Communicating chemistry for public engagement

Hartings, Matthew R.; Fahy, Declan

doi:10.1038/nchem.1094

Cited by 55 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Examples might include carefully designed and evaluated Web-based resources and documentary films or online multimedia platforms combined with localized public forums that blend discussion of science with that of various ethical, legal and religious perspectives. These efforts which, for example, could be sponsored via partnerships among government agencies, scientific societies, media organizations, foundations, universities, research institutions, faith-based organizations, and/or minority groups would be designed to establish an ongoing dialogue with those segments of the public who have the strongest reservations about the impacts of science on society [9], [11], [48]–[51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Public Opinion in Debates over Biomedical Research: Looking beyond Political Partisanship to Focus on Beliefs about Science and Society

Nisbet

Markowitz

2014

PLoS ONE

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As social scientists have investigated the political and social factors influencing public opinion in science-related policy debates, there has been growing interest in the implications of this research for public communication and outreach. Given the level of political polarization in the United States, much of the focus has been on partisan differences in public opinion, the strategies employed by political leaders and advocates that promote those differences, and the counter-strategies for overcoming them. Yet this focus on partisan differences tends to overlook the processes by which core beliefs about science and society impact public opinion and how these schema are often activated by specific frames of reference embedded in media coverage and popular discourse. In this study, analyzing cross-sectional, nationally representative survey data collected between 2002 and 2010, we investigate the relative influence of political partisanship and science-related schema on Americans' support for embryonic stem cell research. In comparison to the influence of partisan identity, our findings suggest that generalized beliefs about science and society were more chronically accessible, less volatile in relation to media attention and focusing events, and an overall stronger influence on public opinion. Classifying respondents into four unique audience groups based on their beliefs about science and society, we additionally find that individuals within each of these groups split relatively evenly by partisanship but differ on other important dimensions. The implications for public engagement and future research on controversies related to biomedical science are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Public Opinion in Debates over Biomedical Research: Looking beyond Political Partisanship to Focus on Beliefs about Science and Society

Nisbet

Markowitz

2014

PLoS ONE

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“…Aside from the benefits to the individual citizens who participate in outreach activities, there are many benefits of outreach to the scientists who perform it: (i) With all of the extra practice interacting with laymen, scientists will become more adept at communicating and teaching technical material to nontechnical audiences (29). (ii) Chemists can also feel good about teaching people something new; outreach is a way to make the world smarter, one person at a time.…”

Section: The Rewards Of Public Outreach: Existing and Suggestedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemists: Public Outreach Is an Essential Investment of Time, Not a Waste of It

Bracher

Gray

2014

ACS Symposium Series

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In this chapter, we discuss the state of the public image of chemistry and some of the potential consequences of its deterioration. We explain why it is important that chemists engage the public to educate citizens about science and communicate the value of scientific research. Next, as an example of how chemists can interact with the public in a meaningful manner related to their research, we discuss the development and implementation of a multifaceted outreach program by our group at Caltech. We close with suggestions for how chemists can create their own outreach activities and how our field can encourage this work by recognizing and rewarding it.The global chemistry enterprise, while historically strong, faces a growing list of serious challenges. The pharmaceutical industry finds itself struggling to maintain its former pace of drug discovery (1), federal funding for academic research is becoming increasingly scarce (2), and the employment market for chemists in the developed world may never have been tougher than it is now (3,4). Despite these challenges, one cannot deny the prospect that it is chemists who are positioned best to solve several of the most profound problems currently facing humanity. Chemical catalysts will be required to efficiently convert the energy in sunlight into safely-transportable fuels that meet our growing demand for consumable energy (5, 6). It is chemists who synthesize the drugs-be they small molecules or large proteins-that are still often the most effective and least invasive means of treating many diseases. And the solution to our planet's

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“…As such, public attitude and acceptance is becoming important in CIP policy-making and project construction, and presenting both opportunities and challenges for the chemical industrial transformation. Public perspectives are, however, often not included in chemical industrial strategies and scenarios (Hoffman, 1999;Hartings and Fahy, 2011). Some studies have reported the environmental impacts, safety, risk of CIPs, and public acceptability toward reclaimed water in China (Chen et al, 2015;Ding and Bao, 2017;Gu et al, 2015;Meng et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What drives public acceptance of chemical industrial park policy and project in China?

Boas

Mol

et al. 2018

Resources, Conservation and Recycling

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Chemical industrial park (CIP) policy is becoming a vital national strategy of circular economy in China and a means to enhance energy and resource efficiency, environmental performance, and economic competitiveness. It also aims to avoid environmental risks of the decentralized chemical plants that have been a subject of public protests as local citizens' fear for chemical pollution and human's health. Public acceptance is therefore a major factor determining the success of CIP policy and project. This paper aims to investigate what drives public acceptance and rejection of chemical industrial park policies and projects in China. Our focus is on citizens in three coastal cities located in high environmental and risk sensitive areas: Dalian at Liaoning Province, Maoming at Guangdong Province, and Xiamen at Fujian Province. This is where several chemical industrial parks are (proposed) located. Based on surveys in these three representative cities, we have examined the nature and level of public acceptance towards chemical industrial park policies and projects. Results show that respondents were more positive towards the national policy, but more negative of CIP policy at the city and project level. Public acceptance of CIP policy and project was significantly influenced by factors including income, environmental value, perceived risks, procedural justice, distributive justice, benefits of CIP, and the residential distance to a CIP project. The identified factors provide a basis for anticipating and understanding likely public acceptance and should be considered in decision-making of CIP policy and project.

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Communicating chemistry for public engagement

Cited by 55 publications

References 9 publications

Understanding Public Opinion in Debates over Biomedical Research: Looking beyond Political Partisanship to Focus on Beliefs about Science and Society

Understanding Public Opinion in Debates over Biomedical Research: Looking beyond Political Partisanship to Focus on Beliefs about Science and Society

Chemists: Public Outreach Is an Essential Investment of Time, Not a Waste of It

What drives public acceptance of chemical industrial park policy and project in China?

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