Governance - Science in Society

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Governance

Social and Human Rights Impact Assessment and the Governance of Technology.	Principal	Team	Status
Assessments of social and human rights impacts are playing an increasingly important role in the governance of technology. Following the adoption of World Bank guidelines, formal assessments of such matters as resettlement, conflict prevention, corruption and the preservation of cultural heritage have become an established part of the process of financing international technological development projects. This study focused on controversies concerning the social and human rights impacts of two major technological development projects: the Ilusu Dam and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. For the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and BP, the major partner in the BTC project, the pipeline has become a key test in the development of new practices of transparency, social responsibility, and public consultation.	Dr Andrew Barry Work undertaken at: Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths College, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW Now at: Oxford University Centre for the Environment University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QY andrew.barry@ouce.ox.ac.uk		Ended October 2004


Interdisciplinarity and Society: a critical comparative study	Principal	Team	Status
Although it has a long history in scientific research and science policy, interdisciplinarity has recently acquired a new importance to policy in the UK and abroad, and is taking new experimental forms. It is claimed that interdisciplinary research will play a vital role in fostering greater accountability of science to society and, by establishing closer relations between scientific and technical research and the needs of the economy and of users, in promoting innovation	Dr Andrew Barry Oxford University Centre for the Environment University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QY andrew.barry@ouce.ox.ac.uk	Professor M Strathern Department of Social Anthropology University of Cambridge New Museum Site Cambridge CB2 3RF Dr G E M Born Faculty of Social and Political Sciences University of Cambridge New Museum Site Cambridge CB2 3RQ gemb2@cam.ac.uk	Ended December 2006


Using Public Environmental Knowledge in Industry	Principal	Team	Status
While the rhetoric of public consultation is now commonplace within industry, there has been little research which examines how lay knowledge is conceptualised and whether it is used within companies. Using the chemicals sector as an example our research explores how companies conceive of ‘the public and ‘public knowledge’, and how this relates to the ways in which they access and use such knowledge.	Dr Kate Burningham, Department of Sociology & Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH k.burningham@surrey.ac.uk	Dr J Barnett Department of Psychology University of Surrey Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH Dr W Wehrmeyer Centre for Environmental Strategy University of Surrey Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH Professor R Clift Centre for Environmental Strategy University of Surrey Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH Dr Anna Carr Centre for Environmental Strategy & Department of Psychology University of Surrey Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH	Ended July 2005


Childhood cancer tissue donations: a gift relationship?	Principal	Team	Status
Research use of human materials is increasingly controversial, with debates centered around several themes including ownership, control, property, privacy, and the commercial use of human tissues. The concern of human tissue becoming “commodified” has caused the view that samples of human biological material for use in research be regarded as “gifts” - as is currently the case in the UK and elsewhere - to come under scrutiny.	Professor Mary Dixon-Woods, Health Sciences 2nd Floor Adrian Building University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH md11@le.ac.uk	Professor Clive Seale, Brunel University Dr Bridget Young, University of Hull Dr Kathy Pritchard-Jones, Institute of Cancer Research Professor Jean McHale, University of Leicester Dr Martin Tobin, University of Leicester Dr David Heney University of Leicester Dr Joanne Forster, Leicester Royal Infirmary Dr Marwan Habiba, University of Leicester	Ended February 2007


Inside or Outside the Bio-Science Tent?: The presentation of the laboratory-self.	Principal	Team	Status
The research investigated how different research cultures in Britain and Sweden have influenced the way in which research on Genetically Modified Food is displayed to the world outside the laboratories.	Dr A L Eriksson work undertaken at: School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University now based at: SATSU Department of Sociology University of York Heslington York YO10 5DD le502@york.ac.uk	Dr R Evans, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University The Glamorgan Building, King Edward VIIth Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3WT Professor H M Collins, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, The Glamorgan Building, King Edward VIIth Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3WT	Ended December 2003


Credibility claims as scientific commodities.	Principal	Team	Status
This project builds on work completed in Phase 1 that explored how scientific credibility is constructed and contested. It extends this to consider how scientific information and credentials are communicated to consumers through case studies of particular products that make claims about their environmental or health benefits. The project analyses these claims for their scientific credibility, particularly how they are verified, legitimated and contested by producers and NGOs and especially how they are viewed by the (potential and actual) consumers of those products.	Dr Sally Eden Department of Geography University of Hull Cottingham Road Hull HU6 7RX s.e.eden@hull.ac.uk	Professor G P Walker Department of Geography Lancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YB g.p.walker@lancaster.ac.uk Dr C Bear Department of Geography University of Hull Hull HU6 7RX c.bear@hull.ac.uk	Ended September 2006


Contesting environmental science: business and environmentalist NGOs	Principal	Team	Status
This project contrasted how business and environmentalist NGOs commission, communicate and contest environmental science in order to influence public debate on waste policy.	Dr Sally Eden Department of Geography University of Hull Cottingham Road HULL HU6 7RX s.e.eden@hull.ac.uk	Professor G P Walker Department of Geography Lancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YB g.p.walker@lancaster.ac.uk	Ended October 2003


