The Influence Of Science Communication

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“RECENT DECADES have seen an intensification of science communication activities in most industrialized countries [...] There is a flourishing business circulating communication models and best practice exercises.” (Felt & Fochler, 2013, p. 76) Formats of science communication are always transforming and developing over time. ‘Medialization of research’ is developing in recent years, it is the ever-increasing presence of science on classical media and also other formats, for example the big presence of science online. Science becomes an increasingly large issue in all kinds of media. (Felt & Fochler, 2013)

Science is always filtered, selected and prepared, before it is published in the media for the public to see. The way science gets transformed …show more content…

Many people do not want to engage or use the event for purposes the scientists have not intended. And the study wanted to find out what we can learn from this so called ‘idiotic behavior’. Some visitors ignored the frame of the installation. There is always behavior and engagement with the installation that is not wanted by the science communicator. Science communication is to some degree always about power relations between science communicators and laymen. It is possible that the science communication is not taken seriously by the audience at all, it can be made fun of and perceived as stupid and …show more content…

Arguably, the capacity to make fun of the seriousness in science communication comprises a resource for laypeople in their interactions with experts. Although scientists and science communicators can be seen as more powerful than audiences in the communication setting (Davies, 2009), non-experts have the (quite powerful) right not to take things seriously. As such, the professional need of science communicators to avoid a perceived lack of seriousness might constitute a powerful factor in the design of engagement exercises and dialogue.” (Horst & Michael, 2011, p. 300)

The communicators always try to keep that seriousness and the frame they chose as good as they can. “The point is that these idiotic actions serve to make us aware of the contingency of the seriousness assumed in the science communication event.” (Horst & Michael, 2011, p. 301) Science communicators have more power than the non-expert audience group and by not taking it seriously