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Public Understanding (public + understanding)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	23%
Humanities and Social Sciences	23%
Chemistry	23%
Life Sciences	17%

Selected Abstracts

PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF FOOD RISK ISSUES AND FOOD RISK MESSAGES ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND: THE VIEWS OF FOOD SAFETY EXPERTS

JOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 4 2005
MARTINE DE BOER
ABSTRACT Food safety experts have a key role in constructing food risk messages and thus their perceptions will influence how food risk issues are communicated to the public. This research examined the perceptions of food safety experts regarding public understanding of food risk issues and food risk messages on the island of Ireland. It also looked into expert views of the barriers to effective food risk communication and how to improve food risk messages. One hundred and forty-three experts, working in areas related to food safety, completed an online questionnaire. Questionnaire and statement design was guided by the results of four in-depth interviews with food safety experts. The findings indicate that most experts surveyed have little confidence in the public's understanding of food risk issues, their assessment of food risks, their ability to deal with scientific information and their food safety practices. Experts are of the view that the public under-assesses the risk associated with some microbiological hazards and over-assesses the risk associated with other hazards such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The opinion of experts with regard to GMOs is not supported by previous consumer research. Experts noted that the level of education and age were important determinants for the level of understanding of food risk issues and messages. Experts were of the view that early intervention via school curricula was the best method to improve public understanding of food risk messages in the long term. Furthermore, experts are of the view that the media have the ability to improve awareness and knowledge about food risk issues but believe that the media tend to communicate information that is misleading. The majority of experts also believe that they should communicate uncertainty but are not confident that the public is able to cope with this uncertainty. Many of the experts also indicated a desire for training on how to interact with the media. The results may be used by those experts who are involved in the construction of food risk messages to improve the design and communication of food risk messages. [source]

Die Rolle des Animismus bei der Vermittlung chemischer Sachverhalte

CHEMKON - CHEMIE KONKRET, FORUM FUER UNTERRICHT UND DIDAKTIK, Issue 4 2004
Martin Püttschneider
Abstract Wie lassen sich Naturphänomene und deren naturwissenschaftliche Deutung motivierend und nachhaltig vermitteln? Eine wirklich befriedigende Antwort scheint wohl nicht gefunden zu sein, denn Chemie gilt in der öffentlichen Diskussion immer noch als unverständlich. Nicht ohne Grund wurde Ende der 80er Jahre das PUSH-Programm entwickelt (Public Understanding of Science and Humanities). In diesem Programm sollen einer breiten Öffentlichkeit wissenschaftliche Begriffe, Problemstellungen und Konzepte verständlich dargeboten werden, so dass es zu einer Wertschätzung der naturwissenschaftlichen und technischen Beiträge in der Gesellschaft kommt [1]. Verständliche Vermittlung muss frühzeitig in der Schule beginnen, da dort die Grundlagen für ein nachhaltiges Interesse an naturwissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen gelegt werden. Ein nachlassendes Interesse gegenüber naturwissenschaftlichen Fächern, insbesondere Chemie und Physik, zeigt sich bereits im Verlauf der Sekundarstufe I. Höner und Greiwe bestätigen Untersuchungen der Vorjahre und stellen fest: ,In der 7. Klasse ist Chemie noch das drittbeliebteste Fach , Im Verlauf der Jahrgangsstufen verschlechtert sich der Wert in der neunten sowie noch einmal in der zehnten Klasse , zu den unbeliebtesten Fächern." [2] Es ist anzunehmen, dass die nachlassende Fachbeliebtheit auch langfristig und nachhaltig zu einem rückläufigen Interesse an chemischen Sachverhalten führt. Neben verschiedenen ursächlichen Faktoren ist hier insbesondere die Art der Vermittlung zu nennen. Der bewusste Einsatz von Animismen könnte durch seinen motivierenden Charakter einem nachlassenden Interesse entgegenwirken. [source]

PERSPECTIVE: TEACHING EVOLUTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

