Abstract
This chapter reports on current trends in science communication in Europe in the light of several recent studies by the European Commission. The author investigates why the European public’s scientific knowledge, as measured by the surveys, has increased substantially over the past few years. He then reviews coverage of science in the European media and analyses the relationships between European scientists and journalists and recent trends in reportage. Noting that it has become harder to gain public acceptance of scientific and technological innovations in Europe, the author argues that the science–society dialogue is insufficiently developed because a genuine communication culture is lacking in the science and technology sector. This lack may hamper the advancement of the sector.
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Further Reading
Bauer, M., Allum, N. & Miller, S. (2007). What can we learn from 25 years of PUS survey research? Liberating and expanding the agenda. Public Understanding of Science, 16(1), 79–96.
Bodmer, W. (1985). The public understanding of science. London: The Royal Society.
Cheng, D., Metcalfe, J. & Schiele, B. (Eds.) in collaboration with Claessens, M., Gascoigne, T. & Shi, S. (2006). At the human scale: International practices in science communication. Beijing: Science Press.
Claessens, M. (Ed.) (2007). Communicating European research 2005. Utrecht: Springer.
EC (European Commission) (2002). Report of the expert group benchmarking the promotion of RTD culture and the public understanding of science. Brussels: European Commission.
EC (European Commission) (2005a). Europeans, science and technology. EUR 21722, Brussels: European Commission.
EC (European Commission) (2005b). Social values, science and technology. EUR 21721, Brussels: European Commission.
Okamoto, S., Niwa, F., Shimizu, K. & Sugiman, T. (2001). The 2001 survey for public attitudes towards and understanding of science and technology in Japan, NISTEP report no. 72, Tokyo: National Institute of Science and Technology Policy.
Stocklmayer, S., Gore, M. & Bryant, M. (Eds.) (2001). Science communication in theory and practice. Dordrecht: Kluwer, Academic.
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Claessens, M. (2008). European Trends in Science Communication. In: Cheng, D., Claessens, M., Gascoigne, T., Metcalfe, J., Schiele, B., Shi, S. (eds) Communicating Science in Social Contexts. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8598-7_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8598-7_2
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