scholarly journals The Microbiome as TED Knows It: Popular Science Communication and Neoliberal Subject

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Penelope Ironstone
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Popular Science ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Social Good ◽  
Microbiome Analysis ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ted Talks

Background  Although criticized for a variety of reasons, TED platforms and conventions have been engaged, often uncritically, as tools for popular science communication. This article critically examines four TED Talks that engage the relatively recent biomedical concept of the human microbiome. Analysis  Neoliberal values underpin both the TED universe and the marketization of science. TED conventions produce a discursive regularity that brings together neoliberal subjectivity and bioeconomic imperatives of contemporary scientific research. This neoliberalization is supported by uncritically championing citizen science and the so-called democratization of science alongside crowdsourcing and crowdfunding appeals.Conclusions and implications  Uncritically embracing TED Talks can implicate science communication in the reproduction of problematic ideological positions that favour economic interests over the social good or even individual health.Contexte  Les plateformes et conférences TED ont contribué à rendre la science accessible, même si elles souvent manqué de discernement en le faisant. Cet article effectue un examen critique de quatre TED Talks portant sur le concept relativement récent de microbiome humain. Analyse Des valeurs néolibérales sous-tendent l’univers TED et la marchandisation de la science. Les conférences TED associent ordinairement une subjectivité néolibérale aux impératifs bioéconomiques de la recherche savante contemporaine. Elles appuient le néolibéralisme en vantant de manière parfois irréfléchie la prétendue démocratisation de la science, les sciences participatives, la production participative et les appels au sociofinancement.  Conclusions et implications  Accepter sans réserve les TED Talks peut entraîner la communication de la science à reproduire des partis pris idéologiques problématiques, favorisant des intérêts économiques au détriment du bien commun ou même de la santé personnelle.

scholarly journals Expert interviews with science communicators: How perceptions of audience values influence science communication values and practices

F1000Research ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paige Brown ◽  
Rosanne Scholl
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Popular Science ◽  
Expert Interviews ◽  
Selection Interviews ◽  
Science Stories ◽  
Story Selection ◽  
Do So

Popular science communicators are a key link between scientists and publics, navigating the values of the scientific community and the perceived interests and values of readers. To do so, these professionals apply shared ideas about the role of science communication in society and about the factors that determine meaningful and newsworthy science stories. And yet we know little about the motivations and assumptions of audience values that underlie shared science communication values and criteria of story selection. Interviews with 14 popular science communicators writing in a variety of formats reveal that both their personal motivations and their perceptions of audience interests and values influence whether and how scientific research is translated into story.

The Social and Economic Imperative of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Supportive Organizational Policies

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eden B. King ◽  
José M. Cortina
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Federal Law ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Social Good ◽  
Organizational Policies ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
Economic Imperative

The central premise of this article is that organizations have social and economic interests in building policies and practices that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) workers. This argument is based on empirical evidence that (a) LGBT workers continue to face discrimination at work from which they are not protected under federal law, and (b) discrimination has negative consequences for individual's mental and physical health, and on reasoning that (c) organizations share responsibility for the social good of the communities in which they operate. We offer practical suggestions for creating LGBT-supportive organizations and propose that industrial–organizational psychologists have an ethical obligation to support such efforts.

scholarly journals A question of dialogue? Reflections on how citizen science can enhance communication between science and society

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (03) ◽  
pp. A13
Author(s):  
Katherin Wagenknecht ◽  
Tim Woods ◽  
Christian Nold ◽  
Simone Rüfenacht ◽  
Silke Voigt-Heucke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Science Policy ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Policy Agenda ◽  
Science And Society ◽  
Transdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Current Science

Citizen science is a transdisciplinary approach that responds to the current science policy agenda: in terms of supporting open science, and by using a range of science communication instruments. In particular, it opens up scientific research processes by involving citizens at different phases; this also creates a range of opportunities for science communication to happen This article explores methodological and practical characteristics of citizen science as a form of science communication by examining three case studies that took different approaches to citizens' participation in science. Through these, it becomes clear that communication in citizen science is ‘÷always’ science communication and an essential part of “doing science”.

