I will preface what I have written with 2 things -
1) I have no idea of the politics/history around this subject
2) I get the digest form of psci-com which is almost unreadable due to
its handling (or lack there of) or replies and html mail so I
don't really know what people have been saying, but I figured I would
throw my thoughts in anyway.
I have just been studying my own subconcious prejudice against of the word
engagement, and I think it is because it has been hijacked (in my mind at
least) by the present overwhelming fashion for dialog.
Isn't engagement of the public the endpoint which everyone is trying to
achieve - interested thoughtful, rational, inquisitive, slightly skeptical
(engaged) people with an understanding of the science and the issues and
actively learning and applying more science.
There are different approaches to achieving this, and different audiences
want different mixtures of these approaches.
As a kid I was certainly engaged by trying to understand the science, and
I read loads on the subject and loved the christmas lectures - but I am
willing to admit I was and am strange.
Good traditional lectures and and question answering approaches can
certainly promote understanding, interest and thoughtfulness, particularly
to the potential scientists in the audience.
Other aprroaches will work with other audiences eg. dialog will work
particularly well with audiences who like the sound of their own voice -
that is not to denegrate it as an approach, this group makes up an
infulential part of the very important teenage audience - and definitely
includes potential politicians who are another important audience)
Exploratory interactive exhibits work really well with children before the
reticence of puberty sets in, and they can be great for those of us past
it with some explanation.
Fundamentally my experience is that the implementation of an approach is
far far more important than the philosophy, a really good enthusiastic
lecture by an anglo saxon male with crazy hair, using just a blackboard
and a piece of chalk, will be far more engaging than a badly implemented,
and probably patronising dialog event including whichever buzzwords are
flavour of the month this week. And of course vice versa.
The problem is implementation is a lot harder to test in a grant
application than apparent philosophy...
Dave Ansell
www.thenakedscientists.com www.chaosscience.org.uk
www.thenakedscientists.com
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