Manifesto for Socially-Relevant Science and Technology

= discussion on Citizen participation in governing science

Introduction

This is an extended commentary by Andrew Maynard on the ideas of Sheila Jasanoff in her landmark essay, Technologies of Humility.

URL = http://2020science.org/2008/12/24/a-manifesto-for-socially-relevant-science-and-technology/

Article discussed:

Jasanoff, S. (2003). Technologies of Humility: Citizen participation in governing science. Minerva 41:223-244.

Excerpt

Andrew Maynard:

"Jasanoff develops four focal points for socially relevant and responsible science and technology—framing, vulnerability, distribution and learning. These are packed terms, and you really need to read the paper to understand better what she is proposing. But here are some pointers:

Framing: The quality of solutions to social problems depends on the way they are framed. Get the framing wrong, and the solutions suffer. Jasanoff argues that frame analysis—how you define and approach a problem—is a critically important yet neglected tool for policy-making, which would benefit from greater public input.

Vulnerability: Population-based approaches to risk assessment and management typically overlook the condition and perspectives of individuals, and in doing so underplay the importance of various socio-economic factors. Jasanoff notes that through participation in the analysis of their own vulnerability, ordinary citizens may regain their status as active subjects, rather than remain objects in yet another expert discourse.

Distribution: Issues here stem from “end-of pipe” approaches to legitimizing science and technology advances, and disconnects between groups that benefit from advances, and those that pay for them. Jasanoff suggests that sustained interactions between decision-makers, experts and citizens, starting at the upstream end of research and development, could yield significant dividends in exposing the distributive implications of innovation.

Learning: There’s a tendency within the science and technology community to think that increased learning reduces divergence in opinions—as if there is one true “answer,” and more learning is the means to discovering it (see Kahan el al. in particular on this). But as Jasanoff points out, experience is subject to many interpretations—as much in policy-making as in literary or historical analysis. In other words, while the science might be clear, the decisions it leads to rarely are. Jasanoff recommends that new avenues be designed through which societies can collectively reflect on the ambiguity of their experiences, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of alternative explanations.

Looking through Jasanoff’s recommendations, her emphasis on citizen participation in governing science and technology comes to the fore. It is clear—from her perspective—that old-style command and control models of science and technology innovation no longer work, and that change is needed. (http://2020science.org/2008/12/24/a-manifesto-for-socially-relevant-science-and-technology/)