EVOLUTION, Issue 10 2002
Brian J. Alters
Abstract., In the past decade, the academic community has increased considerably its activity concerning the teaching and learning of evolution. Despite such beneficial activity, the state of public understanding of evolution is considered woefully lacking by most researchers and educators. This lack of understanding affects evolution/science literacy, research, and academia in general. Not only does the general public lack an understanding of evolution but so does a considerable proportion of college graduates. However, it is not just evolutionary concepts that students do not retain. In general, college students retain little of what they supposedly have learned. Worse yet, it is not just students who have avoided science and math who fail to retain fundamental science concepts. Students who have had extensive secondary-level and college courses in science have similar deficits. We examine these issues and explore what distinguishes effective pedagogy from ineffective pedagogy in higher education in general and evolution education in particular. The fundamental problem of students' prior conceptions is considered and why prior conceptions often underpin students' misunderstanding of the evolutionary concepts being taught. These conceptions can often be discovered and addressed. We also attend to concerns about coverage of course content and the influence of religious beliefs, and provide helpful strategies to improve college-level teaching of evolution. [source]

Digital imaging and public engagement in palaeontology

GEOLOGY TODAY, Issue 4 2009
Karl T. Bates
Public engagement and the promotion of science to a wider non-academic audience form an integral role of the professional scientist in the twenty-first century. The high level of public interest in palaeontology means that the Earth's prehistoric past can provide an important medium through which to communicate information concerning contemporary scientific issues. Here we explain how modern computer techniques can be used to enhance public understanding of complex palaeontological issues. [source]

More Open but Not More Trusted?

GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2010
The Effect of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on the United Kingdom Central Government
This article examines the impact of Britain's Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 on British central government. The article identifies six objectives for FOI in the United Kingdom and then examines to what extent FOI has met them, briefly comparing the United Kingdom with similar legislation in Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. It concludes that FOI has achieved the core objectives of increasing transparency and accountability, though the latter only in particular circumstances, but not the four secondary objectives: improved decision-making by government, improved public understanding, increased participation, and trust in government. This is not because the Act has "failed" but because the objectives were overly ambitious and FOI is shaped by the political environment in which it is placed. [source]

PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF FOOD RISK ISSUES AND FOOD RISK MESSAGES ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND: THE VIEWS OF FOOD SAFETY EXPERTS

Questionnaire survey on the understanding of epilepsy among non-medical persons

PEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2008
Akihisa Okumura
Abstract Background: A questionnaire survey was conducted on the understanding of epilepsy and febrile seizures in preschool teachers, public health nurses, and parents or caregivers of children with epilepsy. Methods: The survey was performed in three different sites at different dates. The participants were 16 preschool teachers, 25 public health nurses, and 34 parents or caregivers of children with epilepsy. Results: Seventy-seven percent of the participants thought that epilepsy was not always untreatable. Sixty-seven percent of the participants thought that epilepsy was not a hereditary disease. Sixty-one percent of the participants considered that repetitive seizures cause brain damage, and 93% of them thought that patients with epilepsy must be treated. Seventy-six percent of the participants thought that febrile seizures evolve into epilepsy if left untreated. Seventy-seven percent of the participants considered that vaccination can be performed in patients with epilepsy or febrile seizures, and 89% of them thought that swimming should not be forbidden in patients with epilepsy or febrile seizures. There was no significant difference in the answers with regard to the positions of the participants except in one question. Conclusions: The present questionnaire survey provided some information on the understanding of epilepsy among non-medical persons. A nationwide public survey is needed to clarify the problems in the public understanding of epilepsy. [source]

How race becomes biology: Embodiment of social inequality

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
Clarence C. Gravlee
Abstract The current debate over racial inequalities in health is arguably the most important venue for advancing both scientific and public understanding of race, racism, and human biological variation. In the United States and elsewhere, there are well-defined inequalities between racially defined groups for a range of biological outcomes,cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers, low birth weight, preterm delivery, and others. Among biomedical researchers, these patterns are often taken as evidence of fundamental genetic differences between alleged races. However, a growing body of evidence establishes the primacy of social inequalities in the origin and persistence of racial health disparities. Here, I summarize this evidence and argue that the debate over racial inequalities in health presents an opportunity to refine the critique of race in three ways: 1) to reiterate why the race concept is inconsistent with patterns of global human genetic diversity; 2) to refocus attention on the complex, environmental influences on human biology at multiple levels of analysis and across the lifecourse; and 3) to revise the claim that race is a cultural construct and expand research on the sociocultural reality of race and racism. Drawing on recent developments in neighboring disciplines, I present a model for explaining how racial inequality becomes embodied,literally,in the biological well-being of racialized groups and individuals. This model requires a shift in the way we articulate the critique of race as bad biology. Am J Phys Anthropol 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

