Risk Regulation in Brazil

Risk Regulation in Brazil: The Role of Science in the Regulatory Process promotes a comprehensive analysis of risk and its regulation, relating different theoretical models that discuss how risk can be identified, analyzed, and managed. The traditional and dominant model, called the “technocratic risk model,” advocates a linear two-step process that rigidly separates risk analysis (the territory of science) and risk management (the territory of politics). This research analyzes the problems of democratic legitimacy and regulatory quality that this model raises and demonstrates the opportunity for the formulation of another model, capable of offering a robust and theoretically informed argument about the role of science used for regulatory purposes. Based on studies developed in Science, Technology and Society (STS), a constructivist regulatory approach is presented, highlighting the social and cultural dimension of the risk that becomes the target of regulation, and a case study involving the field of health surveillance regulation is carried out in order to deepen the understanding of the practical regulatory reality of sectors vital to Brazilian society. Finally, a constructivist model of risk regulation is offered for regulated sectors that need to employ scientific knowledge to deal with risk in their daily operations.