Science, technology, and democracy / edited by Daniel Lee Kleinman.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Kleinman, Daniel Lee.

Series:

SUNY series in science, technology, and society

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--Social aspects.

Science.

Technology--Social aspects.

Technology.

Physical Description:

x, 174 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [2000]

Summary:

Activists, scientists, and scholars in the social sciences and humanities explore in productive dialogue what it means to democratize science and technology. The contributors consider what role lay people can have in a realm traditionally restricted to experts, and examine the socio-economic and ideological barriers to creating a science oriented more toward human needs. Included are several case studies of efforts to expand the role of citizens -- including discussions of AIDS treatment activism, technology consensus conferences in Europe and the United States, the regulation of nuclear materials processing and disposal, and farmer networks in sustainable agriculture -- and examinations of how the Enlightenment premises of modern science constrain its field of vision. Other chapters suggest how citizens can interpret differing opinions within the scientific communities on issues of clear public relevance.

Contents:

Part I. Citizen Participation in Action

1. Democracy, Expertise, and AIDS Treatment Activism / Steven Epstein 15

2. Town Meetings on Technology: Consensus Conferences as Democratic Participation / Richard E. Sclove 33

3. Democratizing Agricultural Knowledge Through Sustainable Farming Networks / Neva Hassanein 49

4. Public Participation in Nuclear Facility Decisions: Lessons From Hanford / Louise Kaplan 67

Part II. Assessments and Strategies

5. Human Well-being and Federal Science

What's the Connection? / Daniel Sarewitz 87

6. Is the "Citizen-Scientist" an Oxymoron? / Stephen H. Schneider 103

7. Should Philosophies of Science Encode Democratic Ideals? / Sandra Harding 121

8. Democratizations of Science and Technology / Daniel Lee Kleinman 139.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0791447073

0791447081

OCLC:

43096780