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Different forms of expertise in democratising technological cultures.

by Fondazione Giannino Bassetti

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Different forms of expertise in democratising technological cultures and experiences from the current Societal Dialogue on Nanotechnologies in the Netherlands.

Different forms of expertise in democratising technological cultures and experiences from the current Societal Dialogue on Nanotechnologies in the Netherlands.

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Different forms of expertise in democratising technological cultures. Presentation Transcript

Different forms of expertise in democratising technological cultures and experiences from the current Societal Dialogue on Nanotechnologies in the Netherlands Wiebe E. Bijker Maastricht University Giannino Bassetti Foundation Milano, May 2010
“ We live in a Technological Culture” We cannot hope to understand society without understanding the role of technoscience We cannot hope to apply science and to design working technologies without understanding their role in society
Question
- How to democratize technological culture while:
- Or:
- Is there still a role for scientific advice?
Background in STS (Science, Technology and Society studies)
- SSK  scientific knowledge:
- SCOT  technology:
Case-study: Health Council of the Netherlands
- Strategic research site
- Our project:
What is the societal influence of the Health Council? How big is the societal influence of the Health Council? In what way does the Health Council exercise influence?
The Health Council of the Netherlands
- Task: to advice Dutch government on the ‘state of knowledge’ concerning public health
- Established in 1902: 100th anniversary on 8 October 2002
- Works mainly through a committee process
- Highly respected:
Key concepts
- Constructed character of scientific knowledge
- Frontstage — backstage
- Co-ordination mechanisms and tools
- Scientific advising
- Risk governance of nanotechnologies
- Societal dialogue on nano
Theory of scientific advising*
- Specifies scientific advising as:
- Product
- Work
- Process
* Bijker, W. E., Bal, R., & Hendriks, R. (2009) Paradox of Scientific Authority: the role of scientific advice in democracies . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press .
Product of Scientific Advising
- Advisory report:
Work of scientific advising
- Backstage activity
- Boundary work (Gieryn, Jasanoff, Guston) +
- 
- Coordination mechanisms:
Coordination mechanisms
- Problem definition
- Selection committee members
- Disciplines involved
- Committee shaping
- Civil servants as advisers
- Disclosure procedure
- Contacts HC-ministries
- Committee chairing
- Concept development
- Hearings
- Writing
- Product differentiation
- Confidentiality / openness
- Transparency
- Information on committee process
- President’s letter
- Press policy
- Relations to other advisory agencies and research institutes
- International relations
Scientific advising in Process
- How to position scientific advising in the wider process of democratic (risk) governance?
Case: risk governance in nanotechnologies
- Scientific advising
- Risk governance of nanotechnologies
- Societal dialogue on nano
Vulnerability :
- … is a characteristic of technological cultures:
- … is inevitable:
Risk is more than a number:
- Depending on definitions and boundaries
- Varying with perceptions
- Value-laden
- Scientific knowledge is not always certain
Risk communication Risk governance
Shift of paradigm:
- Risk communication:
- Risk is hard fact that needs to be explained better to lay public
- Citizen is stupid
- One-way communication
- Risk governance:
- Should acknowledge:
- Addition to 19th century constitution of democracy
- Two-way communication
Risk Governance: core idea
- Classify risk situations
- For each risk situation, there is an appropriate:
- Continuously monitor S&T developments and risk situations
What is ‘nano’?
- Nano science and technologie s :
- Promises and risks?
New problem (due to special character of [nano-] developments)
- Promising developments that deserve support
- Serious indication for damage, but no firm scientific evidence yet
- Unclear to what extent existing rules & regulations are adequate
Dilemma of nanotechnologies
- (applies to many new technologies)
- If problems surface, momentum of technologies has built up so that they are difficult to change
- When technologies can be changed, problems have not yet become clear
Risk Governance: classification Risk-situation Approach Involved groups (and their specific expertises) Simple Routine Scientists (institutes) Complex Information ..... + Scientists (NGO’s) Uncertain Precaution ..... + Stakeholders Ambiguous Discourse ..... + Citizens
But, of course: Who decides? Risk-situation Approach Involved groups Simple Routine Scientists (institutes) Complex Information ..... + Scientists (NGO’s) Uncertain Precaution ..... + Stakeholders Ambiguous Discourse ..... + Citizens
‘ triage’ of risk & expertise
- Broad monitoring committee
Health Council Public Debates Sector Councils .....
- Scientific advising
- Risk governance of nanotechnologies
- Societal dialogue on nano
Dutch Societal Dialogue on Nano
- Open agenda and participation
- Organizing Committee is independent
- Means:
- Outcome: “Dutch societal agenda nanotechnologies”
- Timing:
Initial themes for dialogue
- Ethics
- Health (opportunities and risks)
- Environment
- Sustainable economic growth
- Distribution
- Security, privacy and vulnerability
Projects
- Information
- I know nano: Nano in 2 nd school
- Books
- TV programs
- Exhibitions
- Touring lab bus
- Animal experiments
- Awareness
- Dialogue
- Nano LinX – school debates on nano
- Web debates
- Science cafés
- Nano and religion
- Nano law and peace
Conclusion (1): on Expertise & Democracy
- Democratic technological cultures need balancing of different kinds of expertise
- Our ‘theory of scientific advising’ provides a framework to discuss and shape this ‘balancing’
Conclusion (2): on case-study
- Institutions like the Health Council :
Conclusion (3): on nanotechnology dialogue
- No conclusion yet,
- keep fingers crossed…
- You can try your Dutch on:
- http://www.nanopodium.nl
Conclusion (4): on new forms of democracy
- Experiments on democracy are needed
- To build towards a new constitution for democracy in technological cultures
- Because we do not want to leave societal development to be determined (solely) by technoscience
References
- Bijker, W. E., Bal, R., & Hendriks, R. (2009). Paradox of Scientific Authority: the role of scientific advice in democracies . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press . ( Reviewed by Alessandro Colombo , IReR, in Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice)
- Bijker, W. E. (2006). Why and How Technology Matters. In R. E. Goodin & C. Tilly (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Contextual Political Analysis (pp. 681-706). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Bijker, W. E. (2010). How is technology made? -That is the question! Cambridge Journal of Economics , 34(1), 63-76.
- Bijker, W. E., & d'Andrea, L. (Eds.). (2009). Handbook on the Socialisation of Scientific and Technological Research. A tool for promoting science and technology socialisation policies addressed to policy makers, research and innovation actors and stakeholders. Brussels: EU.
- Gezondheidsraad. (2006). Health Significance of Nanotechnologies (No. 2006/06E). Den Haag: Gezondheidsraad .
- Bijker, W. E. (2004). Sustainable Policy? A Public Debate about Nature Development in the Netherlands . History and Technology , 20(4), 371–391.
- Bijker, W. E. (1998). La bicicletta e altre Innovazioni . Milano: McGraw-Hill Libri Italia.
http://www.fdcw.unimaas.nl/staff/bijker
Precautionary principle:
- Act (including possibility of non-intervention) :
- because there are scientific indications of serious damage
- although there is insufficient scientific knowledge
Discussion of Precaution
- Two versions:
- Burden of proof:
- Evaluation: between extremes such as
- Problem: when and how to apply?
backstage frontstage Coordination- mechanisms science policy interests knowledge Civil servant as advisor hearings
A ‘third position’? societal problems political decision-making democracy HC third position shortest route technocracy
Third position, characterization:
- Third position = Detour : lends distance:
- Third position = different genre by itself : scientific advising:
- Third position is: