TY - JOUR
T1 - Nanoscientists and political involvement
T2 - Which characteristics make scientists more likely to support engagement in political debates?
AU - Kim, Youngjae
AU - Corley, Elizabeth
AU - Scheufele, Dietram A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.
PY - 2017/6/1
Y1 - 2017/6/1
N2 - The scientific community is increasingly called upon to provide scientific advice to policy-makers (de Kerckhove, D. T., Rennie, M. D., and Cormier, R., 2015, EMBO Reports, 6, 263-6). However, scientists' perceptions about political involvement vary based on their individual beliefs, values, and backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptual factors that are associated with US nanoscientists' perceptions about political involvement. To examine this, we analyze data from a 2011 mail survey of leading US nanoscientists. Our results indicate that the scientists are generally supportive of involvement in political debates. Yet, we find some differences across scientists with respect to their perceptions about political involvement. For example, Caucasian respondents are more supportive of scientists' political involvement than their peers. Also, scientists with higher risk perceptions of nanotechnology are more likely to support political involvement. In addition, scientists who pay more attention to the wishes of the public are more likely to support scientists' involvement in political debates. Lastly, scientists' degree of religious faith is inversely associated with the likelihood of agreeing with their political involvement.
AB - The scientific community is increasingly called upon to provide scientific advice to policy-makers (de Kerckhove, D. T., Rennie, M. D., and Cormier, R., 2015, EMBO Reports, 6, 263-6). However, scientists' perceptions about political involvement vary based on their individual beliefs, values, and backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptual factors that are associated with US nanoscientists' perceptions about political involvement. To examine this, we analyze data from a 2011 mail survey of leading US nanoscientists. Our results indicate that the scientists are generally supportive of involvement in political debates. Yet, we find some differences across scientists with respect to their perceptions about political involvement. For example, Caucasian respondents are more supportive of scientists' political involvement than their peers. Also, scientists with higher risk perceptions of nanotechnology are more likely to support political involvement. In addition, scientists who pay more attention to the wishes of the public are more likely to support scientists' involvement in political debates. Lastly, scientists' degree of religious faith is inversely associated with the likelihood of agreeing with their political involvement.
KW - Nanotechnology
KW - Political involvement
KW - Roles of scientists
KW - Scientist perceptions
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U2 - 10.1093/scipol/scw065
DO - 10.1093/scipol/scw065
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85026837391
SN - 0302-3427
VL - 44
SP - 317
EP - 327
JO - Science and Public Policy
JF - Science and Public Policy
IS - 3
ER -