Science ant technology, governance and public acceptance
A relevant part of the current debates about public acceptance of science and technology centers on the social acceptability of science and technology governance (including decision making, regulation and risk management). In this presentation we will argue, based on survey data, that the relationship between public and stakeholder acceptance of governance, on the one hand, and the level of public education, on the other, as well as current improvements in science and technology management is still unclear. We present recent survey data from Spain on the public perception of science and technology governance, particularly on the perception of the importance of scientific knowledge and value…
Who is willing to pay for science? On the relationship between public perception of science and the attitude to public funding of science.
This article examines the relationship between the general public's understanding of science and the attitude towards public funding of scientific research. It applies a multivariate and discriminant analysis (Wilks' Lambda), in addition to a more commonly used bivariate analysis (Cramer's V), to data compiled from the Third National Survey on the Social Perception of Science and Technology in Spain (FECYT, 2006). The general conclusion is that the multivariate analysis produces information complementary to the bivariate analysis, and that the variables commonly applied in public perception studies have limited predictive value with respect to the attitude towards public funding of scientif…
Perceptions, attitudes and ethical valuations: The ambivalence of the public image of biotechnology in Spain
This paper analyzes the study of the public perception of biotechnology, comparing different studies made on the European and the Spanish national levels. It aims at testing the applicability of these kinds of studies, and describes some of their limits. The analysis shows clear ambivalence in the public response to distinct applications of this technology, pointing out the crucial differences between general moral valuation and attitude towards specific products. Taking into account this difference appears fundamental for the design of future perception studies able to more accurately reflect public understanding.
Darwin como noticia. La imagen de Darwin a través de los medios de comunicación en el bicentenario de su nacimiento
This paper analyzes Darwin's image as presented by the mass media on the day his bicentennial was celebrated. The headlines that included the term (keyword) 'Darwin' published on February 12, 2009 were selected from a database of on-line media. The content analysis of those texts shows that, aside from the anecdotic stories directly related to the commemoration of the bicentennial of his birth, Darwinism's 'newsworthy hook' continues to center on the debate between science and religion as cultural authorities. In contrast, Darwin's contributions to the understanding of the process of evolution, his impact on the whole of the biological sciences, or the current debates related to biological …
The Context(s) of Precaution: Ideological and Instrumental Appeals to the Precautionary Principle
This article contributes to the clarification of the concept of precaution and its function in social debate. The authors compare the uses of precaution in science and technology—related conflicts (as indicated by an analysis of media reports on precaution) with data from a survey on precaution and the role of science in decision making. While the survey data confirm the existence of opposing “idealized” or “ideological” conceptualizations of the role of science in regulatory decisions, the analyzed media reports show an added degree of complexity on the level of social dynamics. The media analysis identifies an instrumental use of the concept of precaution in social debate, which is indep…