Communicating the social sciences

Bibliographic Data

ID20055833
AuthorsAngela Cassidy (0000-0002-9815-4539, corresponding author)
Year2008
Pages239-250
Publication date2008-06-03
Open AccessYes
TypeCHAPTER
VenueHandbook of public communication of science and technology (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.4324/9780203928240-22
OpenAlexW4243835904
ISBN9780203928240
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited13

This chapter reviews the sparse and somewhat scattered research literature that has specifically addressed the public communication of the social sciences (PCSS). This literature, in common with much research on the public communication of science and technology (PCST), lacks consistency or clear definitions of what is meant by ‘social science’, ‘natural science’ and, indeed, ‘science’. Analyses of social science media coverage indicate that the social sciences are communicated in some quite different patterns from those seen with natural science research. Some authors have suggested that this may be due to the overlap between the subject matter of social science research (people) and experiential, ‘common-sense’ knowledge. This chapter also discusses other relevant literature on ‘self-help’ psychology books, public intellectuals, and social scientists as expert witnesses. There is an urgent need for more consistent, systematic research addressing PCSS,in order to understand better the general issues involved in communicating expertise, and those faced specifically by the social sciences. Researchers in PCST should reflect on these issues in order to address reflexively how we communicate publicly about our field, just as we seek to advise other researchers on how best to communicate in the public domain

Sociology · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Higher Education Governance and Development · Management and Organizational Studies

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