Public understanding of participation in regulatory decision-making: The case of bottled water quality standards in India

Abstract

"Science-based" standards are an integral part of modern regulatory systems. Studies on "public understanding of science" mostly focus on high technology areas in advanced economies. In contrast, the present study analyses the public understanding of regulation in the context of standard-setting for bottled water quality in India. Using primary data, the econometric models of this paper show that public understanding of participation in regulation depends on awareness of, and trust in, existing regulatory practices in a complex, non-linear manner. In this light, the paper argues that "deficit model" and "dialogue model" frameworks cannot be seen as two mutually exclusive frameworks of analyses.

Science and Politics in the Polio Vaccination Debate on Facebook: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Public Engagement in a Science-Based Dialogue

“…When public engagement with science is discussed in the literature, it is described as a space for exchange of values and ideas ( 22 ); this certainly applies to the social media environment. The role of dialogue in such a space is often to build and promote trust between decision-makers and/or scientific experts and the lay public ( 23 , 24 ). Facts alone are often not enough to activate and influence attitudes and behavior ( 25 ).…”

Microbiological assessment of bottled water brands in the Bulawayo market, Zimbabwe

“…The detection of coliforms in bottled water as an indicator has health implications since this may suggest that there is a potential presence of pathogenic enteric microorganisms such as Vibrio cholera and Salmonella (Abd El-Salam et al, 2008;Baba et al, 2008;Bhaduri and Sharma, 2014;Bharath et al, 2003). Gastro-enteritis epidemics caused by such pathogens in contaminated bottled water have been documented and they are a problem to children, the elderly and immunocompromised or other vulnerable people (Zeenat et al, 2009;Zhao et al, 2004).…”

NGOs, Controversies, and “Opening Up” of Regulatory Governance of Science in India

“…Most of the time, mundane issues remain out of the purview of such controversies. A few examples, such as the fluoridation in drinking water in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s (Martin, 1988(Martin, , 1989, the controversy over oral contraceptive pills in Europe (Drife, 2001), and the bottled water controversy in India (Bhaduri & Sharma, 2014), are exceptions.…”

“…Regulatory science has increasingly harnessed the attention of scholars, policymakers, and civil society groups during the past three decades in both developed and developing countries (Abraham & Sheppard, 1999;Demortain, 2017;Grunwald, 2007;Jasanoff, 1990Jasanoff, , 1995Murphy, Levidow, & Carr, 2006;von Schomberg, 2006;Weinberg, 1985). The existing studies have dealt with different aspects of regulatory governance, such as risk assessment and regulation (Beumer, 2018;Irwin, Rothstein, Yearley, & McCarthy, 1997), controversies and expertise involved in regulation making (Ashford, 1984;Demortain, 2008), politics in regulatory standards setting (Abraham & Reed, 2002;Jasanoff, 1990;Winickoff & Bushey, 2010), and public engagement in regulation making (Bhaduri & Sharma, 2014;Renn, 2015). Unlike these studies, this article deals with a different but very pertinent question related to developing countries, which is the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and controversies in "opening up" (Stirling, 2008) the regulatory governance of science and technology (S&T).…”