The Passivists: Managing Risk Through Intentional Non-Knowing

• In Event: How Do They Understand the Science? Communicating Science, Risks, and Disasters 2

Abstract

In modern life, we generally manage risk through the collection of information and subsequent intervention (E.g. Beck 1992 or Giddens 1999). This approach can, for example, lead to the early detection and treatment of medical problems, or more profitable financial investments. But recently, both medical practitioners and financial experts have suggested that the collection of medical or financial data may lead to worse outcomes. In this paper, I explore the rise of intentional non-knowing in the fields of medicine and finance. In medicine, I use the case of American childbirth to trace how many medical practitioners are arguing for an ethical and moral imperative to collect less data about their patients in an effort to protect their health. In finance, I explore the "do nothing" investing revolution, where financial researchers argue that low-cost index funds are a better investment than funds actively managed by financial experts. Based on in-depth interviews with medical providers and an archival analysis of documents from financial experts, I argue that modern societies are behaving differently than many previous theories of risk would suggest. Instead of mitigating risk through the collection of information and a reliance on scientific experts, I find that some groups are seeking to mitigate risk through the collection of less information. This research integrates well-developed theories of risk and knowledge with less developed theories of non-knowledge, leading to a more productive discussion of the boundaries of responsible knowledge in risk management.

Author

• Kellie Owens, University of Pennsylvania