Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is predicted to be one of the greatest threats to public health in the twenty-first century. In this context, understanding the reasons why perceptions of antibiotic risk differ between different groups is crucial when it comes to tackling antibiotic misuse. This innovative volume gathers together chapters written by sociologists, psychologists and linguists with the common aim of examining the social factors that affect use of antibiotics among humans and animals. A unique focus on Denmark one of the worlds most progressive countries when it comes to antibiotic regulation as well as Europe more broadly, makes this book a valuable resource for regulatory deliberations on future antibiotic policy to effectively combat AMR.

Carsten Strøby Jensen is Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Søren Beck Nielsen is Associate Professor at the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lars Fynbo is a researcher at VIVEThe Danish Centre for Social Science Research, Denmark.

Chapter 1 Risking Antimicrobial Resistance A one-health study of antibiotic use and its societal aspectsChapter 2 Dealing with explicit patient demands for antibiotics in a clinical settingChapter 3 Antibiotics in France and Italy: A linguistic analysis of policies and practices compared to Danish standardsChapter 4 Talk on cough: symptom, sign and significance in acute primary careChapter 5 To prescribe or not to prescribe is not the only question: Physician attitudes towards antibiotics and prescription practices in SpainChapter 6 Governing the consumption of antimicrobials: The Danish model for using antimicrobials in a comparative perspectiveChapter 7 My Life as a Pig: MRSA and the Control of Life in Contemporary Pig ProductionChapter 8 Social stigmatization of pig farmers: Medical perspectives on modern pig farmingChapter 9 What is good doctoring when antibiotic resistance is a global threat?Chapter 10 Governing risk by conveying just enough (un-)certainty: Rearticulating good doctoring as a psy-medical competenceChapter 11 The antibiotic challenge: justifications for antibiotic usage in the world of medicineChapter 12 Concluding remarks on Risking Antimicrobial Resistance.