From rationalities to lifeworlds: analysing the everyday handling of uncertainty and risk in terms of culture, society and identity

In this editorial, I introduce the third annual ‘theory special issue’ of Health, Risk & Society. This series is designed to develop social theories of uncertainty and risk through providing a forum and foci for key topics and debates to be considered and refined. The theorising work of authors in these issues typically takes different forms, through guest editorials, review articles and original research articles which combine the empirical and the theoretical in different formats. In introducing the 2016 special issue, I first briefly sketch the background and rationale of the issue before moving to reflect on Zinn’s (2008) influential article on everyday rationalities for managing risk and uncertainty. I will then begin to introduce Zinn’s (2016) guest review in this issue which provides his own reflections on and developments of key themes from the 2008 article. I will then provide an overview of the issue through introducing the five original research articles in the issue. In doing this, I move to identify some common emerging themes within these analyses which I then develop to consider the lifeworld as a potentially fruitful concept for developing analyses of everyday experiences and handling of uncertainty and vulnerability through various approaches. I present a conceptualisation of lifeworld which I develop out of Schutz and Habermas but which I then adapt and consider in relation to everyday handling of uncertainty and risk.