Communicating Popular Science: From Deficit to Democracy

224 Pages·2013·0.674 MB·English

by  Sarah Perrault

Communicating Popular Science
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Communicating Popular
Science
From Deficit to Democracy
Sarah Tinker Perrault
University of California, Davis, USA
© Sarah Tinker Perrault 2013
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,
Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2013 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke,
Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN 978–1–137–01757–4
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Typeset by MPS Limited, Chennai, India.
Contents
List of Figures ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xix
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms xxi
Part I Foundations
1 Popular Science Writing: Problems and Potential 3
Social Contracts 6
Why Popular Science Writing Matters 7
How Rhetoric of Science Can Help Improve Popular
Science Writing 9
Models of Science Popularization 11
2 Theoretical and Analytical Framework 18
Philosophical Foundation: Traditional–Idealism Versus
Realist–Skepticism 18
Realist–Skepticism and Science Communication 24
Theoretical Lens: Rhetorical Genre Theory 26
Analytical Framework: The Rhetorical Situation 27
Corpus Selection 31
Conclusion 36
3 A Brief History of Science Popularization 37
Early Science: 1600s 37
Enlightenment Science: 1700s and Early 1800s 39
Professionalizing Science: Mid- and Late-1800s 40
Big Science, Scientism, and the Traditional
Social Contract 42
Post-Academic Science and the Need for a
New Social Contract 44
Conclusion 46
4 Practitioner Perspectives on their Craft 48
Practitioner Roles 49
Role #1: Boosters 50
Role #2: Translators 56
v
vi Contents
Role #3: Critics 58
Conclusion 60
Part II Applications
5 Boundary Work: Presenting Science in Context 65
Boundary Work and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 66
Boundary Work Described in Practitioner Texts 68
Boundary Work in Popular Science Texts 72
Boundary Work in Kolbert’s ‘The Sixth Extinction?’ 77
Conclusion: Boundary Work and a New Social Contract 80
6 Expertise: Broadening the Scope of Participation 82
Expertise and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 82
Expertise Described in Practitioner Texts 84
Expertise in Popular Science Texts 87
Expertise in Corson’s ‘Stalking the American Lobster’ 91
Conclusion: Expertise and a New Social Contract 93
7 Ethos: Establishing Relationships with Readers 96
Ethos and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 96
Ethos in Popular Science Texts 102
Ethos in Hirsh’s ‘Signs of Life’ 108
Conclusion: Ethos and a New Social Contract 111
8 Rhetorical Orientations: Inviting Reader Engagement 113
Rhetorical Orientations and the PAST–CUSP
Continuum 113
Rhetorical Orientations Described in Practitioner Texts 120
Forensic Orientations in Popular Science Texts 123
Epideictic Orientations in Popular Science Texts 128
Deliberative Orientations in Popular Science Texts 132
Rhetorical Orientations in Nijhuis’ ‘Taking Wilderness
in Hand’ 135
Conclusion: Rhetorical Orientations and a
New Social Contract 138
9 Technocracy and Democracy: Talking about Risk 140
Risk and the PAST–CUSP Continuum 140
How Practitioners Talk About Risk 147
Risk in Popular Science Texts 151
Risk in Trivedi’s ‘The Wipeout Gene’ 155
Conclusion 158
Contents vii
Part III Final Words
10 Conclusion: Toward a New Social Contract 163
The Need for CUSP and the Role of Popular
Science Writing 163
Engaging Larger Conversations 168
Escape From the Science–Society Dualism 169
Notes 171
References 179
Index 193
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List of Figures
1.1 Science sends knowledge to civil society 12
1.2 Science and civil society exchange ideas 14
1.3 Science is an interactive part of civil society 16
2.1 The rhetorical situation 28
2.2 The rhetorical situation with relationships labeled 28
2.3 The PAST model rhetorical situation 30
2.4 The CUSP model rhetorical situation 31
8.1 Orientations, stases, and a mouse in my house 116
8.2 Orientations, stases, and what to do about the mouse 117
ix