Monday, October 15, 2007

Public Understanding and Public Participation in Science:

(Paper presented at the 6th International Conference on Public Communication of Science and Technology Trends in Science Communication today: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice, Urs Dahinden, 2001, CERN, Geneva)

The cracks in the relationship between Science and the public have been described by numerous different studies and the two predominant approaches for understanding and remedying the fractures are the public understanding of science approach and the public participation in science approach.

In the PUS or deficit model, the lack of interest in science and distrust of science is due to a lack of knowledge about science. The remedy is thus to increase activity in this area through the mass media, science cafés etc.

In the PPS model, the remedy to public feeling sof exclusion from science policy making is to integrate the public
into the process to shape the course of scientific and technological development. A number of such public participation procedures have been developed and applied in the past, like citizen juries (planning cells) (Crosby 1987, Renn 1995, Hörning 1999), consensus conferences (Andersen 1999), deliberative polls (Fishkin 1991; Fishkin 1995) or focus groups (Dahinden/Dürrenberger 1997a, 1997b, Dürrenberger 1999).


1) The two approaches have to be considered as complements, rather than competitors


PUS could learn:

  • Increasing public understanding requires the subjective feeling of being actively involved (as a citizen or as a consumer).


  • Learning is most intense in phases of conflict (knowledge gap model)


PPS could learn:

  • Promoting the understanding of science: A necessary, but not sufficient element of all public participation procedures


2) “Paradise” lost: no way back to blind trust in science

Rather science as a social institution has to put up with the perspective that a scientifically informed public with the possibility of democratic participation in the process shaping science and technology will do both agree or disagree with the solutions suggested by science.
3) Further research

On that background, it is likely that there will be a continuing and long-term need for projects promoting both public understanding and public participation in science. Public participation procedures seem to be especially promising, but not yet well understood instruments that need further research.

1 comment:

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