Essai d'approche positive des nouveaux risques sociaux

In order to clarify the normative debates in the recent welfare states literature, this paper proposes a positive approach on ?new social risks?. The great diversity of ?new social risks? leads to debates on the extend and specificity of social protection. Hence, an objective definition enabling to delimit the field of ?new social risk? non only appears to be necessary, but also possible. Such an approach must acknowledge that social risks are socially constructed : thus, they cannot be identified as such a priori. However, some risks seem to have a particular potential to be social. To delimit the field of potentially social risks, the author proposes a set of identification criteria, based on the risks? independence from liability, their economic consequences, insurability, and distribution inequality.