Societal problem solver or deficient discipline? The debate about social science in the online public sphere

Abstract

This study uses the online discourse surrounding an Austrian publicly-funded study about "Islamic kindergartens" as a case study to approach communication about the social sciences in the online public sphere. Results from a discourse analysis of 937 user comments in online forums of two Austrian daily newspapers show that the social sciences are often referred to as a "special case". While some use this argument to neglect its societal relevance, others use it to highlight its role as societal problem solver. Moreover, users discuss characteristics of "true" social scientists and scrutinise the independence of institutionalised social science. AbstractPublic perception of science and technology; Science and media; Science and policy-making Keywords https://doi.

Public online engagement with science information: on the road to a theoretical framework and a future research agenda

“…Moreover, the scientists may also engage publicly online by participating, for instance, by writing user comments [Huber, Wetzstein and Aichberger, 2019;Shanahan, 2010] and with this correcting misinformation online [Vraga and Bode, 2017]. Thus, scientists can function as professional gatekeepers.…”

Public engagement by researchers of different disciplines in Singapore: A qualitative comparison of macro- and meso-level concerns

“…Although non-academic actors expect AHSS scholars to produce research that is highly relevant to policies, many AHSS researchers perceive their scholarly work as independent pursuits that offer critical descriptions and reflections of social phenomenon that may not necessarily generate instrumental outcomes (Burchell, 2009). The general public often have wide-ranging views about the roles of AHSS researchers, with some acknowledging the importance of AHSS expertise for society, while others questioning the independence of funded AHSS research (Huber et al, 2019). The public often do not ascribe the same amount of scientific rigor to AHSS research as they do to STEM research (Huber et al, 2019).…”

“…The general public often have wide-ranging views about the roles of AHSS researchers, with some acknowledging the importance of AHSS expertise for society, while others questioning the independence of funded AHSS research (Huber et al, 2019). The public often do not ascribe the same amount of scientific rigor to AHSS research as they do to STEM research (Huber et al, 2019). Moreover, STEM research outputs are more quantifiable than those of AHSS (Benneworth, 2015).…”

Fostering public trust in science: The role of social media

“…Third, science also depends on public funding. Specific types of scientific research could be limited if people think that money invested in it is unnecessary or wasteful (Huber et al, 2019).…”