From the Risk Society to COVID-19

Abstract

Ulrich Beck, a German sociologist who does not need prior presentation, cast his diagnosis of risk society as a new emerging ethos where social class and hierarchies blurred before the figure of risk. Although he shed light on the post-industrial society of the 1990s, today, the society he studied seems pretty different. Hence, a new fresh insight should be placed. This chapter introduces readers to the conceptual foundations of Thana Capitalism, as it was critically debated in the author's book The Rise of Thana Capitalism and Tourism. The risk society sets the pace for a new facet of capitalism where the other´s pain remains the main commodity to exchange. Far from being a more egalitarian society, as Beck said, in the days of Thana capitalism, a ruling elite governs the destiny of a precaritized workforce. The novel The Hunger Games represents perfectly how this society works. Additionally, the author brings some reflection on the connection of Thana capitalism and the spectacle beyond the recent COVID-19 pandemic.