The “Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty” (SoRU) initiative brings together researchers worldwide. It centrally aims to advance our understanding of institutional and individual management of risk and uncertainty and social change, and to initiate international research activities. SoRU aims to overcome disciplinary and theoretical divisions between different traditions and disciplines of understanding risk and uncertainty in society. However, there is a particular emphasis to strengthen the development of sociological work as part of the interdisciplinary enterprise of risk research.

SoRU was developed in 2005 as part of the interdisciplinary work in the ESRC Social Contexts and Responses to Risk priority network (SCARR, 2003-2008).

SoRU initiated so far two groups on risk and uncertainty within the European Sociological Association (ESA, RN22, 2005) and within the International Sociological Association (ISA, TG04, 2006). Both research networks are linked to the SORU webpage.

The webpage and the email lists of the networks are used for:
- Disseminating information on current calls for papers for conferences, journals and books on risk and uncertainty
- Organising international conferences on risk and uncertainty and making available conference papers
- Organising workshops, books and special issues on risk and uncertainty.
- Informing about job-vacancies in the field of risk research
- Informing about new publications and central literature in specific domains of risk research
- a lot more.

Jens O. Zinn (jzinn@unimelb.edu.au)
University of Melbourne, Australia