Eco-Citizen Science for Social Good: Promoting Child Well-Being, Environmental Justice, and Inclusion

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E. Makuch ◽  
Miriam R. Aczel
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Good ◽  
Good Citizen ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
The Social ◽  
Attention To Diversity

This article examines the benefits and challenges of engaging children in environmental citizen science, defined as science conducted by nonspecialists under the direction of professional scientists, to promote social good. Citizen science addresses two central elements of the social good model—environmental justice and inclusion with particular attention to diversity in age, gender, race/ethnicity, and social class in addressing environmental injustice that is more prevalent in underrepresented communities. This article evaluates how participation in citizen science projects focused on the environment (eco-citizen science) benefits the child’s development, contributes to science, and leads to commitment to environmental stewardship and justice as adults. Our work offers a novel contribution to the discourse on social good and social justice through explicitly calling for children to be included in environmental citizen science projects. We examine the benefits and challenges of involving children in scientific projects and discuss implications for policy, practice, and future research.

scholarly journals Citizen Science: Society takes centre stage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Delicado ◽  
Isabel Mendoza-Poudereux
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Bird Migrations ◽  
Work Done

In the past decade, scientific research that relies on the collaboration of citizens has grown exponentially. Be it for collecting data on bird migrations, noise pollution, or empty houses in a neighborhood, or for analyzing pictures of malignant cells or distant stars, or for transcribing ship logs or translating Egyptian hieroglyphs (all examples of real citizen science projects), there are countless opportunities for society to get involved in the work done by scientists and contribute to the accumulation of scientific knowledge. Also, other levels of engagement are possible beyond collecting or analyzing data: suggesting research topics, designing research methods, interpreting research results, discussing and disseminating findings. This Metode SSJ monograph brings together contributions from several countries and from the perspective of diverse kinds of citizen science. From consultations to understand ways to improve science communication to increasing science and sustainability awareness through games and activities, exploring mental health support networks and analysing instruments for measuring radioactivity after a nuclear disaster. Concomitantly, issues such as levels of participation, the potential for doing citizen science in the social sciences, the impacts of education, or the role of digital applications are discussed.

scholarly journals Co-created citizen science: challenging cultures and practice in scientific research

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (05) ◽  
pp. Y01
Author(s):  
Jade Gunnell ◽  
Yaela Golumbic ◽  
Tess Hayes ◽  
Michelle Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Science Literature

Co-created citizen science offers practical tools for implementing science communication theories by increasing public participation in scientific research, empowering communities and advancing situated scientific knowledge. However, delivering such an approach presents a number of key challenges around funding, fostering working partnerships between scientists and citizens and ensuring all stakeholders receive sufficient benefits from the process. In this essay we draw from science communication and citizen science literature to describe these challenges and discuss the opportunities that will enable co-created practices to prosper.

On diversity in the social sciences: Why homogeneous research groups are an ethical mistake

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Nusbaum ◽  
Toby SantaMaria
Keyword(s):  
Minority Groups ◽  
Academic Science ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Scientific Enterprise ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Social Good ◽  
The Social ◽  
Public Responsibility ◽  
Principles Of Justice

The scientific enterprise reflects society at large, and as such it actively disadvantages minority groups. From an ethical perspective, this system is unacceptable as it actively undermines principles of justice and social good, as well as the research principles of openness and public responsibility. Further, minority social scientists lead to better overall scientific products, meaning a diverse scientific body can also be considered an instrumental good. Thus, centering minority voices in science is an ethical imperative. This paper outlines what can be done to actively center these scientists, including changing the way metrics are used to assess the performance of individual scientists and altering the reward structure within academic science to promote heterogenous research groups.

