Contemporary Worldviews and Perception of the Technological System

Perhaps one of the most central public policy issues in the past two decades has been focused on explorations of the ways in which appropriate relations may be fostered between modern industrial societies and their environments. Two general strategies may be followed in this exploration, one tightly focused, the other wider-ranging. The narrow-gauge strategy typically examines in depth the details of a specific environmental variable. In contrast, the broad-gauge strategy seeks to identify the major systems and to examine the interplay and linkages among them. Our investigation of the perception and management of technological hazards has been guided by the broader strategy, involving a conceptual framework that examines the interplay among personal, societal, and environmental systems (Figure l)(Craik, 1972).