The role of controversy in engineering design

Abstract To ensure the acceptance of technical systems and products in society, the crucial role of social controversy in technology development has to be more openly recognized. Many of the current acceptance problems of technical systems developed because the social controversy generated by the system under design was not sufficiently taken into account. Actively managed and organized controversy, on the other hand, could become an integral part of the engineering design process and the basis for a new underlying philosophy of design. Technical design in companies and technological organizations could be opened up to the active involvement of social actors usually excluded from it (like t…

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…

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.

Risk in perspective

Spain: commercialization drives public debate and precaution

Since the commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops and foods in Spain in 1996, these products have become a topic of public concern and conflict. Several important social protagonists from science, industry and civil society have become involved in the public debate. The conflicts have influenced the regulation, improving its precautionary content, in response to social pressures in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. As Spain has become the primary cultivator of GM crops in the European Union, commercial cultivation there has been scientifically monitored for possible long-term environmental effects. Regulators have also asked industry to cease using antibiotic-resistant marker gene…

Social decision making on technology and the environment in Spain

Abstract This paper outlines the current status of the direct participation of citizens and public interest groups in decision making, on issues related to technology and the environment in the context of one specific country, namely Spain. It presents the kind of public participation possible today in Spain, where participatory management of technology is still relatively limited. The article analyzes the causes for the current situation, based on several recent case studies, as well as views expressed by key actors. The cases described, encompass a wide range of modern technologies, and include genetic engineering, environmental information, forestry management, and also the environmental…

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…