
- disability;
- old age (pension payments);
- the onset of work injury.
In each civilized country, questions about the 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 their spiritual and material needs in full.
Social insurance risk in a state context is considered as the occurrence of an event that provides for subsequent state assistance in the framework of state social insurance.
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 fields. Social risks are studied especially carefully and used in the insurance system, and not only social, but commercial and medical.
On the part of the government, social risks are considered as a potential threat, from which the state is obliged to protect its citizens through compulsory social insurance. In the event of a social risk event, 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, conduct preventive work with them and, if necessary, provide them with their professional help and support.
Depending on what sphere the concept of “Social risk” is considered, it has its own specifics and features.
The 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 provided or not, they are divided into:
- Foreseeable - those that can be predicted, predicted, analyzed before they occur. As a rule, this type of risk is always present in society and, with proper analysis, its occurrence can be predicted (future reduction and dismissal of employees, increase in unemployment, problem families, which are social risk groups and need the support of a social worker).
- The unforeseen are those that have no analogues in history or that happen quite suddenly (accident, natural disaster). This type of risk is the most difficult for science, since it is almost impossible to calculate or predict its onset.
Do not forget that social risk is the likelihood of an event that can happen with either a single individual or 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, individual person are considered. In the second case, whole groups of social risk are considered. They may suffer from the following risks:
- Natural risks - those that are a consequence of the implementation of the 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 are the likelihood of adverse circumstances resulting from interpersonal communications at the level of a social group or an individual.
They can also have a negative effect on the entire social group, and on one person.
- Socio-economic risks of society - those risks, the implementation of which through their actions can provoke organized or unorganized groups, their individual members, which act in the interests of these groups. These types of risk include actions that are carried out for the sake of national interests and corporate tolerance.
Also, such actions may not be completely consciously performed, but may 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 occur if the necessary government decree is signed by an individual government official. This government official acts as a representative of the whole social system - the state, and acts in the interests of this social system. For this reason, for a manufacturing enterprise, such decisions relate to social risks.
Social risks in the insurance business
In a slightly different, but no less thorough way, the problem of social risks is considered by insurance companies. Today, the insurance business is one of the most successful, since the demand for insurance services never falls.
Insurance companies offer both individuals and entire organizations, for a moderate monthly fee, to protect themselves in the event 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 on the basis of who in a certain situation acts as an object and subject of social risk, what 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 poles protecting against social risks
In the context of what social risks are most likely and dangerous for an individual individual in society, most often, insurance companies offer private individuals insurance poles that protect a person from the following social risks:
- the loss of the breadwinner, his illness and the inability to work due to the necessary care;
- unemployment;
- getting an industrial injury;
- serious illness and illness caused by occupational conditions;
- disability;
- medical assistance (in this case, insurance payments do not go to the maintenance of the sick person at the time when he lost his ability to work, but to pay for medical services, drugs);
- cases when a person, for reasons independent of him, 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 examined and analyzed in detail by a science such as sociology, since the main object of its study is society and all the processes occurring in it. Sociology identifies peculiar groups of social risk, whose behavior or actions can be dangerous for the normal full functioning of society.
Individuals with an increase in social exclusion, disruption in the process of social adaptation, narrowing of social interests and the transformation of forms of social interaction with other social individuals are assigned to peculiar groups of social risk. Most often they include:
- drug addicts;
- alcoholics;
- people with 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 through their actions. That is why it is recommended that thorough preventive work be carried out with this category of the population.
Risk of risk for the family as a separate social unit
The family is one of the main objects of study in sociology, since in many ways, it determines the integrity of society, its mood and is the key to its further full development. Families in which there are children are of particular interest to social workers, since they are the ones who suffer the most when the family is at social risk.
In this context, it is considered as a likely event, which, 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 total family budget, as a result of which, the child’s primary needs may be unsatisfied.
Typology of Social Risk Families
Families with a high likelihood of social risk can be attributed to those who have life difficulties for various reasons and who urgently need state support and help from social workers.
These include:
- large families;
- families of refugees and displaced persons;
- families with dependent, disabled people;
- single-parent families;
- low-income families.
Social risk children
Special attention of teachers and social workers is required by children from the above families, since 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 considered as a potential threat to society, as they may be prone to behavioral behavior and be poorly socialized;
- in the second case, these children, on the contrary, are considered as those who themselves are exposed to social threats: the risk of poor health, the inability to satisfy their immediate needs; lack of normal living and material conditions for full development and life.
