Science and technology in the eyes of Basque society

2009/12/01 Lakar Iraizoz, Oihane - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Teknologia
• Ikerketa-zentroak
• Etika
• Giza zientziak

(Photo: ©Carlos Velázquez)

Thirty years ago, in Europe, surveys were conducted on the social perceptions of science and technology. In Euskal Herria, however, the place occupied by science and technology in society had never been studied.

With the aim of covering this gap, the Elhuyar Foundation, together with the Sociological Prospecting Cabinet of the Basque Government, began in 2008 the work "Scientific and technological representations in Euskal Herria (2008)". In fact, "In recent years the need to know the public opinion has grown," said Andoni Eizagirre, professor at Mondragon Unibertsitatea and author of the study. According to Eizagirre, this type of research work helps to identify and interpret what causes society to have one or another attitude, in this case to science and technology.

A part of the research work consisted of meeting people in discussion groups or conducting interviews to talk about different topics of debate related to science and technology. In the belief that one or another discipline in matters of science and technology was to be the subject of some or other observations, society was divided into three groups, on the one hand, attending to the ordinary population of the whole Basque Country, by the students and researcher in science and technology, by the students in human and social sciences, and finally, by specialists in science and technology. Discussion groups were formed with the first two groups and the opinion of the experts was collected through interviews.

However, that was where the first surprise occurred: "Research has shown that the differences are less than expected," says Eguzki Urteaga, a sociologist at the UPV, a discussion group and one of the researchers who led interviews with experts. This shows, for Urteaga, that "society has a level of knowledge but does not use it."

Both in the discussion groups and in the interviews, qualitative results have been obtained. Along with this, the study had two other parts. On the one hand, they have obtained quantitative data on social perception. For this purpose, the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), in collaboration with the CIS, carried out in 2006 the 3rd Social Perception of Science and Technology. They have used the information collected in the National Survey. In particular, the CAPV and Navarre have collected the surveys carried out to four hundred people. On the other hand, the Elhuyar Foundation analyzed in 2008 the presence of issues related to science and technology in the press of the Basque Country (the results of this study were published in the November 2008 issue of Elhuyar Zientzia eta Teknika).

One of the main conclusions that can be drawn from these studies is that society in general extolls science and technology. In the discussion groups it has been collected, for example, that thanks to the new sciences and technologies, we have a much more comfortable life, a greater life expectancy and a much better communication capacity. People believe that research and development are fundamental to the development and well-being of peoples.

Scientists are also among the most valued groups in society. In fact, in the surveys carried out in the ACBC and Navarre, it is observed that the professions related to science occupy the top three positions in the list of most valued professions: doctors occupy the first place, with an average rating of 4.4 points on a scale of 1 to 5, while scientists and engineers occupy the second and third, with 4 points and 3.8 points, respectively.

From left to right: Eguzki Urteaga, professor of sociology at UPV; Andoni Eizagirre, professor at HUHEZI in Mondragon Unibertsitatea; and Iñaki Martínez de Luna, head of the Sociological Prospecting Cabinet. Ed. : Iñigo Ibáñez.

The other side of the coin in sight

Despite their praise and social function, science and technology also see less positive and dangerous aspects. Eizagirre has found the ambivalent attitude remarkable: "The discussion groups show opposing views". It is commented, for example, that research has gone too far in fields such as human cloning or the manipulation of embryos. People believe that some ethical limits have been overcome.

They point out that it is essential that citizens keep the distance and critical spirit in the face of science and technology, and that there is always to measure bonuses and costs. The terms used by the population to express the damage caused by science and technology are: dependence, manipulation, speed, stress, etc. They point out, for example, that through advertising and marketing, many brands generate needs in citizenship. "We don't give up buying, we are trapped and we don't see any way out," says one participant. They unanimously indicate that in the discussion groups we are turning on a crazy wheel.

Citizenship also feels that science and technology have accelerated and densified time. At any given time, more work, activity and relationship can be done. But that makes us think that we have little time for anything.

