Abstract
Upstream public engagement with new science and technology is considered
important but challenging. This article shows how engagement events are
embedded in broader institutional and cultural contexts. By studying two
different cases of upstream engagement in nanotechnology, we demonstrate
how existing institutional responsibilities and cultural repertoires contribute
much to the productivity of actual engagement events. Insight into these
wider world dynamics will help science communicators (or event organizers)
foster reflection and deliberation among relevant actors about whether and
how upstream public engagement can have an impact on the governance of
new science and technology.
important but challenging. This article shows how engagement events are
embedded in broader institutional and cultural contexts. By studying two
different cases of upstream engagement in nanotechnology, we demonstrate
how existing institutional responsibilities and cultural repertoires contribute
much to the productivity of actual engagement events. Insight into these
wider world dynamics will help science communicators (or event organizers)
foster reflection and deliberation among relevant actors about whether and
how upstream public engagement can have an impact on the governance of
new science and technology.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 452-484 |
| Number of pages | 33 |
| Journal | Science Communication |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 27-May-2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug-2015 |
Keywords
- upstream public engagement, institutional practices, dialogical governance, responsible research and innovation, nanotechnology, civil society