Abstract
The aims of this chapter are two-fold. Firstly, it aims to provide an introduction to research on public understandings of uncertainty and precaution. Secondly, it presents an analysis of focus group data collected in the context of the precautionary stance of the UK government to the possible health risks of mobile telecommunications. We note that there is often a lack of correspondence between uncertainty and concern. People are familiar with, and often accepting of the notion of uncertain science. Uncertainties that are inferred from seemingly unresponsive institutional structures are more disconcerting.
The work this chapter is based on was undertaken by Julie Barnett, Lada Timotijevic, Richard Shepherd, Vicky Senior and Jane Vincent (University of Surrey) who received funding from the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme. The views expressed in the publication are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding institutions.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
J. Barnett, L. Timotijevic, R. Shepherd and V. Senior, ‘Public responses to precautionary information from the department of health (UK) about possible health risks from mobile phones’, Health Policy (in press).
B.R. Bates, J.A. Lynch, J.L. Bevan and C.M. Condit, ‘Warranted concerns, warranted outlooks: a focus group study of public understandings of genetic research’, Social Science and Medicine, 60 (2005) 331–344.
R.J. Bord and R.E. O’Connor, ‘Determinants of risk perceptions of a hazardous waste site’, Risk Analysis, 12, 3 (1992) 411–416.
G. Breakwell and J. Barnett, ‘The significance of uncertainty and conflict: developing a social psychological theory of risk communications’, New Review of Social Psychology, 2, 1 (2002) 107–114.
A. Burgess, Cellular phones, public fears and a culture of precaution (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004).
Department of Health, Mobile phones and health (London: Department of Health, 2000a).
Department of Health, Mobile phone base stations and health (London: Department of Health, 2000b).
Department of Health, Mobile Phones and Health: Government responses to the report from the IEGMP (Stewart Group) (London: Department of Health, 2002).
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPAmpGBrowsableDocument/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4096744&MULTIPAGE_ID=4903699&chk=EM/9E%2B Accessed October 2006.
L. Frewer, S. Hunt, S. Kuznesof, M. Brennan, M. Ness and C. Ritson, ‘Views of scientific experts on how the public conceptualise uncertainty’, Journal of Risk Research, 6, 1 (2003) 75–85.
L. Frewer, S. Miles, M. Brennan, S. Kuznesof, M. Ness and C. Ritson, ‘Public preferences for informed choice under conditions for risk uncertainty’, Public Understanding of Science, 11 (2002) 363–372.
Green Alliance, Decision making under scientific uncertainty: the case of mobile phones (Green Alliance, 2001: available at http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/publications/PubMobilePhones/ Accessed October 2006).
R. Grove-White, P. Macnaghton, S. Mayer and B. Wynne, Uncertain World: Genetically Modified Organisms, Food and Public Attitudes in Britain (Lancaster: Centre for the Study of Environment Change, University of Lancaster, 1997).
HM Government, The Government Response to the BSE Enquiry (London: The Stationery Office, 2001).
T. Horlick-Jones, ‘Informal logics of risk: Contingency and modes of practical reasoning’, Journal of Risk Research, 8, 3 (2005) 253–272.
House of Lords, Science and Society, Select Committee on Science and Technology, Third Report, HL38, Feb 2000 (London: HMSO, 2000).
IEGMP, Mobile phones and Health (Didcot, UK: NRPB, 2000).
B.B. Johnson and P. Slovic, ‘Explaining uncertainty in health risk assessment: Initial studies of its effect on risk perception and trust’, Risk Analysis, 15 (1995) 485–494.
B.B. Johnson and P. Slovic, ‘Lay views on uncertainty in environmental health risk assessment’, Journal of Risk Research, 1, 4 (1998) 261–269.
K.M. Kuhn, ‘Message format and audience values: Interactive effects of uncertainty information and environmental attitudes on perceived risk’, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 20 (2000) 41–51.
C. Marris, B. Wynne, P. Simmons and S. Weldon, Public Perceptions of Agricultural Biotechnologies in Europe. Final Report of the PABE research project funded by the Commission of European Communities Contract number: FAIR CT98–3844 (DG12 — SSMI) (2001). Accessed 02/01/07 from http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/iepp/pabe/docs/pabe_finalreport.pdf
A.J. Maule, ‘Translating Risk Management Knowledge: The lessons to be learned from Research on the Perception and Communication of Risk’, Risk Management: an International Journal, 6, 2 (2004) 15–27.