The Afghan War and ,postmodern' memory: commemoration and the dead of Helmand1

THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Anthony King
Abstract Since 2006, Britain has been fighting an intense military campaign in Helmand in which over 200 soldiers have been killed. The article examines the way in which twentieth-century commemorative rituals, which mourned the sacrifice of anonymous individual soldiers for the nation, have been superseded by new lapidary conventions which fundamentally revise the status of the soldier in public imagination. In acts of remembrance today, soldiers are personalized and domesticated, remembered as fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. The article concludes by considering the political implications of this revision of public understanding. [source]

Factors Associated with Helmet Use among Motorcycle Users in Karachi, Pakistan

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2008
Imran Khan MBBS
Abstract Objectives:, Wearing a helmet is the single most effective measure for preventing head injuries in motorcycle users. The authors undertook this study to estimate compliance and determine reasons for noncompliance with helmet use among motorcyclists in their community. Methods:, This was a cross-sectional survey of motorcyclists in three large randomly selected public-access parking spaces across Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. Questions covered personal demographics, frequency of helmet use, reasons for use or nonuse, and knowledge of local helmet laws. Analysis was based on frequencies and group comparisons using chi-square test or independent sample t-test. Results:, Of the 300 (100% male) subjects, 169 (56%) reported using helmets regularly. Users listed injury prevention (78%) as the major reason for compliance, while nonusers listed physical discomfort (44%) and limited vision (25%) as the leading reasons for noncompliance. In univariate analysis, helmet users were significantly better educated than nonusers and were more likely to believe that helmets are protective (p = 0.002) and that passengers should also wear helmets (p < 0.001). The significance of these variables persisted in multivariate analysis. Several other variables (such as mean age, marital status, and knowledge of helmet laws) did not differ between users and nonusers. Conclusions:, Helmets are underused by motorcyclists in the authors' community. This study underscores the need for improved helmet design, public understanding, intense public education, and rigorous law enforcement in raising compliance with helmet use and minimizing the risk of preventable trauma. [source]

State Sciences and Development Histories: Encoding Local Forestry Knowledge in Bengal

DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2000
K. Sivaramakrishnan
Informed by debates on development discourse, local knowledge, and the history of colonial conservation, this article argues for a careful historical investigation of the manner in which scientific managerial knowledge emerges in the field of forestry. It makes its case by focusing on the specific period in the history of Bengal (1893,1937) when scientific forestry was formalized and institutionalized. The processes and conflicts through which local knowledge gets encoded as scientific canon have to be understood to generate effective managerial devolution in participatory projects. This requires an engagement with public understandings of science as practice that arises from a dynamic critique of static, and undifferentiated, notions of development discourse or local knowledge. [source]

Lay understandings of the effects of poverty: a Canadian perspective

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 6 2005
Linda I. Reutter RN PhD
Abstract Although there is a large body of research dedicated to exploring public attributions for poverty, considerably less attention has been directed to public understandings about the effects of poverty. In this paper, we describe lay understandings of the effects of poverty and the factors that potentially influence these perceptions, using data from a telephone survey conducted in 2002 on a random sample (n = 1671) of adults from eight neighbourhoods in two large Canadian cities (Edmonton and Toronto). These data were supplemented with interview data obtained from 153 people living in these same neighbourhoods. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were used to determine the effects of basic demographic variables, exposure to poverty and attribution for poverty on three dependent variables relating to the effects of poverty: participation in community life, the relationship between poverty and health and challenges facing low-income people. Ninety-one per cent of survey respondents agreed that poverty is linked to health, while 68% agreed that low-income people are less likely to participate in community life. Affordable housing was deemed especially difficult to obtain by 96%, but other resources (obtaining healthy food, giving children a good start in life, and engaging in healthy behaviours) were also viewed as challenging by at least 70% of respondents. The regression models revealed that when controlling for demographics, exposure to poverty explained some of the variance in recognising the effects of poverty. Media exposure positively influenced recognition of the poverty,health link, and attending formal talks was strongly related to understanding challenges of poverty. Attributions for poverty accounted for slightly more of the variance in the dependent variables. Specifically, structural and sociocultural attributions predicted greater recognition of the effects of poverty, in particular the challenges of poverty, while individualistic attributions predicted less recognition. Older and female respondents were more likely to acknowledge the effects of poverty. Income was positively associated with recognition of the poverty,health link, negatively associated with understanding the challenges of low-income people, and unrelated to perceptions of the negative effect of poverty on participation in community life. [source]

