Abstract

According to Beck and Giddens, an inevitable outcome of the success of science, technology and industrialism has been its global infiltration across national borders. While many aspects of society have benefitted from increased global dependence on science and technology, the material risks associated with the use of these technologies have had an unsettling effect. The excessive use of technology increases uncertainty and amplifies sensitivity to risk. Ultimately and rather ironically, extreme risk aversion can increase dependency upon the expert who is expected to mitigate risk through technical solutions. Beck explores the notion of ‘institutional side-effects’, the unintended consequences of the application of technologies that had promised to make the world a better place. Using a clinical example from maternity care—the global rise in non-medically indicated caesarean section birth rates—this chapter considers the impact of the spread of fear of regret in the context of the risk society.