science communication: deficits, dialogues, and...

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Text copyright © 2014 by Bruce V. LewensteinNote that image copyrights belong to others

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Science Communication: Deficits, Dialogues, and Deniers

Bruce V. LewensteinDepartments of Science & Technology Studies

and CommunicationCornell UniversityIthaca, NY 14853 [email protected]

Science Communication: Deficits, Dialogues, and Deniers

Bruce V. LewensteinDepartments of Science & Technology Studies

and CommunicationCornell UniversityIthaca, NY 14853 [email protected]

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Science communication meets particular needs A personal need

Medicine, personal technology, jobs

A national needEconomic development,

public health, national security

A cultural needEmbodiment of the human spirit

…and therefore a political issue

Lab/Field Formal paper

Preprints

Meetings Policy documents,etc.

Textbooks

Media (web, TVmagazines, radionewspapers, blogs,Twitter, books, etc.)

Is this science communication?

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Sphere of Science CommunicationFrom: Lewenstein, Bruce V. (2011). Experimenting with Engagement. Commentary on "Taking Our Own Medicine: On an Experiment in Science Communication."Science And Engineering Ethics, 17(4), 817-821.

At least four models are at work in political world

Deficit models Dialogue models

Deficit model

Contextual model

Lay knowledge model

Public engagementmodel

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The “deficit model” is the default

Longstanding concerns about lack of public knowledge

More knowledge is better (“fill the deficit”)– Measures of scientific knowledge

Many excellent educational materials produced

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Data from NSF Science Indicators series, 1986-2012

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1985 1988 1990 1992 1995 1997 1999 2001 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Per

cen

t co

rrec

t

Public understanding of science/Science literacy questions(correct answers)

Center hot Electrons smaller Univ explosion Continents move

Earth around sun Antibiotics kill viruses Humans from earlier species

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Attentive

Interested

Residual

Adapted from Miller, J. D. (1983). Scientific Literacy: A Conceptual and Empirical Review. Daedalus, 112(2), 29-48.

The deficit model has limitations

Lack of context of questions

Interpretive layer is limited– Attentive, Interested, “Residual” public

– Definition of “scientifically literate”

– Easy to misinterpret

Lack of usefulness for action– No progress in 35 years

– No demonstrated link between knowledge and action (in fact, evidence of lack of link)

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Contextual model addresses particular audiences

http

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Contextual model adds reality

Adds social psychological component to individual knowledge– Emotions

– Authoritarianism, individualism, communitarianism, etc.

– Religious faith

Recognition of social context, demographic groupings, institutional trust

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Digression

Relevant findings, I

Decision science can help identify what people need to know [but is prone to the “deficit model” fallacy]

Social science can help identify how social structures shape information flow [but…]

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Relevant findings, II

Science is central to social issues,becomes target of controversy because facts “benefit some political and economic interests while weakening others”

Individuals are shaped by cultures, which produce intuitive epistemologies that affect how they process information

Roser-Renouf et al. 2014

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Roser-Renouf et al. 2014

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Implications of contextual model

Audience segmentation

Framing of messages

Potential increase of polarization through reinforcement of echo chamber

Defines audience as spectators, consumers, voters – but not active participants in decisions

Text on this page from Matt Nisbet,American Univ., 2014

The contextual model also has some limitations

Still sees science literacy as “problem” to be addressed

Still fundamentally depends on "transmission" of information

No discussion of political issues: empowerment, participation, democracy

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Lay knowledge/expertise

http://www.makivik.org/nunavik-research-centre/

Lay knowledge model developed to address limitations of deficit model

Developed in 1990s, in part as academic and political reaction to earlier models

Fits technical issues into existing knowledge systems

Privileges local knowledge

Assesses actual behavior in real world

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Who is the relevant expert?

Chernobyl fallout in Cumbria (NW England), scientists failed to acknowledge uncertainty, acted as bureaucrats, didn’t understand local landscape or farming

(Lack of) trust in institutions

For example, cancer clusters

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Indigenous knowledge Scientists fail to

acknowledge reliable knowledge produced through non-“scientific” means

Local knowledge offers a more democratic approach to knowledge

Not just addressing mistrust

Not just addressing misunderstanding, problems with “expert” knowledge

BUT…active construction of appropriate knowledge for local context, drawing in technical, economic, social, legal, regulatory, and other information from many sources

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Lay knowledge isn’t just about controversies

www.citizenscience.org

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New forms: DIY, Maker, Hacker

www.DIYBio.org

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Yes, the lay knowledge model has difficulties, too

What is the role of reliable knowledge about natural world (usually called "science")?

Political context requires commitment to technical and political empowerment

What is relationship of lay knowledge to citizen science?

In what way is it a guide for action?

Model of 2000s: Public Engagement

http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/gallery/biology/galbio2c.php

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. (20

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, 299

, 977

.

Modes

Consensus conferences

Citizen juries

Deliberative technology assessment

Science shops

Science cafes

http://jefferson-center.org

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Public participation about controversial issues

http://www.loka.org/images/sclove3.gif

Four meanings of “engagement”

Educational engagement Participatory

democracy Public participation in

scientific research

Institutionalengagement

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Public engagement model: Difficulties

Which kind of engagement? Educational, political, participatory, institutional?

Focus on process, not on content

How to achieve basic substantive knowledge?

Scaling up “consultation” to large groups

…and deep political meaning

Not just about privileging local knowledge

But giving power to publics, not to elites

Do scientists have power?

Are scientists willing to turn over power?

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Deficit models(including Deficit and Contextual

models)

Dialogue models

(including Lay Knowledge and Public

Engagement

models)

Dominique Brossard

Deficit/information

delivery models

Dialogue/Public

engagementmodels

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That’s where I usually stop

But what about wicked problems?

Difficult to define

Interdependent, multi-causal

No clear solution

Socially and organizationally complex

Chronic policy failures

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And even more troubling:

Evolution

Climate change

Vaccines and autism

GMOs

Fracking

Etc.

And even more troubling:

Evolution

Climate change

Vaccines and autism

GMOs

Fracking

Etc.

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At least 3 kinds of problemsinvolve science and politics

Science is uncertain– Synthetic biology, geoengineering,

hydrofracking

Social values are highly relevant– Stem cells, animals in research, GMOs

Active resistance/deniers– Evolution, climate science, autism and vaccines

How to address?

Deficit of scientists’ knowledge of the public

Deficit of public’s and scientists’ lack of knowledgeof the real scientific process– Science as social process and

institutions (not idealized method and facts)

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How can we do that?

Classes, discussions, presentations.

Know your goals, be reflective about the politics, be strategic about use of frames…blah, blah, blah.

The problem

Who gets to decide what is “good science” or “bad science”? Who gets to decide who is a denier?

How can we avoid falling into the deficit model trap of thinking we (whether scientists or communicators) always know the right answer?

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Science comm: A wicked problem

For many science comm goals, the “answer” is more democratic discussion, more dialogue

But democracy is imperfect, and can be hijacked by deniers…for political reasons

Sometimes, the deficit model might be the right answer

That’s uncomfortable…and may be counter to data

Summary

Acknowledge the political dimension(s) of talking about public understanding of science – it is both an individual and a social concept

Recognize the political commitments of using different models

But we still need to learn how to deal with deniers

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Conclusion

There is a politics of science communication…

Just as there is a politics of all of science – But that’s a different talk

http://eloquentscience.com/2012/09/thoughts-about-clarkes-ethics-of-science-communication-on-the-web/

Thank you!

(Another imponderable that puzzles Bruce. Northwestern Univ. campus, July 2007)

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