Nordmedia

August 21-23, 2019

Deadline: February 20, 2019

Organised by the ECREA Science and Environment Section (moderators Anna Maria Jönsson and Mette Marie Roslyng)

In the light of the increasing challenges faced by local, national and international communities in dealing with risk and crises related to science and the environment, the role of citizens has been identified as an important way forward (Philips, Carvalho & Doyle 2012; Stilgoe, Lock & Wilsdon 2014). This panel will explore how citizens engage in environmental and scientific problems characterised by some of the features: scientific uncertainty and contestation, diverging interests, democratic processes and inclusion (or lack thereof), debate and critique, implementation of initiatives and projects etc.

This focus will allow for the analysis of how the discourse of science and environment communication can be democratized in order to include more perspectives and voices in a debate where they have often been excluded (Philips, Carvalho & Doyle 2012; Smith 2003; Chilvers & Kearnes 2016). The aim is to explore how this discourse can be developed in more dialogical, critical, inclusive and deliberative ways. We are particularly interested in papers addressing new ways forward in developing a space for public debate and emerging publics in science and environment communication in relation to either new or traditional media, and papers problematising the concept of engagement and participation in relation to these issues. Following this, the panel also addresses how to theorise the citizen and the role of citizenship which may be critical, constructive, populist etc (Dahlgren 2006).

The papers in this section will address how citizen engagement and participation can contribute to creating deliberative practices or critical publics that may contribute to creating a way forward when facing crises relating to science and the environment. The papers may address the issue of citizen engagement and the role of publics theoretically or empirically and may adopt a multitude of methodological and communicative approaches within this theme.

The 300-word abstract must be sent to Mette Marie Roslyng by February 20, 2019: mmroslyng@hum.aau.dk

The final paper can be a full paper (6-8000 w) or a long abstract (2-3000 w)