Managing Risk in State Socialism

This article provides a survey of the current literature on risk and risk reasoning in the communist states of Central and Eastern Europe after 1948. It aims to reflect on the potential limitations and opportunities of examining state socialism through the lens of risk. First, the text addresses key theories of risk and risk society, particularly in sociology, and their application in contemporary historical research. The article then reviews the existing literature on the history of risk under state socialism, focusing on four main areas: health, crime, science, and the environment. Finally, the text suggests potential future research directions in the history of state socialism.