Internet and democracy: the impact of public understanding of science on online citizen engagement
The next SIRG seminar will take place on Wednesday 30 November at 2 pm. Details follow.
SIRG Seminar
Wednesday 30 November 2011 @ 2 pm
David Gorham Library, Open University (first floor Venables, N1015)
Internet and democracy: the impact of public understanding of science on online citizen engagement
Danilo Rothberg
New information and communication technologies have made an impact on democracy and citizenship, often raising the availability of information on policies and creating mechanisms for participation in policy making in digital public consultations promoted by governments with increasing frequency and scope. But the formal educational systems, scientific diffusion in non-formal environments and initiatives to promote public understanding of science and technology have not fully assimilated this impact, which poses new requirements for citizenship formation, especially in relation to the skills needed for collective participation in the formulation of public policies. This presentation will discuss the implications of findings from public understanding of science surveys carried out by institutions in Europe, US and Brazil which bring evidence to support the idea that citizens want to participate in decisions on science and technology.
Danilo Rothberg holds a PhD in Sociology from Unesp –Sao Paulo State University (Brazil). He is currently a Lecturer in Science Education at the Unesp and a Visiting Lecturer at the Open University, and was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Open University in 2006-2007.