The Cultural Authority of Science: Comparing Across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas

Description

The cultural authority of science is the authority that is granted to science in any particular context. This authority is as much a matter of image and perceived legitimacy as of statutory guarantee. However, while authority can be charismatic, based on tradition or based on competence, we would assume that science aims to be an authority of competence. To what extent does science have the last word, or stand above opinion on public issues? This Indo-European led collaboration aims to map the cultural authority of science, and to construct a system of indicators to observe this ‘science culture’ based on artefacts (science news analysis) and espoused beliefs and evaluations (public attitude data). Indeed, through a series of studies the authors examine the cultural authority of science in light of the challenges posed by European, Asian, African and American developments and debates. In particular, two main ideas are examined: the ‘Lighthouse’ model, whereby science is shining into a stormy sea of ignorance and mistrust; and the ‘Bungee Jump’ model, which demonstrates how science occasionally experiences a rough ride against a backdrop of goodwill. Presenting expertise in discourse analysis, computer-assisted text analysis and largescale survey analysis, The Cultural Authority of Science will be of interest to a global audience concerned with the standing of science in society. In particular, it may appeal to scholars and students of fields such as sociology of science, science communication, science studies, scientometrics, innovation studies and social psychology. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of figures, tables, boxes and appendices List of contributors Preface Acknowledgements or credits list PART 1 Concepts and theory 1 Image, perception and cultural authority of science – by way of introduction 2 The authority of science revisited – mainly Anglo-European 3 Scientific temper and cultural authority of science in India 4 The authority of science in Korea: a new explication and measurement PART 2 Mediated authority – comparing the science news flow 5 Science and the news flow 1990–2014, in Germany, UK and India 6 The intensity of media attention as an index of authority of science 7 Framing science: discourses and representations in UK and Germany 8 Bridging a gap – mapping the science coverage of South African newspapers 9 Science news in Turkey: data mining techniques for science culture mapping 10 The great narrative: analysing the cultural authority of science through media attention in Italy PART 3 Perceived authority – cross-sectional and longitudinal 11 The cultural distance from science and the role of science education in India: a logit model 12 The science, the paranormal, cohorts and cognitive polyphasia: the authority of science in Taiwan 13 Authors: all contributors 14 Vaccines, Polio and Ebola: religion and traditions compete with scientific authority in West Africa 15 Decades of change - Brazilian perceptions of science 1987–2015 16 Correlational stability in the US-NSF science & engineering surveys 1979–2014 17 Attitudes towards science in the World Values Surveys – longitudinal evidence 1981–2014 18 Public perception of science and technology in Argentina 2003–2015: longitudinal and structural analysis PART 4 Inferred assumptions – comparing the culture as frame of reference 19 Four cultures of science across Europe 20 Exploring the cultural authority of science in South Africa through public attitudes to science 21 Comparing the Public attitude towards science across provinces in China 22 All India attitude to science: data mining and analysis of the structure of attitudes PART 5 Conclusion 23 The cultural authority of science – summary and future research agenda Index