 |
 |
Hi Laura
Yes, language is key and perhaps definitions have moved on since the olden times of my youth. I think what i was talking about is this:
From Wikipedia:
In studies of the public understanding of science, the information deficit model (or simply deficit model) attributes public scepticism or hostility to science and technology to a lack of understanding, resulting from a lack of information. It is associated with a division between experts who have the information and non-experts who do not. The model implies that communication should focus on improving the transfer of information from experts to non-experts.
The original term deficit model was coined in the 1980s by social scientists studying the public communication of science. The purpose of the phrase was not to introduce a new mode of science communication but rather it was to characterise a widely held belief that underlies much of what is carried out in the name of such activity.
End Quote
Deficit model is not a way of communicating, it is a reason to communicate. Thus it can be applied to activities as diverse as public lecturing or interpretive nose painting. On the other hand, lecturing, noise painting or even teaching can be approached as empowering, inclusive and collaborative acts aimed at generating mutual benefit for researchers and publics.
Although not a member of my vintage generation, i think this is the usage Pam was referring to.
pip pip!
b
Ben Johnson
Graphic Science
Part of The Training Group - Supporting public engagement in the research community
(
+44 (0) 1275 47 44 44
Θ
+44 (0) 7521 690 724
[log in to unmask]
:
www.graphicscience.co.uk
Disclaimer: The author of this email never meant a word of it.
do you really need to print this email?
From: psci-com: on public engagement
with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laura Fogg Rogers
Sent: 16 June, 2016 13:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Returning to the deficit model
Hi Pam and Ben,
Well I agree with you both in the contexts you describe. You only have to look at the referendum materials to see that politicians don't entirely trust 'us' (the great unwashed British public!) to offer meaningful contributions (from both sides!) to policy.
I definitely see the attitudes you describe in the natural sciences - but that's why public engagement training (detailing the whole spectrum) is so vital in scientists' careers. Just to note that this is the same in the health fields - that more 'physical' clinicians have a more traditional model of health where the clinician is the expert, whereas others operate a biopsychosocial model of health, where the patient is also an expert in their own health.
A key issue as usual is language - that so many terms overlap in science communication, that none of us quite know what we mean by 'engagement'. I've been at conferences where 'science communication' is a dirty word as we should only be talking about 'two-way engagement', and 'communication' implies a one-way dissemination (deficit) model. Sigh. This paper is quite helpful: http://f1000research.com/articles/4-409/v1
So my point is that in the science as culture sphere (maybe not in policy as you describe), none of the ways of communicating should have value judgments from science communicators (us) put upon them. They should be used as appropriate in different scenarios which meet the audiences' needs (think the BSA public engagement triangle 2010). As communicators we shouldn't look down on lectures or other one-way modes of dissemination, as they are valid methods of communication/engagement when used appropriately (provided they aren't done with the value judgments/motivations you describe Ben from scientists).
Anyways, I'll be off to try and refine more typologies of engagement/communication/orders/literacy/outreach etc... ha ha ha!
Laura Fogg-Rogers
Research Fellow in Science Communication
University of the West of England
http://people.uwe.ac.uk/Pages/person.aspx?accountname=campus%5Cla-foggrogers
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science <[log in to unmask]>
on behalf of Pamela Buchan <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 15 June 2016 12:46:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Returning to the deficit model
Yes Ben, you have it spot on. For example, attitudes towards NIMBYism. Assumptions that consultation is education then going ahead with the project anyway. Assumptions that the scientific answer is also the socially correct answer and others have no legitimacy in their opinions or experiences. Science as the first language in a one-way engagement.
I haven't yet read all the links and things I've been sent in response to this thread (I'm currently working on qualitative data) so can't say how helpful or relevant they all are yet. But I think when we're talking about science centres and festivals and events then really we are talking about science as a cultural activity. Sure there is scientific literacy in there, people surely learn stuff when they attend events, but my work is about science policy (specifically marine) and the attitude it takes towards others. It's where public engagement moves from culture and education into the realm of democratisation of science. Further down the spectrum of PE as Laura descibes it below. Perhaps that IS my argument, or observation. That PE in the public policy sphere is still stuck in education, even when talking about two-way engagement, with the power on the side of science, and has not yet moved towards democratisation of science policy.
I do speak from experience when I talk about the attitude of natural sciences towards knowledge deficit and decision-making. I was (and still am in my heart) a natural scientist and remember clearly the attitudes even I held, particularly as an undergraduate, about the general public and science. I see it reinforced across many debates where science and alternative cultural attitudes clash. Clearly my decade in PE has reshaped those attitudes considerably but I guess I started the discussion to check that I'm not missing something when I'm interpreting contemporary environmental models as being deficit based. Whilst the sci com and PE world has expanded and diversified, I'm not yet convinced this has translated to PE in practice in policy...
