Upstream Public Engagement in Nanotechnology Constraints and Opportunities

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 exist...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScience communication Vol. 37; no. 4; pp. 452 - 484
Main Authors Krabbenborg, Lotte, Mulder, Henk A. J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.08.2015
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Communication
Nanotechnology
Science
nanotechnology
responsible research and innovation
civil society
dialogical governance
institutional practices
upstream public engagement
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1075-5470
1552-8545
DOI:10.1177/1075547015588601