Scientific Collaboration and Collective Knowledge

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Physics ◽  
Scientific Practice ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Collective Knowledge ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Social Structure Of Science ◽  
Contemporary Science ◽  
The Social

Descartes once argued that, with sufficient effort and skill, a single scientist could uncover fundamental truths about our world. Contemporary science proves the limits of this claim. From synthesizing the human genome to predicting the effects of climate change, some current scientific research requires the collaboration of hundreds (if not thousands) of scientists with various specializations. Additionally, the majority of published scientific research is now coauthored, including more than 80% of articles in the natural sciences. Small collaborative teams have become the norm in science. This is the first volume to address critical philosophical questions about how collective scientific research could be organized differently and how it should be organized. For example, should scientists be required to share knowledge with competing research teams? How can universities and grant-giving institutions promote successful collaborations? When hundreds of researchers contribute to a discovery, how should credit be assigned—and can minorities expect a fair share? When collaborative work contains significant errors or fraudulent data, who deserves blame? In this collection of essays, leading philosophers of science address these critical questions, among others. Their work extends current philosophical research on the social structure of science and contributes to the growing, interdisciplinary field of social epistemology. The volume’s strength lies in the diversity of its authors’ methodologies. Employing detailed case studies of scientific practice, mathematical models of scientific communities, and rigorous conceptual analysis, contributors to this volume study scientific groups of all kinds, including small labs, peer-review boards, and large international collaborations like those in climate science and particle physics.

scholarly journals Citizens, Scientists, and Enablers: A Tripartite Model for Citizen Science Projects

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Rhian A. Salmon ◽  
Samuel Rammell ◽  
Myfanwy T. Emeny ◽  
Stephen Hartley
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Tripartite Model ◽  
Science Project ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Citizen Science Project

In this paper, we focus on different roles in citizen science projects, and their respective relationships. We propose a tripartite model that recognises not only citizens and scientists, but also an important third role, which we call the ‘enabler’. In doing so, we acknowledge that additional expertise and skillsets are often present in citizen science projects, but are frequently overlooked in associated literature. We interrogate this model by applying it to three case studies and explore how the success and sustainability of a citizen science project requires all roles to be acknowledged and interacting appropriately. In this era of ‘wicked problems’, the nature of science and science communication has become more complex. In order to address critical emerging issues, a greater number of stakeholders are engaging in multi-party partnerships and research is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. Within this context, explicitly acknowledging the role and motivations of everyone involved can provide a framework for enhanced project transparency, delivery, evaluation and impact. By adapting our understanding of citizen science to better recognise the complexity of the organisational systems within which they operate, we propose an opportunity to strengthen the collaborative delivery of both valuable scientific research and public engagement.

Notions of property: traditional land use and boundaries in the Deh Cho region

Polar Record ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol J. Brown-Leonardi
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Ecological Sustainability ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Property Ownership ◽  
Property Relations ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
The Social ◽  
Consumer Interests ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Traditional Land Use

ABSTRACTThe Deh Cho Dene have been negotiating territorial land since early European settlement. This paper argues that the changing needs of Deh Cho Dene society has changed their concept of property and this transformation has evolved with a responsibility to conserve cultural practice and ecological balance in Deh Cho Dene territorial lands. The article considers how the changing need of European society addresses property and ownership in the context of basic human rights and consumer interests. It uses the theories of Macpherson, Locke, and Marx to construct a model to understand the property relations that exist in the Deh Cho Dene region. Accordingly, the paper addresses oral narratives to give historical insight into the relations between neighbouring tribal groups and their understanding of territorial boundaries. An account of present day negotiations highlights the various initiatives taken to protect traditional interests and uphold historical claim to the territory. The negotiation of joint ventures and property ownership has evolved with concerns over ecological sustainability and the protection of a subsistence lifestyle, which is critical for the social and economic interests of Deh Cho Dene culture, and is closely connected to the land.

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