I am interested in the variety of answers that come from your thoughtful
question - I'm making a list!
For my part, I tend to look at science communication as an issue where we
are concerned with "making Science personal" (I work in human sciences and
am interested in the Hermeneutic issues). As such, I think we need to be
sure to include, at the functional level, the benefits which come to people.
These are often conveyed by stories that people tell about their experience
with learning science - excitement, making connections, wonderment and so
on. At the professional construct level, I think we are probably looking at
those dimensions of personality which are fed by participating in self
development in Science - for example, there is a dimension of personality
which shows on some factoral analyses as "a need to know" - some people are
very structured around this.
Well, I doubt that claiming to meet these personal satisfactions as a reason
for the importance of science communication is going to get money grants and
so on but they certainly make good sense in my view.
Dennis Bury:
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PS. I am a quiet member of the list, sorry I don't say much!
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