Science for the post-normal age

Funtowicz, Silvio; Ravetz, Jerome R.

doi:10.1016/0016-3287(93)90022-l

Cited by 3,025 publications

(1,236 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…We considered that a 'participatory' approach [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][27][28][29][30] was needed to face this complexity [17] and guarantee the conditions of service as good practice. The participatory feature of our project required the involvement of the three principal actors at stake: citizens -single women or couples -health professionals and institutions.…”

Section: The 'Participatory' Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An analysis of decision making in cord blood donation through a participatory approach

Salvaterra

Casati

Bottardi

et al. 2010

Transfusion and Apheresis Science

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a b s t r a c tWe analysed knowledge, comprehension, opinions, attitudes and choices related to cord blood donation in seven heterogeneous focus groups including pregnant women, future parents, cord blood donors, midwives and obstetricians/gynaecologists. Comparative evaluations focused on attitudes before versus after delivery and preferences of public versus private banking. The study outlined large support to altruistic cord blood donation and need for better health professionals education in this field. Collected information was presented in a public conference and used to develop an informative brochure which was tested for readability and clearliness in four workshops and finally distributed to 26 regional delivery suites.

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Section: The 'Participatory' Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To this aim, we followed a deliberative participatory approach involving all the actors at stake [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Accordingly, we established a task force (TF) to manage focus groups, questionnaires, a public round-table and several workshops.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of decision making in cord blood donation through a participatory approach

Salvaterra

Casati

Bottardi

et al. 2010

Transfusion and Apheresis Science

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“…The fundamental argument Funtowicz and Ravetz made almost two decades ago was that quantification is an inadequate approach for dealing with complexity and uncertainty because people will react to uncertainty in different ways (see, for example, Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1993;Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1994a;Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1994b;Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1994c). The argument for recourse to post-normal science is grounded in an assumption that current understanding of natural systems is so incomplete that any models developed are inadequate representations where the uncertainties are based on ignorance (Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1994b).…”

Section: Figure 2 Post-normal Science (After Ravetz 1999)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing uncertainty, ambiguity and ignorance in impact assessment by embedding evolutionary resilience, participatory modelling and adaptive management

Bond

Morrison‐Saunders

Gunn

et al. 2015

Journal of Environmental Management

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In the context of continuing uncertainty, ambiguity and ignorance in impact assessment (IA) prediction, the case is made that existing IA processes are based on false 'normal' assumptions that science can solve problems and transfer knowledge into policy. Instead, a 'post-normal science' approach is needed that acknowledges the limits of current levels of scientific understanding. We argue that this can be achieved through embedding evolutionary resilience into IA; using participatory workshops; and emphasizing adaptive management. The goal is an IA process capable of informing policy choices in the face of uncertain influences acting on socio-ecological systems. We propose a specific set of process steps to operationalise this post-normal science approach which draws on work undertaken by the Resilience Alliance. This process differs significantly from current models of IA, as it has a far greater focus on avoidance of, or adaptation to (through incorporating adaptive management subsequent to decisions), unwanted future scenarios rather than a focus on the identification of the implications of a single preferred vision. Implementing such a process * corresponding author 2 would represent a culture change in IA practice as a lack of knowledge is assumed and explicit, and forms the basis of future planning activity, rather than being ignored.

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“…The presence of uncertainty can be one of the strongest reasons for inaction (Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1993). If people believe that the uncertainty will be resolved in the foreseeable future, they will use that as a rationale for avoiding making a firm decision before then (Patt, 2007).…”

Section: Likelihood Of Particular Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communicating uncertainty to policy makers

Patt

2009

Uncertainties in Environmental Modelling and Consequences for Policy Making

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As the types of problems that policy-makers attempt to solve grow more complex, they increasingly are turning to scientists for specific advice. A critical challenge in communicating the results of scientific research arises when those results contain a great deal of uncertainty. Different academic disciplines offer diverging advice on how scientists should proceed, based in large part on differences in how the various disciplines view the process of decision-making process itself. In this chapter, the author links the strategies for communicating uncertainty to the decisionmaking models of economics, psychology, and sociology, respectively. He suggests that the relative strength of each strategy depends on the context within which the decision-maker is operating. To resolve this ambiguity about how best to communicate uncertainty, he offers first-best and second-best approaches. The first-best approach is rooted in a process of dialogue, with attention to two-way communication and the relationship between scientists and policy-makers. The second-best approach is rooted in the goal not of giving all decision-makers all of the information they need, but rather in providing them with just enough information to judge whether they need more. To assist in that latter task, the author suggests particular guidelines for the aspects of uncertainty that scientists need to communicate.

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Science for the post-normal age

Cited by 3,025 publications

References 8 publications

An analysis of decision making in cord blood donation through a participatory approach

An analysis of decision making in cord blood donation through a participatory approach

Managing uncertainty, ambiguity and ignorance in impact assessment by embedding evolutionary resilience, participatory modelling and adaptive management

Communicating uncertainty to policy makers

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