Nuclear energy, stem cell technology, GMOs: the more science advances,
the more society seems to resist. But are we really watching a death
struggle between opposing forces, as so many would have it? Can today's
complex technical policy decisions coincide with the needs of a
participatory democracy? Are the two sides even equipped to talk to each
other?
Beyond Technocracy: Science, Politics and Citizens answers these
questions with clarity and vision. Drawing upon a broad range of data
and events from the United States and Europe, and noting the blurring of
the expert/lay divide in the knowledge base, the book argues that these
conflicts should not be dismissed as episodic, or the outbursts of
irrationality and ignorance, but recognized as a critical opportunity to
discuss the future in which we want to live. Massimiano Bucchi's
analysis covers the complex realities of post-academic science as he:
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Explores the widely debated theme of science and democracy across a
broad range of technological controversies.
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Overviews issues raised by the current relationship among scientists,
policymakers, business interests, and the public.
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Dispels stereotypes of the detached scientific community versus the
uninformed general public.
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Examines the role of the media in framing scientific debate.
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Addresses the question of how to move beyond technocracy to a more
fruitful collaboration between scientists and citizens.
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Offers a bold vision for a future in which the scientific and public
spheres regard each other as partners working toward a shared purpose.
Beyond Technocracy: Science, Politics and Citizens has great value as
a postgraduate text for courses in technology and society, political
science, and science policy. It will also find an interested audience
among scientists, policymakers, managers in the technological sector,
and concerned lay readers.