Pam
On 15/06/2016 11:28, Ben Johnson wrote:
At the risk of sounding a bit deficit myself, I am not sure we are still talking about the same thing here.
I read Pam's original post to be referring to the deficit model identified in the late 80s which (at least sometimes unintentionally) was used to separate publics from specialist practitioners by privileging the knowledge of the specialists to the point that citizens could only be "improved" by raising their understanding of science, usually in the form of a measurable increase in scientific knowledge or literacy. As such, the deficit model is a value judgement, used to problematise certain groups and their attitudes which are seen as insufficiently compliant to the scientific project.
My understanding of first order engagement is that it can include an open and direct sharing of knowledge which may be beneficial to the recipient, for instance in the case of expert testimony to a court or public enquiry. In the case of audiences at Science Festivals, they clearly have chosen to attend the event and paid good money for it, and they derive pleasure and satisfaction from the experience. These process do not imply the value judgement at the heart of the deficit model.
I can anecdotally echoes Pam's experience with natural scientists and the deficit model, and my impression is that this is heavily dependent on their training, professional development and experience up to that point and to some extent the prevalent culture of their institutions.
Just sayin'
b
Ben Johnson
Graphic SciencePart of The Training Group - Supporting public engagement in the research community
( +44 (0) 1275 47 44 44
Θ +44 (0) 7521 690 724
[log in to unmask]
: www.graphicscience.co.uk
Disclaimer: The author of this email never meant a word of it.do you really need to print this email?
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laura Fogg Rogers
Sent: 15 June, 2016 09:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Returning to the deficit model
Hi all and Pam,
What a great thread to read on my return from maternity leave!
I would argue that the deficit model never went away - but that other forms of engagement/involvement are also alive and well. In fact, I argue in my recent paper that all forms of science communication CO-EXIST at (in particular) live events. It should be thought of as a continuum of engagement for scientists and for audiences/publics, where, at each interaction, you need to assess where audiences are coming from, and also where scientists are coming from as well. This is an asset-based model and the health literacy literature has some great ideas about this. E.g. if you're discussing Zika virus you might take more of a first order engagement (deficit) model, but if you're discussing quality of life in Parkinson's disease then audiences can and should contribute far more (third order engagement).
Our recent report on live science events discusses what science communicators think about this:
https://livescienceevents.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/2016-science-live-landscape-survey.pdf
And my paper about audience preferences at live science events is here, with the abstract below:
http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/25328/
Science festivals enable scientists to engage with publics, but format design reflecting different engagement models is contested. This study gathered mixed methods data over three years (2011-2013) from on-site surveys (N = 661) of a health science festival, exploring audience preferences for dissemination or dialogue formats (lectures, discussions, community expo, lab experiments and day out). Irrespective of time, age group or gender, lectures were significantly ranked the main attraction (76.8%); most highly attended (89.1%); and most useful format (83.8%). Thematic analysis revealed five themes exploring non-formal learning motivations for audiences, highlighting knowledge/understanding acquisition is perceived as empowering greater health literacy.
Cheers,
Laura
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Pamela Buchan <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 13 June 2016 19:20:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Returning to the deficit model
I suspect that explanations, simple or otherwise, rather fit into the deficit model, no? ;)
---- Coding is Fun wrote ----
Was it Einstein or Feynman (or . . .) who said something like:
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
Or possibly:
"Feynman was a truly great teacher. He prided himself on being able to devise ways to explain even the most profound ideas to beginning students. Once, I said to him, "Dick, explain to me, so that I can understand it, why spin one-half particles obey Fermi-Dirac statistics." Sizing up his audience perfectly, Feynman said, "I'll prepare a freshman lecture on it." But he came back a few days later to say, "I couldn't do it. I couldn't reduce it to the freshman level. That means we don't really understand it.""
David Nutting
-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dom McDonald
Sent: 13 June 2016 15:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Returning to the deficit model
Hi Pam
Others have got here first, so I'll just say "Brian Trench Brian Trench Brian Trench Brian Trench Brian Trench" and offer you this polemic from John Steinbeck ("The Log from the Sea of Cortez", 1941):
"It has seemed sometimes that the little men in scientific work assumed the awe-fullness of a priesthood to hide their deficiencies, as the witch-doctor does with his stilts and high masks, as the priesthoods of all cults have, with secret or unfamiliar languages and symbols. It is usually found that only the little stuffy men object to what is called "popularization", by which they mean writing with a clarity understandable to one not familiar with the tricks and codes of the cult. We have not known a single great scientist who could not discourse freely and interestingly with a child. Can it be that the haters of clarity have nothing to say, have observed nothing, have no clear picture of even their own fields? A dull man seems to be a dull man no matter what his field, and of course it is the right of a dull scientist to protect himself with feathers and robes, emblems and degrees, as do other dull men who are potentates and grand imperial rulers of lodges of dull men.
