Science Communication: Culture, Identity and Citizenship PDF
Preview Science Communication: Culture, Identity and Citizenship
Science Communication Culture, Identity and Citizenship Sarah R. Davies and Maja Horst Science Communication Sarah R. Davies • Maja H orst Science Communication Culture, Identity and Citizenship Sarah R. Davies Maja Horst Department of Media, Cognition Department of Media, Cognition and Communication and Communication University of Copenhagen University of Copenhagen København S , Denmark København S , Denmark ISBN 978-1-137-50364-0 ISBN 978-1-137-50366-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-50366-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016951223 © Th e Editor(s) (if applicable) and Th e Author(s) 2016 Th e author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identifi ed as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Th is work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and trans- mission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Th e use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use Th e publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: © saemilee / Getty Printed on acid-free paper Th is Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature Th e registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London Th e registered company address is: Th e Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW, United Kingdom Acknowled gements I t is hard to remember where the idea for this book fi rst came from. We have worked together for some time, and our conversations have often been fi lled with aspects of science communication that we were excited about, questions that we did not know the answers to, and fascination with the way that the fi eld of science communication is developing. Eventually, those conversations solidifi ed into the idea of writing a book that explored some of the approaches to thinking about science commu- nication we found particularly interesting. Together we worked through diff erent topics, concepts, theoretical lenses, and methodological angles that we thought might open up the study of science communication. Th e result is what you fi nd in this book. I t is much easier to think of all the people who have helped us as we did this. Brian Trench, Kristian H Nielsen, Alan Irwin, Majken Schultz, and an anonymous reviewer gave us extremely valuable comments on the fi rst draft of this manuscript. A group of science communication researchers were kind enough to join us at a workshop in Copenhagen, in part to talk about some of this work: we are grateful to Massimiano Bucchi, Anne Dijkstra, Jane Gregory, Karen Bultitude, Simon Lock, Miira Hill, Felicity Mellor, Jon Mendel, Hauke Riesch, Dorothea Born, Erik Stengler, Nina Amelung, Kasper Ostrowski, Megan Halpern, Britt Wray, Göde Both, Kjetil Sandvik, and Dehlia Hannah for their participation and their com- ments on our work. We have had many other informal c onversations v vi Acknowledgements about these topics with other scholars, professional communicators, and students, and would like to thank the originators of comments that particularly hit home: Ulrike Felt, Andy Stirling, Dorothea Born, Mike Michael, Cecilie Glerup, Birte Dalsgaard, Jasper Steen Winkel, Louise Whiteley, Adam Bencard, and Birger Lindberg Møller. At least some of the good advice we were given we did not take, in part because the text has been a rapidly shifting beast. Th e omissions, errors, and failings remain our own. We also thank the team at Palgrave for their help throughout the process, and particularly Holly Tyler and Dominic Walker. Some of our writing time was funded by a European Commission Marie Curie grant; without that support, this book would not have been possible. Th e University of Copenhagen funded a productive collaboration with a group of synthetic biologists, while a fellowship from the Brocher Foundation provided us with a month of seclusion and a beautiful working environment. Several of the chapters were drafted during our stay at their villa in Geneva. Finally, Maja thanks Alan Irwin for making her laugh and for demon- strating that it is possible to do research while holding a full-time man- agement position, while Sarah thanks Raff ael Himmelsbach for a steady supply of support and good food. We also want to thank each other. We are still talking, and still like working with each other. After some 80,000 words that seems achievement enough. Contents 1 Introduction Science Communication as Culture 1 2 Histories Telling the Story of Where Contemporary Science Communication, This Book, and Our Own Work Come From 29 3 Identities How Scientists Represent Collectives, Construct Identities, and Make Sense of Science 53 4 The Changing Nature of Science Communication Diversification, Education, and Professionalisation 79 5 The Changing Nature of Science Academic Capitalism, Entrepreneurial Universities and PR 103 vii viii Contents 6 Futures Innovation Communication as Performative, Normative, and Interest-Driven 133 7 Images, Spaces, and Emotions Non- discursive Aspects of Science Communication 159 8 Scientific Citizenship The Role of Science Communication in Democracy 187 9 Deficit and Dialogue Reframing Science Communication Research and Practice 213 Bibliography 233 Index 257 1 Introduction: Science Communication as Culture Science communication is important in modern knowledge societies. Many societies around the world now expect scientifi c knowledge and technological development to be at the core of economic growth and welfare, and hope that science will fi nd solutions to challenges such as climate change and scarcity of energy, food, and water. Such expectations imply that science communication is signifi cant in at least three ways. F irst of all, science communication is important for the welfare of indi- viduals, organisations and nations. Many countries invest a large part of their GDP in fi nding solutions to problems in society, and science does indeed often deliver crucial new knowledge and technologies that change our lives for the better. Such knowledge has to be communicated to its potential users in order to take eff ect. Knowledge about disease preven- tion, water resources, or energy effi cient technologies will only improve the life of citizens if it is communicated to relevant people who can put it to good use, for instance by developing new products. Knowledge about galaxies far away, or the intricacies of metabolic pathways, might not have immediate uses in the same way, but such basic scientifi c knowledge still needs to be communicated if it is to have eff ects on the way we as citizens understand our lives and our situation on earth. © Th e Author(s) 2016 1 S.R. Davies, M. Horst, Science Communication, DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-50366-4_1 2 S.R. Davies and M. Horst S econd, science communication is important for democracy. How can people contribute to decision-making in a knowledge society if they do not have a solid connection with the basis for many decisions—scientifi c knowledge itself? Such a connection is not just about understanding or the ability to correctly explain scientifi c facts. Rather it implies that citi- zens should know about how scientifi c knowledge is produced as well as about its limitations and consequences. 1 Th is is not a small demand. If, however, science is one of the most important productive forces in current societies, citizens have to be familiar with the way it works. Science should be debated in democratic institutions by the general public, or we risk creating societies which are more and more polarised between those who understand, use, and make decisions about science and those who do not. F inally, science communication is important because it relates to cul- ture and identity. Much of everyday life is dependent on technoscience, from the food we eat to our transportation systems, communication technologies, and healthcare. Sometimes the scientifi c content of these aspects of life is invisible, while at other times its importance is painfully explicit (such as if we need to talk to medical professionals about the best treatment for a particular cancer diagnosis). Most of the time, however, science is somewhere in the background. It shapes thinking about social issues such as climate change, nutrition, or food security, but our experi- ence of it is intermingled with all the other concerns that we, as citizens of knowledge societies, have. It is part of how we understand ourselves, an integral aspect of the cultural fabric in which we exist. For some people it is central—being knowledgeable about science can be a crucial identity marker—whereas for others, it is blended in with other values and ways of knowing. At its core, science communication is an activity that allows us to make sense of science and thereby the societies in which we live. 2 It is this idea of science as central to the culture of contemporary knowledge societies that is the starting point for this book. Science com- munication is not simply about making diffi cult things more simple, and it is something more than the exchange of scientifi c knowledge from those who know to those who do not. It is an integral part of society which has huge impacts on welfare, democracy and culture. Many writers who have discussed science communication have explored the impor- tance of science communication for the eff ective translation of scientifi c
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