Sarah Davies | Invited Speaker SciComPt2021
Channel: Rede SciComPT
Date: 01/08/2022

Plenary 1 at SciComPt 2021 | 24.06.2022 

“What’s the point of science communication? Reflecting on science communication’s role in society”

Most of us would agree that science communication is important. But why exactly is that so, and what role does it play in wider society? Sara R. Davies will reflect on these questions, drawing on material from an interview study with science communication teachers and practitioners and on the science communication literature. While this material suggests that science communication is valuable because it can play different roles in society, from enabling better science to allowing laypeople to make informed choices, ultimately, Sarah R. Davis argues, many of these relate to the correct functioning of democratic societies. We can therefore think of the purposes of science communication as intrinsically related to notions of democracy and empowerment. 

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About Sarah Davies | Professor of Technosciences, Materiality, and Digital Cultures at the Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna. Her work explores interactions between science and society, and includes the books Hackerspaces (2017, Polity), Science Communication (2016, Palgrave, with Maja Horst), and Exploring Science Communication (2020, Sage, with Ulrike Felt).