The framework which I develop in this book has evolved from my cross-cultural study of responses to AIDS in the first decade of its advent (Joffe, 1996a, 1996b). The findings resonated with a massive amount of work on other risks, across many of the social sciences, which showed that people respond ‘not me’, ‘not my group’, ‘others are to blame’ when initially faced with potential crises. It is crucial to clarify, from the outset, that this response runs alongside other risk-related thoughts and strategies, be they practical actions to avoid being affected, or religious, magical or representational strategies. However, my impetus to write the book stems from a desire to develop an understanding of the ‘not me – other’ facet of the response to a vast range of imminent dangers. I devote considerable attention to establishing its widespread nature, and to forging a framework with which to explain it.

The book begins with an exposition of the contemporary Western milieu, in which risks form a key aspect of daily experience. A goal of the book is to emphasise the ways in which lay thinkers make sense of what sociologists term the ‘risk society’. Existing data concerning human responses to a range of risks are explored. Insights from psychology, anthropology, history and cultural theory are utilised to demonstrate the extensive nature of the ‘not me – others’ response.