D.G. McGregor, P. Slovic and G.M. Morgan, ‘Perception of Risks from Electromagnetic Fields: A Psychometric Evaluation of a Risk-Communication Approach’, Risk Analysis, 14, 5 (1994) 815–828.
S. Miles and L.J. Frewer, ‘Public perception of scientific uncertainty in relation to food hazards’, Journal of Risk Research, 6, 3 (2003) 267–283.
M.G. Morgan, P. Slovic, I. Nair, D. Geisler, D. Macgregor, B. Fischhoff, D. Lincoln and K. Florig, ‘Powerline Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields: A Pilot Study of Risk Perception’, Risk Analysis, 5, 2 (1985) 139–149.
MORI, Mobile Telephony and Health: Public Perceptions in Great Britain. Research Study conducted for GSM Association, Mobile Manufacturers Forum and Mobile Operators Association (London: MORI, Feb 2004).
NRPB, Mobile Phones and Health 2004, Report by the Board of National Radiological Protection Board, Documents of the NRPB, Vol. 15 No. 5 (2004). Last accessed 02/01/07 from http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publications/documents_of_nrpb/pdfs/doc_15_5.pdf
OFCOM (2005), The Communications Market http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/cm/cm05/ Accessed October 06.
OFCOM (2006), The Communications Market http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/cm/cm06/ Accessed October 06.
J. Petts, J. Wheeley, J. Homan and S. Niemayer, Risk Literacy and the Public: MMR, Air Pollution and Mobile Phones (London: Department of Health, 2003).
W. Poortinga and N. Pidgeon, ‘Exploring the Dimensionality of Trust in Risk Regulation’, Risk Analysis, 23 (2003) 961–972.
POST (2004) Handling uncertainty in scientific advice, Postnote, June 2004, No. 220. Available at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/POSTpn220.pdf Accessed October 2006.
E. Roth, M.G. Morgan, B. Fischhoff and L. Lave, ‘What do we know about making risk comparisons?’, Risk Analysis, 10 (1990) 375–387.
P. Sandman, ‘Because people are concerned: How should public “outrage” affect application of the precautionary principle’ (2004). Available at http://www.psandman.com/articles/vodafone.pdf Accessed October 2006.
A. Stirling, ‘Risk Uncertainty and Precaution: Some instrumental implications from the social sciences’, in Scoones, I., Leach, M. and Berkhout, F. (eds) Negotiating change: Perspectives in Environmental Social Science (London: Edward Elgar, 2002).
A. Stirling, ‘Opening up or Closing Down? Analysis, participation and power in the social appraisal of technology’, in Leach, M., Scoones, I. and Wynne, B. (eds) Science Citizenship and Globalisation (London: Zed, 2004).
L. Timotijevic and J. Barnett, ‘Managing the Possible Health Risks of Mobile Telecommunications: Public Understandings of Precautionary Action and Advice’, Health, Risk and Society, 8, 2 (2006) 143–164.
P.M. Weidemann, M. Clauberg and H. Schutz, ‘Understanding amplification of complex risk issues: the risk story model applied to the EMF case’, in Pidgeon, N., Kasperson, R.E. and Slovic, P. (eds) The Social Amplification of Risk (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003).
P.M. Wiedemann and H. Schütz, ‘The precautionary principle and risk perception: Experimental studies in the EMF area’, Environmental Health Perspectives, 113 (2005) 402–405.
P.M. Wiedemann, A.T. Thalmann, M.A. Grutsch and H. Schütz, ‘The Impacts of Precautionary Measures and the Disclosure of Scientific Uncertainty on EMF Risk Perception and Trust’, Journal of Risk Research, 9, 4 (2006) 361–362.
B. Wynne, ‘Uncertainty and Environmental Learning: Preconceiving science and policy in the environmental paradigm’, Global Environmental Change, (1992) June, 111–127.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2007 Julie Barnett and Lada Timotijevic
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Barnett, J., Timotijevic, L. (2007). Making Sense of Uncertainty and Precaution: the Example of Mobile Telecommunications. In: Flynn, R., Bellaby, P. (eds) Risk and the Public Acceptance of New Technologies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230591288_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230591288_5
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-35486-3
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-59128-8
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social & Cultural Studies CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)