A Sociologically Informed Ethics of American Science Literacy: Toward a Transdisciplinary Understanding

Desire Jm Anastasia

doi:10.4172/2375-4435.1000123

Abstract

This paper reexamines the ethics of improving public knowledge about science and technology, or science literacy. Rather than reproduce the core themes of the large body of literature on this topic over a number of decades, this paper uses National Science Foundation’s Science and Engineering Indicators for the 10-year period 2002-2012 to inform a transdisciplinary analysis of knowledge production, and kinds of science knowledge produced. In particular, the paper highlights the need to identify different sub-publics, understand their value systems and the socio-cultural contexts in which they operate, and how these publics are not simply passive consumers of knowledge, but are themselves co-producers and appliers of science related knowledge. The paper thus argues for an ethics of scientific literacy that takes account of knowledge production beyond disciplinary and interdisciplinary frameworks, and uses this understanding to foster an authentic deliberative partnership of engagement.

Highlights

Brey has argued that complex social problems require an interdisciplinary philosophy and an ethics of science, not least because these problems “do not obey disciplinary borders and by nature require interdisciplinary collaboration” [1]
We summarize some of the key issues relating to the ethics of science literacy including: (1) scientists’ political reasons for educating the public, (2) the social stratification of knowledge about science, (3) the differentiation of kinds of knowledge about science, (4) the appreciation of multiple social audiences that make up “The Public,” (5) effective strategies that must take account of these socio-political dimensions in order to ensure an ethical basis for the “public” understanding and civic partnership with science, and, (6) knowledge of the political and policy-making process that is necessary in order to understand how improved scientific literacy grounded in transdisciplinary knowledge about the sociological, political and ethical implications of science, can translate into public policy
We argue that in order to maintain an ethical basis for science communication aimed at improving public science and health policy, it is necessary to adopt a transdisciplinary approach to science literacy that takes account of the social-political organization of society, marginal knowledge production from outside formal disciplines, and varieties of scientific literacy, that relates to the public’s effective participation in public policy

Summary

Introduction

Brey has argued that complex social problems require an interdisciplinary philosophy and an ethics of science, not least because these problems “do not obey disciplinary borders and by nature require interdisciplinary collaboration” [1]. We argue that an awareness of the ethical issues of effective public engagement with science is important to policymakers, public advocates, and academics, but that such grounding depends upon the incorporation of a variety of understandings that derive from different disciplinary and nondisciplinary knowledge sources and sites. We argue that in order to maintain an ethical basis for science communication aimed at improving public science and health policy, it is necessary to adopt a transdisciplinary approach to science literacy that takes account of the social-political organization of society, marginal knowledge production from outside formal disciplines, and varieties of scientific literacy, that relates to the public’s effective participation in public policy. It requires that we recognize and value the experiential and subject position knowledge of non-scientists in this process as co-producing partners rather than passive recipients of some greater good This transdisciplinary contribution is crucial to a more comprehensive understanding of science

A Transdisciplinary Theoretical Framework

Findings

Summary and Conclusion