Matthew Nisbet: Science Communication
Last year I had the opportunity to join the Oregon State University Spring Creek Project at a multidisciplinary retreat to discuss science communication.
One of the products to emerge from the retreat is an article ("Four cultures: new synergies for engaging society on climate change") by Matthew Nisbet, Mark Hixon, Kathleen Dean Moore and Michael Nelson, published in an open-access Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment special issue on science communication.
A half-century after the publication of CP Snow's influential “two cultures” essay, which suggested that a lack of communication between the sciences and the humanities was a major hindrance to solving the world's problems, we are called again to recognize the need for bridges between the sciences and other disciplines.
Such connections are necessary if we are to recognize that currently disparate disciplines must work together to bring many sources of specialized knowledge and experience to bear on societal engagement and solutions to climate change and other environmental problems. Engaging storylines and participatory forms of expression – built on rigorous, accessible science, shared values, and personal relevance – will require collaboration from the four cultures and the direct involvement of the public. …
• Environmental sciences provide the environmental data and models that allow us to understand the world and to make predictions.
• Philosophy and religion ground a society's discourse about what is good, what is right, and what is of value.
• Social sciences provide theories and data relative to the mental models, narratives, and frames of reference that the public uses to understand and make decisions about complex and uncertain issues, such as climate change.
• Creative arts and professions, including nature and poetry writing, documentary filmmaking, multimedia design, and journalism, tell inspiring and emotional stories that shape human actions, provide different forms of learning, sponsor deliberation, and provoke action.
See also Nisbet's interview with special issue guest editor Peter Groffman, at his new blog Age of Engagement.
(Update: See also Nisbet on "Communicating Climate Change: Why Frames Matter for Public Engagement.")
