Interfaces between Science and Society PDF
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Interfaces between Science and Society Edited by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Sofia Guedes Vaz and Sylvia Tognetti interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 2 interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 1 Interfaces between Science and Society edited by ângela guimarães pereira, sofia guedes vaz and sylvia tognetti interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 2 interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 4 © 2006 Greenleaf Publishing Ltd Published by Greenleaf Publishing Limited Aizlewood’s Mill Nursery Street Sheffield S3 8GG UK www.greenleaf-publishing.com Printed in Great Britain on acid-free paper by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire. Cover by LaliAbril.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN-10: 1-874719-97-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-874719-97-7 interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 5 Contents Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sofia Guedes Vaz and Ângela Guimarães Pereira Part I: Communicating among plural perspectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1 When communication fails: a study of failures of global systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Jerome Ravetz 2 Science for sustainable development: articulating knowledges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Gilberto Gallopín and Hebe Vessuri Part II: Managing uncertainty, complexity and value commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 3 Reflexively dealing with uncertainty and complexity in policy-related knowledge: what can it mean? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Matthieu Craye 4 Uncertainty, assumptions and value commitments in the knowledge base of complex environmental problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Jeroen Van der Sluijs 5 Science for governance: the implications of the complexity revolution . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Mario Giampietro, Tim Allen and Kozo Mayumi interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 6 6 interfaces between science and society 6 Reflexivity and modesty in the application of complexity theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Roger Strand and Sílvia Cañellas-Boltà 7 Precaution as an invigorating context for scientific input in policy processes. . . 118 Cato C. ten Hallers-Tjabbes, David Gee and Sofia Guedes Vaz Part III: Knowledge assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 8 Why knowledge assessment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Silvio Funtowicz 9 Deliberating foresight knowledge for policy and foresight knowledge assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 René von Schomberg, Ângela Guimarães Pereira and Silvio Funtowicz Part IV: Transparency, openness and participation in science policy processes. . . . . 175 10 Transparency, openness and participation in science policy processes. . . . . . . . . . . 176 Maria Eduarda Gonçalves 11 Interfaces between science and policy for environmental governance: lessons and open questions from the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Sybille van den Hove and Martin Sharman 12 Patents at the interfaces among science, society and the law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Emanuela Gambini 13 Evaluating public and stakeholder engagement strategies in environmental governance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Jacquelin Burgess and Judy Clark Part V: Community-based research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 14 Community-based research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Jennifer A. Bellamy 15 Science and society in place-based communities: uncomfortable partners. . . . . . 261 David Waltner-Toews, Ligia Noronha and Dean Bavington interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 7 contents 7 16 Science shops as science–society interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 Henk A.J. Mulder, Michael S. Jørgensen, Laura Pricope, Norbert Steinhaus and Anke Valentin Part VI: Emerging styles of governance and new ICT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 17 Building knowledge partnerships with ICT? Social and technological conditions of conviviality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298 Martin O’Connor 18 CSLoTs: communication of science to non-scientific audiences. VGAS©: exploration of energy, lifestyles and climate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 Tiago de Sousa Pedrosa and Ângela Guimarães Pereira 19 Worldwide virtual network of practitioners working on science and society issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342 Mercè Agüera Cabo and Ângela Guimarães Pereira Abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 About the contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 8 Introduction Sofia Guedes Vaz and Ângela Guimarães Pereira* This book presents the main ideas, discussions and findings of the workshop on Inter- faces between Science and Societyheld in Milan in November 2003.1Organised by the Knowledge Assessment Methodologies group of the European Commission’s DGJoint Research Centre, the workshop was attended by more than 120 people working in this broad area. The chapters in this book have been contributed by the organisers of the breakout sessions of the workshop, who are leading academics in their fields. Research on the interfaces between science and society is a growing field. This is the direct consequence of how science has evolved to pervade public life and of how soci- ety is becoming an active participant in this changing role of science. This has led to the emergence of a new conception of knowledge, based on awareness of complexity, uncertainty and a plurality of legitimate perspectives. As a result, democracy is extend- ing into the previously quite exclusive scientific realm, and science must submit to pub- lic scrutiny and participation in the appropriate ways. In other words, the public is beginning to become engaged in the governance of knowledge. Therefore, a reflection on the methods and tools for knowledge quality assurance, namely on its inputs to extended policy and decision-making processes, is needed. The ultimate objective of this book is to contribute to the overall improvement of the interfaces between science and society. The structure of the book is based on that of the workshop, in which the following six themes were discussed: ● How to communicate among plural perspectives ● Accepting and learning how to manage uncertainty, complexity and value commitments ● Acknowledging new conceptions of knowledge ● Implementing transparency, openness and participation in science policy ● Valuing community-based research * The views expressed here are those of the authors and may not in any circumstances be regarded as representing an official position of the European Commission. 1 alba.jrc.it/interfaces interfaces2.qxd 13/11/06 12:47 pm Page 9 introduction Guedes Vaz and Guimarães Pereira 9 ● Exploring how new information and communications technology (ICT) can support inclusive governance These emerging themes provide a framework with which to conceive, discuss and evaluate the changes now occurring. The chapters cover theories, practices, ap- proaches, experiences, ideas and suggestions for us to move beyond ‘talking the talk’ to ‘walking the walk’. The book’s main added value is a fruitful dialogue, as different chapters look at dif- ferent dimensions of science–society interfaces. Whereas some ask for more, others ask for reflection, but all acknowledge that science and policy interfaces are dynamic processes and that their roles need to be continuously redefined. The purpose of this book is to contribute to the enrichment and deepening of our understanding of these important new trends in the social relations of science, which are fundamental to our understanding of what and where are the prospects for further progress. Science The aim of the project of science has been to provide answers for questions about the world and how it works. In his utopia New Atlantisof 1624, Francis Bacon wrote: The end of our foundation [the house of Solomon] is the knowledge of causes and secret motions of things, and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire, to the effecting of all things possible. And science and scientists have been attempting this ever since. It has taken a long time for the second part of this programme to be achieved. For that entire period, the con- cept of ‘pure science’ ruled. Now that has changed, and the connection of science with production and policy is well recognised. But habits in ways of thinking have persisted from the earlier period. We need to recognise them, correct them and move on. A new ontology is emerging, as science is losing its status as the only means for ‘the effecting of all things possible’. In fact, scientists and citizens are now interacting with each other as never before. These new interactions go beyond pure scientific curiosity on one side or attempts to solve problems associated with scientific processes and products, disre- garding the context in which they appear. Science is therefore going through an evolutionary process, perhaps one of its most painful ones. It is not just a new paradigm that is appearing—it is almost as if science itself had become a rigid paradigm in need of a change. Given that science is a complex system, this process has been and will be disturbing for scientists, policy-makers, deci- sion-makers and the public. The establishment of a new paradigm presents both dan- gers and opportunities, in what are challenging times.
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