Good luck!
Dom
Freelance do-gooder
Public Engagement a speciality
@TheOxfordDom
-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pamela Buchan
Sent: 13 June 2016 13:51
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Returning to the deficit model
Hi Bella,
Thanks to you for replying (and those who replied off-list). Well in honesty this was my suspicion but I guess I wanted to hear it from the mouths of others before going off on one in my research.
I agree with you completely about the culture change within research as to the value of public engagement. However, my own work is veering towards policy-making and I hope to be able to draw together and critique some of the disparate approaches towards the role of individuals in environmental management via pro-environmental behaviours. It seems most (all?) of the theories ultimately come down to knowledge deficit (with some sociological enabling thrown in to remove
barriers) and the idea of challenging the normative narrative of science as the powerful authority on the environment and 'right' way to approach it seems largely absent. I've only really found one approach that attacks the issue from a different perspective (that of social justice) but sadly I've yet to see how the theory can be put into practice. More reading required there.
Pam
On 13/06/2016 08:53, Bella Williams wrote:
> Hi Pamela,
>
> My view from my (currently very small) corner of science communication and policy:
>
> I'm not sure whether this is a resurgence or whether the deficit model never went away. Ten years ago motivations for engaging with the public among natural scientists were concerned with addressing misconceptions and educating, and I believe that they still are today.
>
> For me the change around two way engagement came with developing strategies to enable this, and investment and research into effective science communication. We cannot be all things and while natural scientists may be effective presenters, unless they have taken the jump into science communication, they still position themselves as scientists and take a science-centric, positivist view of the world which is it difficult to step outside of. The main motivation for communicating may be 'to inform the public' on a key issue, and it should be the role of the communications specialists to help them think through the most effective way of doing this. Perhaps there is a time and a place for 'educating', but we need to have realistic expectations about what it is likely to achieve.
>
> The recent AAAS study was interesting for highlighting the continuation of the deficit model clearly, but the impacts of all the work undertaken to develop science engagement over the past 16 years have been very real in strategic terms. The sector has professionalised and scientific institutions now take public engagement much more seriously, there are fewer institutional and managerial blocks in terms of science communication and engagement being viewed as 'time wasting', and the connected issue that scientists who were good communicators or in the public eye were viewed as compensating for a poor research record has faded.
>
> Sounds like a really interesting PhD. Good luck with it.
>
> Bella
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pamela Buchan
> Sent: 11 June 2016 21:31
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [PSCI-COM] Returning to the deficit model
>
> Hi all,
>
> Some of you know that since leaving the BSA I've embarked on a PhD at Exeter Uni looking at public engagement with marine conservation. I'm reading lots about citizenship, psychological theories of behaviour and values and public perceptions. There are a number of researchers working on models of behaviour for marine and more general environmental conservation that bring together factors you would expect like knowledge, motivation, capacity due to socio-economic circumstances etc.
>
> What I'm emailing about is to discuss the resurgence of the deficit model in subject specific research being led by natural scientists (as opposed to social scientists or those who are specialists in science communication/public engagement). Whilst I accept and agree that knowledge can be a significant barrier to action, I am seeing a strong leaning towards deficit model (in all but name) in much of the research that I am reading. I wondered if anyone might be interested in sharing their opinions about that. Coming from a decade in public engagement this feels like a step back and indeed my human geography/philosophy of science reading is taking me much further in the other direction in regards to power and whose voices are legitimate in setting the agenda in the first place.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Pam
>
> **********************************************************************
>
> psci-com how-to:
> Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask].
> If not subscribed, either subscribe here
> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send
> reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to
> [log in to unmask]
>
> To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any
> subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages
> (ignoring text in brackets)
>
> signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop
> receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume
> getting messages)
>
> Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and
> JISCMail acceptable use policy
> https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
>
> **********************************************************************
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service.
> For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service.
> For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
>
> **********************************************************************
>
> psci-com how-to:
> Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask].
> If not subscribed, either subscribe here
> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send
> reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to
> [log in to unmask]
>
> To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any
> subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages
> (ignoring text in brackets)
>
> signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop
> receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume
> getting messages)
>
> Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and
> JISCMail acceptable use policy
> https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
>
> **********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to:
Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list)
set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to:
Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list)
set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to:
Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list)
set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday)
set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask]
Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************psci-com how-to: Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to: Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to: Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to: Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to: Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to: Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************
psci-com how-to: Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send reqests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)
signoff psci-com (to leave the list) set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)
Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print
**********************************************************************