On the other hand, it has been shown that sometimes it is very difficult to foresee what consequences innovations can have. In general, 41.5% of the surveyed population considers that the benefits reported by science and technology are greater than the damage. 37.5% points out that the benefits and losses are comparable and 8.5% that the damage is greater than the benefits. The remaining 13% did not answer the question because they did not have a clear opinion or for another reason.

Researchers, worse than elsewhere

All advances in science and technology are made by scientists. The desire to understand the world, to find new things, to feel the gratitude of society and to make money, among other things, lead people to become a scientist and to devote themselves to research. This is believed by people who have been classified as a general public, and that is what both university students and researchers have recognized.

Research areas prioritized by the population. The sum of the percentages is not 100 because there were two possible answers. Source: 3rd Social Perception of Science and Technology. National Survey. FECYT-CIS.

However, people believe that the vocation and spirit of the first moment of researchers is weakening, because politicians do not give the importance that science, technology and innovation deserve. Unanimously, both ordinary citizens and researchers and experts, affirm that scientific research should be the priority of governments, since so far they have been granted secondary importance. And they see science and research involved in our culture.

In addition, they mention that the fashion issues when granting the financing are the ones that have the most weight, the ones that send the immediate thing and the benefits that the investigations will report. All stand out the contempt of basic research.

For all this, they believe that researchers want to go abroad. In general, it is considered that foreign countries, especially Europe and the United States, invest more money in science and technology and that the research system is better organized. People believe that in Euskal Herria the working conditions are very precarious for researchers, and also researchers have the pressure to obtain results.

Experts have added other problems to scientific policies. On the one hand, they consider that there is no coordination when distributing resources. They consider that lately technology centers have had a lot of resources and universities have not. They believe it is an error. On the other hand, they denounce that there are many sources of income and that research groups lose a lot of strength and time in asking for grants. They say that laboratory managers spend more time on reporting and other administrative work than on research and advice to researchers.

Change, essential, essential

Faced with this situation, society demands a restructuring of scientific policies. Changes should be directed towards the well-being, stabilization of research, and safety of researchers. Thus, non-profitable areas should also be considered.

And people believe that "not investing in science and technology is not believing in the future" and "conditioning the future of new generations." That is, they underline that public money needs to be managed with rigor and not wasted in any way.

The profession most valued by society is that of doctors and medicine occupies the first place in the list of priority areas of research. Ed. : Clínica Universidad de Navarra.

One of the experts has indicated that Euskal Herria has a great capacity for transformation, among other things because it is a small country. And in the ACBC there is a point of optimism; the population believes there are indications of change. That is, organizations have realized the new challenges and challenges and have begun to bet on promoting the research of science and technologies. Specifically, they mentioned Innobasque and, in particular, Ikerbasque as an example of change.

In Navarre and Iparralde, for their part, they have been renovated. In the North Basque Country, moreover, they see administrative changes as essential for the advancement of science and technology. In fact, they consider it fundamental that there is a university in the Basque Country.

It is noteworthy that before all of them were said, people recognized that they had not enough knowledge: the people of the street declared that they had little scientific and technological knowledge, and as for scientific policies, that lack of knowledge was recognized by both ordinary citizenship and by researchers and students. Likewise, in the surveys, 52% of the population points out that their knowledge in science and technology is very low or low.

Below were eleven examples, reviews and reviews. "At the end of the discussion sessions, people realized that they talked more about what they thought and knew more than they thought," said Urteaga, a professor of sociology at the UPV. "In this sense, personal assessments were positive."

In short, "people have more and more levels of education and increasingly read more," explains Urteaga. There and here people read and listen to the issues related to science and technology, and "little by little they accumulate knowledge," he says.

Administrative distribution at sight

People say that, to a greater extent, they receive information related to science and technology through television. And in that sense, the possibilities of seeing programs on science and technology in Hego Euskal Herria and Iparralde are clearly different.

Risager/Creative Commons/confess and share under the same authorization

The discussion groups of Iparralde have mentioned several television and radio channels among which they offer content of good level and quality, such as the television networks France 5 and Arte, and the radio stations France Inter and France Culture. In Hego Euskal Herria they have only referred to specific television programmes such as Teknopolis. And yes, it has already been mentioned that people know the program, but don't see it too much.

