Communicating Popular Science: From Deficit to Democracy PDF
Preview Communicating Popular Science: From Deficit to Democracy
Communicating Popular Science This page intentionally left blank Communicating Popular Science From Deficit to Democracy Sarah Tinker Perrault University of California, Davis, USA © Sarah Tinker Perrault 2013 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2013 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978–1–137–01757–4 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Typeset by MPS Limited, Chennai, India. Contents List of Figures ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xix List of Abbreviations and Acronyms xxi Part I Foundations 1 Popular Science Writing: Problems and Potential 3 Social Contracts 6 Why Popular Science Writing Matters 7 How Rhetoric of Science Can Help Improve Popular Science Writing 9 Models of Science Popularization 11 2 Theoretical and Analytical Framework 18 Philosophical Foundation: Traditional–Idealism Versus Realist–Skepticism 18 Realist–Skepticism and Science Communication 24 Theoretical Lens: Rhetorical Genre Theory 26 Analytical Framework: The Rhetorical Situation 27 Corpus Selection 31 Conclusion 36 3 A Brief History of Science Popularization 37 Early Science: 1600s 37 Enlightenment Science: 1700s and Early 1800s 39 Professionalizing Science: Mid- and Late-1800s 40 Big Science, Scientism, and the Traditional Social Contract 42 Post-Academic Science and the Need for a New Social Contract 44 Conclusion 46 4 Practitioner Perspectives on their Craft 48 Practitioner Roles 49 Role #1: Boosters 50 Role #2: Translators 56 v vi Contents Role #3: Critics 58 Conclusion 60 Part II Applications 5 Boundary Work: Presenting Science in Context 65 Boundary Work and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 66 Boundary Work Described in Practitioner Texts 68 Boundary Work in Popular Science Texts 72 Boundary Work in Kolbert’s ‘The Sixth Extinction?’ 77 Conclusion: Boundary Work and a New Social Contract 80 6 Expertise: Broadening the Scope of Participation 82 Expertise and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 82 Expertise Described in Practitioner Texts 84 Expertise in Popular Science Texts 87 Expertise in Corson’s ‘Stalking the American Lobster’ 91 Conclusion: Expertise and a New Social Contract 93 7 Ethos: Establishing Relationships with Readers 96 Ethos and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 96 Ethos in Popular Science Texts 102 Ethos in Hirsh’s ‘Signs of Life’ 108 Conclusion: Ethos and a New Social Contract 111 8 Rhetorical Orientations: Inviting Reader Engagement 113 Rhetorical Orientations and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 113 Rhetorical Orientations Described in Practitioner Texts 120 Forensic Orientations in Popular Science Texts 123 Epideictic Orientations in Popular Science Texts 128 Deliberative Orientations in Popular Science Texts 132 Rhetorical Orientations in Nijhuis’ ‘Taking Wilderness in Hand’ 135 Conclusion: Rhetorical Orientations and a New Social Contract 138 9 Technocracy and Democracy: Talking about Risk 140 Risk and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 140 How Practitioners Talk About Risk 147 Risk in Popular Science Texts 151 Risk in Trivedi’s ‘The Wipeout Gene’ 155 Conclusion 158 Contents vii Part III Final Words 10 Conclusion: Toward a New Social Contract 163 The Need for CUSP and the Role of Popular Science Writing 163 Engaging Larger Conversations 168 Escape From the Science–Society Dualism 169 Notes 171 References 179 Index 193 This page intentionally left blank List of Figures 1.1 Science sends knowledge to civil society 12 1.2 Science and civil society exchange ideas 14 1.3 Science is an interactive part of civil society 16 2.1 The rhetorical situation 28 2.2 The rhetorical situation with relationships labeled 28 2.3 The PAST model rhetorical situation 30 2.4 The CUSP model rhetorical situation 31 8.1 Orientations, stases, and a mouse in my house 116 8.2 Orientations, stases, and what to do about the mouse 117 ix
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