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  • Sep 21, 2009 Article

    Images of women in STEM fields

    by S. Cho , M. Goodman , B. Oppenheimer , J. Codling , T. Robinson

    This study investigated how eighth-grade students perceived images of women in STEM and non-STEM careers. Thirty-six images were posted on-line; we measured five characteristics of each image. Forty students participated in the study. We found that there were significant differences in attractiveness, creativity, and intelligence between STEM and non-STEM images. There were no significant differences for good at her job and organization. In addition, there were no significant differences among STEM and non-STEM images of women of the same race.

    Volume 8Issue 032009

  • Sep 21, 2009 Commentary

    Science and technology: socialising what for whom?

    by Sally Wyatt

    In the Handbook on the socialisation of scientific and technological research, edited by Wiebe Bijker and Luciano d’Andrea, ‘socialisation’ is used to both describe and prescribe the ways in which science and technology are used in society. In this comment, ‘socialisation’ is discussed from two other points of view. First, the ways in which science and technology are sometimes used to organize, structure and dominate the social are identified. Second, drawing on Merton’s norms of science, an argument is made against over-socialising science and in favour of acknowledging and preserving the ‘special’ nature of science, for its own sake and because, at its best, science can offer an alternative model for other social activities.

    Volume 8Issue 032009

  • Sep 21, 2009 Commentary

    The socialisation of scientific and technological research

    by Yuri Castelfranchi , Nico Pitrelli

    In the last decades, production of science and technology as well as science-society relationships started changing rapidly. Research is asked to be more effective, fast, accountable, trans-disciplinary, result-oriented, policy-driven and able to generate benefits for people and firms in the short and middle run. While a strong intensification of science-society relationships is occurring, an increasing number of actors and stakeholders are involved in research production. At the same time, pervasiveness of technology is rendering users an active part in technological development; economic and social interests on science and technology are growing on a global scale; new democratic and ethical issues emerge. Despite the European institutions’ efforts, all those trends and phenomena are occurring in an extremely fragmented way. In this scenario, a fairly balanced and consistent co-evolution between science and society can no longer be taken for granted. This is just the starting point of the following comment section that, through the  Luciano d’Andrea, Sally Wyatt, Erik Aarden, Jos Lejten and Peter Sekloča’s writings, aims to analyse the different aspects and questions around the socialisation of science and technology’s matter.

    A different interpretation of science-society relations: the socialization of scientific and technological research

    by Luciano d'Andrea

    Science and technology: socialising what for whom?

    by Sally Wyatt

    Technoscience, technological cultures and socialisation

    by Erik Aarden

    Social technologies and socialization of research

    by Jos Leijten

    Public scientific communication: reflections on the public and its participation forms

    by Peter Sekloča and Ernest Ženko

    Volume 8Issue 032009

  • Aug 27, 2009 Article

    Getting adolescents to inform themselves about ecogenomics: a Dutch case study

    by Mark J.W. Bos , Roy R. Kloet , Cees M. Koolstra , Jaap T.J.M. Willems

    Public opinions toward emergent technologies may be highly dependent on the manner in which people are introduced to these technologies for the very first time. In this light, understanding how such first introductions are related to adolescents’ information seeking behaviors and their developing opinions may be particularly interesting because this target public can be considered to be not only future users of the technology but also future decision makers of its development. The present paper presents a case study of the introduction of ecogenomics among 246 adolescents who were asked to inform themselves about this technology and to write two essays: one that would reflect their personal opinions, and another that would reflect their advice to the Dutch government about further funding of ecogenomics research. Results showed that the Internet was by far their preferred source of information and that most adolescents held positive attitudes toward ecogenomics as expressed in essays that reflected their personal opinions and advice to others. In their perspective, ecogenomics was a positive development in science because of expected benefits concerning medical and environmental applications, such as the potential discovery of new antibiotics and the possible use in bioremediation.

    Volume 8Issue 032009

  • Jul 20, 2009 Article

    Mapping gender differences in understanding about HIV/AIDS

    by Surjit Singh , Gauhar Raza , S.N. Misra , Pushpa Dahiya

    The present article investigates public understanding of HIV/AIDS related issues that touch the thought structure of common citizen, among the Indian public. Analysis is based on a representative sample collected from 10 states of India. The authors have also analysed the relative cultural distance at which men and women, as separate groups, could be placed. The relative cultural distance, for each of the selected issues, has been computed and it was found that men, as a group, are closer to scientific thought structure compared to women.

    Volume 8Issue 032009

  • Jun 19, 2009 Commentary

    The theatre, (art) and science: between amazement and applause!

    by Salvatore Fruguglietti

    There have been countless innovations in the realm of science museology after the foundation of the Exploratorium of San Francisco and of the Ontario Science Center of Toronto with, among other things, the introduction of the exhibits hands-on, the use of new technologies and the arrival of virtuality.But most of all a new dialogue was launched, also as a form of transformation of reality. And what is drama but fiction and transformation of reality?This statement is the basis for the belief that museums and the theatre should continue, if not even start, a path to move closer, so as to make their languages work at the service of each other.A dialogical interaction which is difficult (as both languages and their interpreters crave for superiority), strong (the place for communication becomes multi-channel), but necessary (in view of a systemic approach of science communication).It is necessary especially to build an all-encompassing museum to fully play a sociological role of study, interpretation and determination of human society.

    Volume 8Issue 022009

  • Jun 19, 2009 Commentary

    Arts and science under the sign of Leonardo. The case of the National Museum of Science and Technology ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ of Milan

    by Claudio Giorgione

    Drawing on the example of Leonardo da Vinci, who was able to combine arts and science in his work, the National Museum of Science and Technology of Milan has always pursued the blending and the dialogue of humanistic and scientific knowledge. It has employed this approach in all of its activities, from the set design of exhibition departments to the acquisition of collections and, more recently, in the dialogue with the public. Now more than ever, following a renewal path for the Museum, these guidelines are being subject to research to achieve a new and more up-to-date interpretation.

    Volume 8Issue 022009

  • Jun 19, 2009 Book Review

    The challenges of communicating climate change

    by Emiliano Feresin

    The climate change issue has become increasingly present in our society in the last decade and central also to communication studies. In the e-book “Communicating Climate Change: Discourses, Mediations and Perceptions”, edited by Anabela Carvalho, various scholars investigate how climate change challenges communication by looking at three main aspects: the discourses of a variety of social actors on climate change; the reconstruction of those discourses in the media; the citizens’ perceptions, understandings and attitudes in relation to climate change.

    Volume 8Issue 022009

Total: 1463 records