For this reason, facing the future, Urteaga considers that it would be interesting to analyze the territories separately. "The opinion of individuals on science and technology is closely related to their institutions, the education system, the media, etc."

It is interesting to show reality and to know the presence of science and technology in society. "However, the work done should not only serve to increase knowledge," says Urteaga. "The goal should be to use this diagnosis to adapt public policies and help decide which direction to take."

Otherwise, Eizagirre considers that there is a risk that "over time the positive perception of science will be diluted. Now, citizenship distinguishes between science and science and its social "context", but it remains to be seen how it will evolve over time."

Social perception at the base

In Euskal Herria for the first time, a compilation of perceptions and opinions on science and technology has been made. The study was based on the project Elhuyar Laboratory, which aims to know, debate and communicate the role of scientific culture in society. To carry out this work we have collaborated with the Sociological Prospecting Cabinet of the Basque Government.

The communication of science is one of the most important performances of Elhuyar. With this study, a basis is established to know where we are. We will hardly know what to offer in the communication of science, in scientific policies, in education, etc. without knowing the starting point. Collecting the opinion, perception and knowledge of society is fundamental to know in what direction they are advancing.

Garazi Andonegi. Elhuyar laboratory of scientific culture.

In addition, this study allows to know whether the initiatives carried out in recent years by different agents have had social repercussions or not. In fact, at present there is more importance than ever to the socialization of science and technology, which is why numerous seminars, conferences and congresses are organized around science and technology.

Finally, the data extracted from the study allow to compare Basque society with Spanish or European society in terms of perception of science and technology. That will also help us to know where our measure is.

Important yes, but it is not of public interest

Citizenship is not very interested in issues related to science and technology, at least in those that are not useful in their daily lives. In other words, citizenship has an interest in science and technology as they directly influence their lives. Thus, three areas of interest of science and technology stand out: information and communication technologies, whether Ippodas, Mp3, IT, Internet, etc. ; the environment, renewable energies and sustainable development; and health and medicine.

Citizenship does not deny the importance of the other lines of research, but it does manifest that it does not awaken its interest. However, they express hope, optimism and trust in scientists.

But people do not strive to acquire knowledge and approach science and technology. They are difficult and heavy topics. Culturally, people do not see that there is intention to promote the interest and social commitment of science. However, when the media, or institutions, place special emphasis on the dissemination and making available to a given subject or area, people feel very interested.

Usefulness of technoscientific knowledge of citizenship on a scale of 1 to 5 according to level of studies. Source: 3rd Social Perception of Science and Technology. National Survey. FECYT-CIS.

Reading this may seem like a lack of coherence with people's views and, in some way, it is contradictory to think that a topic is important and, at the same time, not to be interested in it. For sociologist Eguzki Urteaga this contradiction is not at all surprising: "Human beings are full of contradictions. The contradictions arise from the mixture of different points of interest, hobbies, trends. It is something to be approved."

On the other hand, people do not perceive that scientists have any intention or concern about approaching citizenship. According to the researchers who have formed the group of experts in the study, the situation is like this, among other things, because the researchers of high level are full of work and do not have time to carry out interviews and conferences.

However, they underline that not all scientists know how to properly communicate knowledge. They say it is very different for scientists to present theories, concepts and results to experts in a field of research, or to explain it in a way that anyone understands it, that is, to tell it in a simple and attractive way.

Trust of citizenship in the media in information about science and technology. The sum of percentages is not 100, since there were two possible answers. Source: 3rd Social Perception of Science and Technology. National Survey. FECYT-CIS.

This difficulty of scientific dissemination extends to the media. They say that very few journalists are specialists in science and technology outside of specialized magazines. In the face of this situation, experts point out that journalists make no effort to gather previous information when they meet with them.

In this sense, students and researchers of science and technology highlight that the information published on their research areas is often false or uninteresting. Therefore, despite not mastering the rest of the areas well, the same is expected to happen.

As for the media, the population considers that the most important is sensationalism and that only the title matters. Thus, people denounce that they advance the results not achieved, leaving in a background the risks and the uncertainties, or that, on the contrary, provoke an alarmism to make famous the information.