A new book by the PCST network (Science Press Beijng, 2006), edited by Cheng Donhong, Jenni Mecalfe, Bernard Schiele and in collaboration with Michel Claessens, Toss Gascoigne, Shi Shunke
With a paper on the Observa’s First Italian Science in society Forum 2005 by Valeria Arzenton, Massimiano Bucchi and Federico Neresini.
The production of science knowledge is doubling every seven years. As it expands, science splinters into new and unimagined strands. No one can keep up.
How can any ordinary citizens play a meaningful part in discussions on their future, in the face of this explosion of knowledge? Is it any surprise the public daily grows more sceptical about the benefits of science? Public demands for evidence and reassurance grow more strident, but most of all the public wants time to adjust to a world threatening to career out of their control.
At the Human Scale is a response from the public face of science, the science communicators. It stresses local action at community level and focus on long term effects.
It’s snapshot of ideas that work, a combination of theory and practice. It contains good ideas and the methodologies that lie behind them.
The papers in this book were presented at a symposium in Beijing, and voted by the international delegates as the most challenging, the most relevant and the most useful.
Contents:
Forewords
By the President of the China Association for Science and Technology
By the European Union’s Commissioner for Science and Research
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1—Considering science and society
Communicating science in the real context of society
Bernard SCHIELE
Public perception of science and technology: a European perspective
Michel CLAESSENS
Part 2—Overcoming youth apathy
Overcoming youth apathy
Jenni METCALFE, LI Xi
BA CREST awards: celebrating creativity in science and technology
Sharmila BANERJEE
Science classes at village offices
Jaung Shick KIM, Duckhwan LEE
When the place has a role
Jan RIISE
Questacon ScienceLines: Indigenous outreach
Allen ROONEY
‘Imagine’: sharing ideas in the life sciences
Daan SCHUURBIERS, Marije BLOMJOUS, Patricia OSSEWEIJER
Summaries of other youth case studies
Part 3—Community: the arena
Community: the arena
CHENG Donghong, SHI Shunke
Does science belong to everybody? The first Italian Science in Society Forum
Valeria ARZENTON, Massimiano BUCCHI, Federico NERESINI
Landcare in the Philippines: recognizing the importance of effective communication
Gerardo BOY
Science communication in participatory projects in Australia: two case studies in natural resource management
Anne LEITCH, Cathy PITKIN
A contextual approach to promoting debate and social engagement in science and technology
Victoria MENDIZÁBAL, Elena SANFELIU SABATER
Improving indigo-dyed textiles: a community-oriented communication success
Yuwanuch TINNALUCK
Summaries of other community case studies
Part 4—Scientists engaging with the public
Scientists engaging with the public
Toss GASCOIGNE
‘Perspectives’: scientists communicating the social context of their work
Nicholas HILLIER
Media skills workshops: breaking down the barriers between scientists and journalists
Jenni METCALFE, Toss GASCOIGNE
Science shops as university–community interfaces: an interactive approach in science
communication
Henk A. J. MULDER, Caspar F. M. DE BOK
The big hand that peels off the apple skin for the little ants: a case study of CAS ASPIRE
OUYANG Jing
A case study of citizen science
Tina PHILLIPS, Bruce LEWENSTEIN, Rick BONNEY
Summaries of other scientists’ case studies
Abbreviations and acronyms
The Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network