BPI Seminar by Dr. Nicole Klenk

TITLE

Constructing the Public in Public Perceptions Research: A Case Study of Forest Genomics

LOCATION: CHBE #202, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4

ABOUT THE EVENT

Join us for an insightful talk on the science-society relationship in forest genomics. Our expert speaker will delve into the representation of publics in scientific fields and its impact on knowledge production. Learn about the co-existence of deficit and co-productive approaches to publics and the need for more diverse methods of studying public perceptions. 

ABSTRACT

Expert views of publics are an important dimension of the science-society relationship. While research has found empirical support for different ways of imagining publics – as uninformed, as disengaged, as a threat to science, and as co-producers of knowledge – there has yet to be a systematic exploration of how these imagined publics are represented in scientific fields. This research uses a typology of imagined publics to review how publics are constructed in literature on forest genomics. We trace the emergence and rise of a co-production of knowledge approach alongside a persistent deficit view of the public. In the field of forest genomics, the deficit view of publics has not been replaced by co-productive models. Instead, deficit and co-productive approaches to publics continue to inform how the public is characterized and studied, with implications for how knowledge about public views of science and technology is produced. We outline an agenda for deepening and extending research on public perceptions of novel technologies. Specifically, we call for more diverse and complex methodological approaches that account for relational and material dynamics and changes over time.

Keywords

imagined publics, coproduction of knowledge, deficit model, forest genomics, genomic science

AGENDA

• Introduction by Dr. Orlando Rojas
• Keynote Presentation by Dr. Nicole Klenk, Associate Professor, University of Toronto
• Q&A / Discussion

*Coffee and light refreshments will be provided.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Klenk is Associate Professor at the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto. With a background in botany and forest ecology, she brings a unique perspective to the field of environmental science. Through her PhD research, she became passionate about understanding the role of science in addressing complex environmental problems, leading her to focus on the science-policy interface, ethics and politics of knowledge co-production, and new governance models. Her research approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on science studies, post-structuralist political theory, and American pragmatism, and her areas of expertise include forestry, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation.