Abstract

The conception of risk and its terminology, as well as its disciplinary approach, have changed over time. Different approaches derived from natural, applied and social sciences have not yet prepared a solid and consistent theory of risk, thus hampering an effective management that facilitates the estimation and intervention of risk from a multidisciplinary perspective. Likewise, risk cannot be seen only from an objective point of view when it comes to reducing its impact given the different interpretations and perspectives of different social actors. Social perception of risk is one of the relevant factors in the natural risks fi eld, since it incorporates these subjectivities, thus finding more realistic solutions in case of disaster. This paper evaluates this component in the case of La Serena, located in the Coquimbo Region, through its relation with socioeconomic level, self-protection factors and self-management capacity in the face of a tsunami hazard caused by seismic activity in a country like Chile, regarded as the most seismically active place in the world due to its location in the subduction and sliding zone between the Nazca and South American Plates. It is observed a clear segregation of socioeconomic strata in the districts of La Compañía Alta and Intendencia, the most vulnerable areas. The results of this research indicate that risk perception is related to social aspects, thus verifying the social nature of risk.