Engaging with future technologies: how potential future users frame ecogenomics

Abstract

There is an increasing awareness that participatory processes should take place at an early phase of science and technology developments. However, involving the relevant publics at an early phase is challenging as concrete applications are absent and societal attention is rather weak. In this paper we reflect on a participatory process that aimed to facilitate groups of potential future users to reflect on developments in the emerging scientific field of ecological genomics. We explicate how we defined relevant publics, recruited participants, and facilitated them to reflect on technologies which did not yet exist. The results show different ways of framing developments in ecological genomics, and provide crucial contextualization for involving a broader range of publics and organizing a frame-reflective dialogue as a next step.ANY SCHOLARS HAVE ARGUED that decision-making processes on science and technology should be more participatory and include end users and the public at large

Exploring Responsible Neuroimaging Innovation: Visions From a Societal Actor Perspective

“…One of the challenges in designing and implementing an approach to RRI in early phases of technology development is to identify different points of view with respect to the technology assessed (Roelofsen, 2011; Schot, 2001). We showed that by applying CTA as an approach to RRI combined with vision assessment (Grin & Grunwald, 2000), visions of societal actors can be identified and the underlying assumptions of these visions can be analyzed, resulting in understanding of the similarities and incongruencies in visions.…”

“…These dimensions return in Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA), which is one approach to RRI (e.g., Rip, Schot, & Misa, 1995). Since the late 1980s, CTA has been applied and implemented in practice with the aim to realize technologies that connect better to societal practices and needs (e.g., Broerse, 1998; Broerse, de Cock Buning, Roelofsen, & Bunders, 2009; Rip et al, 1995; Roelofsen, 2011; van Merkerk, 2007). …”

“…Applying approaches to RRI, including the active involvement of relevant actors, in an early phase of innovation development is expected to result in an improved translation of innovations and to facilitate their responsible societal embedding (Roelofsen, 2011; Rogers-Hayden & Pidgeon, 2007; Wilsdon & Willis, 2004; von Schomberg, 2012). This is because in this early phase options are still open for exploration and there are opportunities to steer the developments.…”

“…This has been described as the Collingridge Dilemma of control (Collingridge, 1981). Furthermore, approaches to RRI show that actors gain new insights, develop enthusiasm for establishing new spin-offs, and are willing to adjust their research agenda, but these generally do not result in major changes of the innovation process (Rip, 2009; Roelofsen, 2011, Schuurbiers & Fisher, 2009). Evaluations of approaches to RRI and resulting responses of participating actors consider the noncompliance of the intentions of actors with the dominant culture, structure, and practice from the sociotechnical regime as a reason for this moderate change (Geels, 2004; Kloet, Hessels, Zweekhorst, Broerse, & Cock Buning, 2011).…”

“…Evaluations of approaches to RRI and resulting responses of participating actors consider the noncompliance of the intentions of actors with the dominant culture, structure, and practice from the sociotechnical regime as a reason for this moderate change (Geels, 2004; Kloet, Hessels, Zweekhorst, Broerse, & Cock Buning, 2011). By understanding the factors and mechanisms of the sociotechnical regime, barriers that hinder innovation development and implementation may be identified, explained, and eventually managed effectively (e.g., Kloet et al, 2013; Roelofsen, 2011). RRI thus requires the proactive study of innovation development to identify desirable applications, barriers that need to be overcome to realize these desirable applications and strategies to this end.…”