Caught Between Science and Society: Foot and Mouth disease.	Principal	Team	Status
This project addresses the question; What are the implications that are raised by increasing recognition of the plurality of expertise and knowledge for the governance of science and agriculture? The main aim of the project was to provide a deeper understanding of the cultural foundations of popular and lay beliefs about disease, farming and agricultural technology. Our research has contributed to the ongoing effort by the academy and society more generally to better understand and address the issues raised by these objectives.	Dr Brigitte Nerlich, Institute for the Study of Genetics, Biorisks and Society, University of Nottigham, Law and Social Sciences Building Nottingham NG7 2RD Brigitte.Nerlich@nottingham.ac.uk	Dr Samantha Hillyard Institute for the Study of Genetics, Biorisks and Society, University of Nottingham, Law and Social Sciences Building Nottingham NG7 2RD Professor Martin F Seabrook School of Biosciences University of Nottingham Sutton Bonington Campus Leicestershire. LE12 5RD Dr Nick Wright, Research Associate, Institute for the Study of Genetics, Biorisks and Society, University of Nottingham, Law and Social Sciences Building Nottingham NG7 2RD Dr Martin Doering Research Fellow (October 2003 - July 2004) Institute for the Study of Genetics, Biorisks and Society, University of Nottingham, Law and Social Sciences Building Nottingham NG7 2RD	Ended March 2005


Public perceptions of risk, science and governance.	Principal	Team	Status
Where significant scientific and social uncertainty is involved in risk issues, the role of science within society has become a major nexus of both conflict and policy debate. This project conducted detailed quantitative empirical work on how public attitudes and discourse towards science, risk and associated forms of governance interact.	Professor Nick Pidgeon Work undertaken at: Centre for Environmental Risk University of East Anglia Norwich Now based at School of Psychology Cardiff University Tower Building Park Place Cardiff CF10 3AT PidgeonN@cardiff.ac.uk	Dr I H Langford, Centre for Environmental Risk, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ Dr W Poortinga, Centre for Environmental Risk, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ Professor T O'Riordan, School of Environmental Science, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ	Ended May 2003


Accountability and the Governance of Expertise: anticipating genetic bioweapons.	Principal	Team	Status
The project aimed to contribute to both social and biological sciences understanding of the relation between science and the wider society by examining how scientists, professional associations, funding bodies, and commercial organisations attempt to control and communicate the implications of their research.	Dr. Brian Rappert Department of Sociology University of Exeter Exeter EX4 4QJ B.Rappert@exeter.ac.uk	Professor Malcolm Dando Department of Peace Studies University of Bradford	Ended October 2003


Simulation modelling of contentious scientific knowledge claims in society.	Principal	Team	Status
In this project we have attempted to model the build-up and flow of risk perceptions amongst the UK public regarding the issue of BSE ('mad cow disease') and new variant Creutzfeld Jacob Disease (nvCJD) from 1988 to 2004. Rather than assuming that every member of the public perceives the risks of BSE/nvCJD in the same fashion, we have differentiated public perceptions according to Cultural Theory (CT), which identifies hierarchy, egalitarianism, individualism and fatalism as the four distinctive viable forms of social organisation and cultural bias. The (controversial) premise of this project is that CT is a viable theoretical lens for understanding the different interpretations of the risks of BSE/nvCJD, the subsequent media and significant events amplification and the effect of risk perceptions upon trust and reliance in government. We are not modelling 'individual risk perceptions', however, but rather the proportion of public opinion which corresponds with hierarchy, individualism, egalitarianism and fatalism (assuming this to cover the fun set of potential perceptions).	Dr Simon Shackley Manchester Business School University of Manchester Pariser Building H8 PO Box 88 Manchester M60 1QD simon.shackley@mbs.ac.uk	Dr Mercedes Bleda Manchester Business School University of Manchester Harold Hankins Building Booth Street West Manchester M13 9PL mercedes.bleda@mbs.ac.uk Dr Jian-Bo Yang Manchester Business School University of Manchester PO Box 88 Manchester M60 1QD Dr Dennis Bray Manchester Business School University of Manchester PO Box 88 Manchester M60 1QD	Ended March 2004


Resolving conflicts in selecting a programme of fisheries science investigation.	Principal	Team	Status
There are increasing calls for less top-down approaches and for community based methods in the management of common property resources. Within top-down normative approaches "science" and the information it provides may often aggravate conflicts among stakeholders and detract from positive discourse, a feature that appears to be particularly true of fisheries science.	Professor Jonathan Side International Centre for Island Technology Heriot-Watt University The Old Academy Stombness Orkney KW17 j.c.side@hw.ac.uk	Professor Climis Davos UCLA Los Angeles USA	Ended May 2004


Reproducing the centre: performing innovation at Xerox PARC.	Principal	Team	Status
This research formed the final phase of an ethnography of everyday working practices in one, highly celebrated research and development organisation in the field of computing, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC).	Professor Lucy Suchman Centre for Science Studies Department of Sociology Lancaster University Cartmel College Lancaster LA1 4YL l.suchman@lancaster.ac.uk		Ended July 2003


Governance and accountability relations in mundane techno-scientific solutions to public problems.	Principal	Team	Status
The proposed research aimed to further our understanding of the ways in which science and technology is increasingly central to the formation and maintenance of systems of accountability and governance. It focused on the promotion and use of pervasive, mundane techno-scientific solutions to public problems. It operates at the intersection between recent arguments in science and technology studies (STS), and more general discussions of forms of governance and the emergence of new regimes of accountability. The empirical focus of the study includes mundane technologies relating to rubbish collection and recycling; traffic regulation including speed camera technologies and parking; and systems for regulating passenger flow through airports.	Professor Steve Woolgar, Said Business School, University of Oxford, Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HP steve.woolgar@sbs.ox.ac.uk	Dr D R Neyland, Said Business School, University of Oxford, Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HP daniel.neyland@sbs.ox.ac.uk	Ended November 2006