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Science communication, as a multidisciplinary field, has developed remarkably in recent years. It is now a distinct and exceedingly dynamic science that melds theoretical approaches with practical experience. Formerly well-established theoretical models now seem out of step with the social reality of the sciences, and the previously clear-cut delineations and interacting domains between cultural fields have blurred. Communicating Science in Social Contexts examines that shift, which itself depicts a profound recomposition of knowledge fields, activities and dissemination practices, and the value accorded to science and technology. Communicating Science in Social Contexts is the product of long-term effort that would not have been possible without the research and expertise of the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network and the editors. For nearly 20 years, this informal, international network has been organizing events and forums for discussion of the public communication of science.
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Communicating Science in Social Contexts New models, new practices Donghong Cheng • Michel Claessens Toss Gascoigne • Jenni Metcalfe Bernard Schiele • Shunke Shi Editors Communicating Science in Social Contexts New models, new practices Editors Donghong Cheng China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Beijing P.R. China Michel Claessens European Commission Brussels Belgium Toss Gascoigne Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) University of Canberra Bruce, ACT Australia Jenni Metcalfe Econnect Communication South Brisbane, QLD Australia Bernard Schiele Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal Canada Shunke Shi China Research Institute for Science Popularization Beijing P.R. China Courtesy of the European Commission ISBN 978-1-4020-8597-0 e-ISBN 978-1-4020-8598-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008929545 © 2008 Springer Science + Business Media B.V. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed on acid-free paper 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 springer.com Foreword José Manuel Silva Rodríguez I am pleased to introduce this book, which I am sure will enhance the dialogue between science and society—nowadays an important element of the scientific and technical landscape. The European Commission is deeply committed to facilitating the dialogue between science and society and has taken numerous recent initiatives in this context. Promoting dialogue between science and society or, more precisely, putting science back into society is one of the priorities of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme, which runs from 2007 to 2013. There are specific budgets allocated to these activities. In addition, the contracts the Commission signs for projects of the Seventh Framework Programme require beneficiaries to ‘take appropriate measures to engage with the public and the media about the project aims and results’. In February 2007, the European Commission adopted a communication entitled Scientific information in the digital age: Access, dissemination and preservation with the aim of starting a political debate on the scientific publication system, which everyone says should be reformed from top to bottom. All of these initiatives are designed to provide wider public access to scientific knowledge and ongoing research. The objective is to develop a genuine ‘scientific communication culture’ in Europe. The ‘scien