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Subject:

Re: Science communication with politicians

From:

"ROBERTS, Alun" <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

psci-com: on the public understanding of science

Date:

Thu, 14 Aug 2003 10:23:12 +0100

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (153 lines)

Can't resist a go at this one.

I work for the Commons S&T Committee as a science specialist, albeit an
unqualified one. I have some observations at least relating to Parliament.

I am not sure what is meant by the term scientific adviser. Do you mean
people like myself who are employed as specialists or do you mean active
scientists who are appointed by Government or Parliament to advise on a
specific scientific issue? This is an important distinction and both have a
role. Essentially mine is not being an expert but in a position to weigh up
the scientific advice that comes in, either directly from appointed adviser
or in the form of submissions to an inquiry.

There seems to be the impression that there these naive scientists who
provide advice "neat" advice to politicians. In any situation where
specialist advice is being sought there will be a secretariat which is wise
to the political environment. For example, we employ subject specialists for
inquiries but they work to the committee secretariat not directly to the
committee. The same will be true in Government. Although I'm a bit of
political novice I have colleagues - career generalists - who do understand
the political and policy-making context.

I don't understand the unelected, unaccountable bit. This makes me sound
something quite sinister, especially if I have been contorting information.
Politicians are responsible for the advice they get and if they are not
comfortable with it, they won't use it. They are used to people wishing to
pushing certain views. I only wish I was in such a powerful position where I
could manipulate them.

Finally, science is not particularly different from any other specialist
area. There are about 20 select committees and almost all of them employ
specialists such as myself. Politicians will use information selectively in
all areas.

-----Original Message-----
From: Alice Farrands [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 13 August 2003 13:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Science communication with politicians


Dr Newman and PsiCommers,

I am uncomfortable with the science vs politics dichotomy established in
your email.  Science-related political controversy, indeed, any political
controversy, does not operate within such a neatly demarcated battleground.
Implicit in the email below is the notion that scientists are impartial
practitioners of a higher art, and politicians are all engaged in a kind of
self-serving, machiavellian process of back-stabbing and self-promotion.
Having worked in Parliament, I recognise this as an accurate sketch of some
political actors, but it can equally be appropriated for members of
scientific and journalistic communities.  The communications barrier to
which you refer might become more permeable once it is acknowledged that
scientific advice is political in origin, content and context.

Politicians are equally committed/ bound to a "questionning, uncertian,
sceptical approach" in their attempts to formulate effective policy or
responses to scientific controversy.  Politicians are not required to be
scientific experts, that's why they employ scientific advisors.  Much as it
pains me to say it, politicians and policy makers are rarely stupid, but
they are generalists, not experts in molecular biology or genetic
engineering.  The quality of the policy or response they can formulate is
dependent upon the quality of advice they receive, and the clarity and skill
with which such advice is imparted.  The onus here is most definitely on the
advisors.  The implication that science-related political crises might have
been averted if only political actors had understood the scientific issues
in depth is naive.  Such 'crises' might also have been at least lessened had
scientific advisors also understood the social context in depth.

However, as a number of people have pointed out, scientific advisors are
non-elected officials, and as such, are not publicly accountable.  They are
also neither impartial nor neutral actors, and bring to their advising their
own particular bias, worldview and vested interest, no matter how
magnanimous or utilitarian this may be.  With high political and financial
stakes in science as much as anywhere, I suggest that it is just as
important for scientists to appear to be telling "a coherent story" and "to
produce convincing narratives" as it is for the spin meisters and public
faces.  Scientific advisors play an important and potent role in defining
the terms of a debate or controversy, so that what actually reaches the
committee table or the floor of the House of Commons, for example, has
already been shaped and contorted to fit a particular agenda.  The outcome
of a debate or the chance of a controversy being resolved is effectively
predetermined by the initial definition of its terms, usually by the
advisors, not the politicians.

Perhaps there should be a campaign calling for all scientific advisors and
communicators to have passed exams in policy making and political process in
the last five years?

Best wishes,
alice Farrands







********************************************************
Alice Farrands
PhD Research
Science and Technology Studies Department
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT
[log in to unmask]

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