Mobilising Modernity: The Nuclear MomentDuring the nuclear heyday of the post-war years advocates of atomic power promised cheap electricity and a prosperous future. From the present, however, this promise seems tarnished by accidents, leaks and a lack of public confidence. Mobilising Modernity traces this journey from confidence in technology to the anxieties of the Risk Society questioning a number of conventional wisdoms en route. Paying close attention to social, political and policy aspects throughout, this book considers: * the nuclear moment from global collaborative project at Los Alamos to fragmented, bitterly competing projects * the 'atomic science movement's' use of symbolic resources to win national ascendancy * the implications of secrecy and the establishment of quasi-commercial organisations within the nuclear industry. This fascinating study also argues for the ongoing importance of the non-violent direct action groups that flourished during the 1970s, showing their continuing influence on today's new social movements. Welsh concludes by considering the implications of this historically based account for contemporary issues of risk and trust on current policy-making. |
From inside the book
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... social, cultural and political forces influential in the premature launch of 'Big'
science projects is a chimera. Despite the massive dominance of private capital
in the world system, nation states and coalitions of nation states continue to play
a.
... social, cultural and political forces influential in the premature launch of 'Big'
science projects is a chimera. Despite the massive dominance of private capital
in the world system, nation states and coalitions of nation states continue to play
a.
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At the political level the desire and quest for dominance and control within the
international sphere introduced new tensions in terms of the rights and
obligations of states towards citizens (Welsh 2000). This political quest was
closely ...
At the political level the desire and quest for dominance and control within the
international sphere introduced new tensions in terms of the rights and
obligations of states towards citizens (Welsh 2000). This political quest was
closely ...
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Contents
The nuclear moment | |
opposition in the 1950s | |
Accidents will happen | |
Modernitys mobilisation stalls | |
The moment of direct action | |
direct action and collective refusal | |
Conclusions | |
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Common terms and phrases
accident activists AEA’s amongst anti-nuclear movement argued argument associated Atomic Energy atomic science movement backcast became Beck Benn BNFL bomb Bradwell British Calder Hall campaign CEGB central commitment Committee concerns contestation continued debate discourses dominance economic effect electricity emphasising established expert expertise expressions fuel Giddens global Gowing groups Hinton HMSO Hunterston important included institutional internal legitimation Luxulyan Magnox Melucci military non-violent direct action NSMs nuclear energy nuclear enterprise nuclear industry nuclear power nuclear weapons objectors operating organisation particular peak modernity plutonium political potential power stations public inquiries radiation reactor recognised reflexive modernisation relations repertoires represented response risk role safety scientific social scientific social movement scientists SCRAM secrecy SGHWR significant siting social and cultural social distance social movement society symbolic techniques Torness Alliance Touraine UKAEA waste transport weapons Welsh Whilst Windscale Windscale fire
Bibliographic information
| Title | Mobilising Modernity: The Nuclear Moment International Library of Sociology |
| Author | Ian Welsh |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Routledge, 2003 |
| ISBN | 1134945809, 9781134945801 |
| Length | 272 pages |
| Subjects | › › Social Science / Sociology / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |