What is social risk? Types and features

Social risk - this is a fairly serious concept that applies to virtually all types of human life. Its volume increased in proportion to the development of the society and its evolution. Hundreds of years ago, only natural factors related 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 probability of dismissal and unemployment, industrial injuries and the onset of disability, loss of a breadwinner. Modern science that studies the management of social risks, refers to them almost any factors that are capable in the event of an offensive to adversely affect the social, material and spiritual state of a person who is treated as a separate unit of society.

The general definition of the concept

The sociological definition of this concept suggests that social risk is a probable event recognized by society, which in case of its offensive, can lead to the onset of full or partial loss of a person's ability to work or provoke a restriction of the demand for his labor, which in turn leads to complete or A partial loss of earnings, which is the source of funds for a full-fledged existence.

Governmental support

Almost all developed countries of the world approved a list of social risks, protection from the onset of which is guaranteed at the state level. Most often, they include the following social risks:

• Pregnancy and maternity (maternity leave);
• Death of the breadwinner;
• The onset of the disease;
• Dismissal, reduction from the position held, unemployment;
• disability;
• Old age (pension payments);
• The onset of industrial trauma.

In each civilized country, questions about the social protection of the population are considered carefully. Due to this, the main risks are determined, in the event of which a member of the society may not be able to provide his spiritual and material needs in full. Social insurance risk in the public context is considered as an offense, which provides for subsequent state assistance in the framework of state social insurance.

Study in various scientific and economic spheres

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

From the government side, social risks are considered as a potential threat, from which the state is obliged to protect its citizens through compulsory social insurance. In case of realization of a case of social risk, the state is obliged to render the citizens the obligatory help and support.

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

Depending on which sphere the concept "Social risk" is considered, it has its own specifics and peculiarities.

Main types of social risks

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

1. The foreseeable are those that can be foreseen, predicted, analyzed before they occur. As a rule, this type of risk is always present in the society and, if properly analyzed, their offensive can be predicted (future reduction and dismissal of employees, increase in unemployment, problem families that are social risk groups and need the support of a social worker).
2. Unexpected - those that have no analogues in history or happen quite suddenly (an accident, a natural cataclysm). This kind of risk is the most difficult for science, because it is almost impossible to calculate or anticipate its approach in any way.

Do not forget that social risk is the probability of an event that can happen both with a single individual and with a group of people. Depending on who acts as a subject of social risk, it can be single or group. In the first case, the risks of what might theoretically happen to an ordinary individual are considered. In the second case, entire groups of social risk are considered. They may suffer from the onset of the following risks:

1. Natural risks - those that are a consequence of the realization of the phenomena of animate and inanimate nature. They include floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters, as well as properties or actions of various representatives of the biosphere, which a person can not control (actions of microorganisms, behavior of wild animals).
2. Social psychological risks are those that represent the likelihood of the occurrence of adverse circumstances as a result of interpersonal communications at the level of a social group or an individual. They can also have a negative impact on the entire social group, and on one person.
3. Socio-economic risks of the society are those risks for which the organized or unorganized groups, their individual members, which can act in the interests of these groups, can provoke their actions. To these types of risk can be attributed acts that are committed for the sake of national interests, corporate tolerance. Also such actions can be performed not fully consciously, but arise as a "crowd psychology" or "herd instinct". Objects and subjects of socio-economic risks may be individual members of society, as well as 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 can be increased. Such a risk can be realized if a necessary government decree is signed by a separate state official. This state official acts as the 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 are related to social risks.

Social risks in the insurance business

A little different, but no less carefully, 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 payment to protect themselves in case of occurrence of one of the types of social risk. The value of the social insurance policy and the amount of payment in the event of an insured event is calculated on the basis of who in a particular situation is the object and subject of social risk, what is the probability of its occurrence, how high is the frequency of the onset of a particular social risk and how predictable it is.

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

In the context of what social risks are most likely and dangerous for a single individual of the society, most often, insurance companies offer private individuals insurance poles that protect people from the following social risks:

• Loss of the breadwinner, his illness and lack of opportunity to work because of the care necessary for him;
• unemployment;
• Getting a work injury;
• A serious illness and illness, which is caused by professional 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 where 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 notion of social risk in a particular context is examined in great detail and analyzed by such a science as sociology, since the main object of its study is the society and all the processes taking place in it. Sociology identifies specific groups of social risk, whose behavior or actions can carry a danger to the normal full-fledged life of society.

Individuals with an increase in social exclusion, a violation in the process of social adaptation, narrowing of social interests and transformation of forms of social interaction with other social individuals are ranked as specific groups of social risk. Most often they are:

• Drug addicts;
• Alcoholics;
• People without a fixed place of residence.

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

The threat to the family as a separate social unit

The family is one of the main objects of study in sociology, since in many respects, it determines the integrity of society, its moods and is the key to its further full-fledged development. Special interest of social workers is caused by families with children, since they suffer the most in cases when the family carries out social risk.

In this context, it is viewed as a probable event that, in the event of an offensive, can destroy the integrity of the family, affect the psychological and moral state of adults, lead to a reduction or a complete reduction in the overall family budget, as a result of which the child's paramount needs may be unsatisfied.

Typology of families of social risk

Families with a high probability of social risk include those who, for various reasons, experience life difficulties, and who badly need state support and assistance from social workers. They include:

• large families;
• Families of refugees and settlers;
• Families who have dependents and disabled people on their care;
• Incomplete families;
• Low-income families.

Children of social risk

Special attention of educators and social workers is demanded by children from the above-mentioned 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 viewed as a potential threat to society, as they may be prone to dovish behavior and be poorly socialized;
• In the second case, these children are on the contrary considered as those who themselves are exposed to social threats: the risk of deteriorating health, the inability to meet their priority needs; The absence of normal domestic and material conditions for full development and life.

Assistance of teachers and social workers in overcoming social risks

In any educational institution we are familiar with such a notion as "social and pedagogical risks". In the context of pedagogy, it also has its own characteristics and can be viewed from two sides:

• The risks of a teacher who has a pedagogical effect;
• Risks of pupils who are exposed to the influence of the teacher.

In the context of the problem of children, from the social risk group, the probability of a second variant of social and pedagogical risk is considered. A child from a family in which there are serious problems may have many problems in the school, ranging from poor academic performance, conflicts with peers and teachers, and ending with complete social disorientation and problems with adaptation to the learning process. The task of not only a social but also an ordinary educator is to find an individual approach to such a child and to provide him with the necessary assistance in a timely manner.