Sociologist Andrew Szasz, PhD, author of Shopping our Way to Safety discusses the accelerating trend toward reducing risk individually by purchasing products and why such solutions are ultimately not effective.

Also available for listening online or download at Radio on Demand.

SHOW INTRODUCTION The world is becoming a scary place from the point of view of exposures we can’t always control for. Increasingly the government is protecting huge corporate interests instead of human health, and democracy seems to be weakening and dying from lack of use. In response people are trying to protect themselves by buying products that are considered safer, greener, organic, filtered. Those who can afford it that is. Today’s guest proposes that instead of just insulating yourself against the big scarys that people get busy politically to ensure that everyone is protected. After all, if the world isn’t safe, barricading yourself in a fortress isn’t useful since when you try to go outside everything is toxic. Join us for a discussion about the larger issues of public policy and personal responsibility beyond your consumer’s choices.