A religious framework as a lens for understanding the intersection of genetics, health, and disease,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2009
Tina M. Harris Ph.D.
Abstract The primary goal of this study was to determine the extent to which religious frameworks inform lay public understandings of genes and disease. Contrary to existing research, there were minimal differences between racial groups. We did, however, observe two patterns in that data that are worthy of discussion. First, because participants were from the south, the finding that participants from both racial groups ascribe to a religious belief system to make sense of their lived experiences is not surprising. Rather, it appears to be reflective of the religious culture that is an integral part of the south and our identity as a nation. A second noteworthy finding is that while a significant number of participants believe that a relationship exists between health status, genes, and religious behaviors, they also recognize that positive health behaviors must also be adopted as a means for staving off disease. In some cases, however, there was a belief that health issues could dissolve or disappear as a result of certain religious behaviors such as prayer. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

What does the community think about lifespan extension technologies?

AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 4 2006
The need for an empirical base for ethical, policy debates
Objectives:,This paper examines public understandings of possibilities for increasing life expectancy, interest in taking up lifespan-extending interventions, and motivations influencing these intentions. Methods:,Structured interviews were conducted with 31 adults, aged 50 and over. Results:,Participants believed that technological advances would increase life expectancy but questioned the value of quantity over quality of life. Life in itself was not considered valuable without the ability to put it to good use. Participants would not use technologies to extend their own lifespan unless the result would also enhance their health. Conclusions:,These findings may not be generalisable to the general public but they provide the first empirical evidence on the plausibility of common assumptions about public interest in ,anti-ageing' interventions. Surveys of the views of representative samples of the population are needed to inform the development of a research agenda on the ethical, legal and social implications of lifespan extension. [source]

PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF FOOD RISK ISSUES AND FOOD RISK MESSAGES ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND: THE VIEWS OF FOOD SAFETY EXPERTS

Parapsychology on the couch: The psychology of occult belief in Germany, c. 1870,1939

JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2006
Heather Wolffram
This article considers the attempts of academic psychologists and critical occultists in Germany during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to construct a psychology of occult belief. While they claimed that the purpose of this new subdiscipline was to help evaluate the work of occult researchers, the emergence of a psychology of occult belief in Germany served primarily to pathologize parapsychology and its practitioners. Not to be outdone, however, parapsychologists argued that their adversaries suffered from a morbid inability to accept the reality of the paranormal. Unable to resolve through experimental means the dispute over who should be allowed to mold the public's understanding of the occult, both sides resorted to defaming their opponent. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

On the invisibility of the emasculated (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)

ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 1 2010
Richard Wassersug
Castrating a male by destroying his testicles is a practice that most people assume ended a century or so ago with the collapse of the Chinese and Ottoman Empires and the death of the last castrato in the Vatican choir. However, because advanced prostate cancer is treated by either chemical or surgical castration, there are probably more castrated men alive today than ever before in history. Castration is also used in the western world as either a step in the sexual reassignment of male to female (MtF) transsexuals or rarely to treat recidivist sexual predators. In addition, some men desire emasculation who are neither cancer patients, MtF transsexuals, nor sexual predators. In this essay I argue that the public association of castration with sexual predators and deviant behaviour is so great that men, who require it as a medical treatment for cancer or who seek it for other reasons typically hide from public view. One consequence of the shame associated with castration is that those, who desire emasculation but do not have a diagnosis of cancer, too often subject themselves to risky and illegal amateur surgeries outside the medical system. I argue that for whatever reason a male seeks castration, the overall invisibility of the emasculated in modern society is a disservice. It minimizes the public's understanding of the magnitude of the impact of castration on cancer patients and it inhibits those in need of medical treatment from getting it in an appropriate and timely fashion. [source]