• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.137-158
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• 2003

This paper examines theoretical trends and policy issues concerning science and public. The dominant perspective about it was changed from “popularization of science” to “public understanding of science (PUS)”. PUS pays attention to active roles of public in the understanding of science based on the contextual model. And recently various concepts are attempted to complement PUS such as “heterogeneous PUS”, “quantitative PUS”, “public understanding of research”, and “public participation in science”. PUS related activities in Korea can be analyzed using the concept of “science and technology culture system”. The characteristics of science and technology culture system in Korea can be summarized as follows: Its purpose is confined to support existing national innovation system; Its constituents have been unevenly and separately developed; Its material and institutional infrastructure is not sufficiently prepared; Its organizing mechanism is strongly influenced by government's execution power.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.2 no.2 s.4
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• pp.25-54
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• 2002

Without much communication, large-scale surveys of public knowledge of, and attitudes to, science (quantitative PUS) and case-study analyses of the public's understandings of science in particular (constructivist PUS) have dominated in the public understanding of science (PUS) area. Not only methodological preference but also a strong antipathy against value-orientations that each approach presumed to have and support has been barriers for quantitative PUS and constructivist PUS to benefit each other. In order to overcome such barriers, this paper demonstrates that value orientations guiding quantitative PUS have been much more diverse than what constructivist PUS researchers might think, and that quantitative PUS has indeed yielded the results consistent with and complementary to constructivist PUS. Finally this paper proposes that (1)quantitative PUS should test propositions provided by constructivist PUS, so that it can contribute much to the construction of more generalizable PUS theories and policies, and (2)constructivist PUS uses the outcome of quantitative PUS to develop more complex case studies which consider heterogeneous publics, trends of public evaluations of science, and how public attitudes to science in the abstract and public attitudes to science in particular in a specific context have effect on each other.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.2 no.2 s.4
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• pp.1-23
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• 2002

This Article examines the main approaches to the public understanding of science(PUS) in light of the changing relation of science and public. Traditional approach called deficit model recognizes scientific knowledge as a entity, unidirectionally diffusing to public. This View basically presupposes the gap between science and public. Meanwhile, this approach has an aspiration to reduce the gap. So there is a paradoxical situation in the traditional PUS. Public perception of environmental crisis and risk of science has been risen since late 1980's. And the science technology studies (STS) have criticized traditional approach. STS proposes new approach of constructive PUS. Constructive PUS conceives the public to have heterogeneous, local characteristic. This approach has been very fertile both in theory and practice. But most recently, newly proposed approach, so called heterogeneous PUS, criticizes constructive PUS. Main point of criticism is that constructive PUS has dichotomy between science and public, and romanticizes the public. It is uncertain whether heterogeneous PUS can take place of constructive PUS. But this trend has the implication that the relation of science and public is constantly changing.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.117-128
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• 2016

The growing socio-economic effect caused by science and technology requires public to participate in policy-making process, which makes government to boost public understanding of science(PUS). Government has also exerted to construct infra for PUS. However results are not so meaningful. The government-funded science museum has mainly provided the program for students. Besides, science broadcasting channel has recorded the worst viewing rate. Meanwhile, some of the private sector-manufactured contents have attracted public attention in recent years, which is realized by considering elements such as an interesting topic selection, use of outside experts, two-way communication system, level adjusting for public through flexible running system. This study analyze podcast based program, face to face lectures, display contents by private industry, fab lab etc. on the base of the reciprocal PUS model to sort out the reason they have successful results. Futhermore, it argues that government should intensify support for private sector and create synergy effect by cultivate collaboration system between government and private sector to enhance the efficiency of PUS and offers public policy to realize the plan.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.4 no.2 s.8
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• pp.33-66
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• 2004

In these days, science is too complex and comprehensive scientific practices to be reduced to scientific knowledge. Also it's actors go beyond the limit of scientist society to the broad range of supporting system scientific journalism, education, and business. Science is very important cultural practice of our times. This Study focus on the effect of interdisciplinary approach in understanding modern science culture. First, this paper suggest the approach of public understanding of science(PUS) as a framework PUS has provided new perspectives for the relation of scientific knowledge and understanding. Traditional approach(so-called 'deficit model') regarded understanding as mere transportation of scientific knowledge. So it may be called 'knowledge-oriented approach' to understanding. But PUS consider understanding process of 'dynamic reconstructing' which is occurred in complex socio-cultural context. Second, this article analysis the Korea University STS course(2002-2003) 'Science Technology & Society' as the case study. The case study examine how interdisciplinary approach help students to understand 'sciene in the making'.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.151-175
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• 2007

What are the differences between science communication and science culture? This paper discusses the relationship between 'science communication' and 'science culture', with a consideration of recent activities and endeavours aiming public's understanding of science. For this, it starts with the outcomes and significance of the 9th International Conference on Public Communication of Science and Technology(PCST-9), with a theme of "Scientific Culture for Global Citizenship", held in Seoul May, 2006. Then, it discusses 'Public Understanding of Science(PUS)' to which the PCST network movement is linked, in comparison with 'Popularization of Science(PS)' and 'Science and Society(S&S)'. While PS was one directional movement conveying scientific knowledge to the public, PUS appeared from 1980s was an intentional effort for activating science communication through mass media. Whereas, a recent S&S movement emphasizes dialogue between science and society. And it then introduces theoretical as well as functional definitions of 'science culture' particulary in Korean and explains how the concept of science communication has considerably expanded since 2002. From this, it is finally argued that science communication needs be redefined as a practice of science culture.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.373-390
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• 2022

Science museums are platforms of PUS (public understanding of science). The purpose of this study was to explore the science communicators' competencies critical in interacting with visitors from the comparison of their training and professional development programs nationally and internationally. The managers running science communicators' programs and communicators themselves from six different national science museums and those from five different international ones participated in the structured survey. The data from surveys were compared among respondents to draw common and specific descriptions for communicators' competencies. In addition, the experienced exemplary science communicator, Ms. Park, participated in this study and the data from her observation field notes, her own developed science communicators' manual, and interviews were used to support the result. The contextual model of learning in science museums (Falk, 2006) was used to illustrate science communicators' expertise. National managers and science communicators showed difference in their perception about science communicators' roles, difficulties, and improvement for their competencies. Internationally, the managers and science communicators showed similar perception about communicators' competencies in terms of the contextual model of learning. It is highly suggested that practice-based science communicators' training and professional development programs must be offered on the basis of interaction between experienced and novice communicators as mentors and mentees systems.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.5 no.2 s.10
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• pp.97-127
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• 2005

While science museums, whose functions consist traditionally in collecting, preserving, researching, and displaying science-related objects, present scientific knowledge, figures, or tools in the historical context, science centers give more emphases on science education by exposing interactive exhibits to their visitors. However, neither objects-oriented exhibits nor hands-on technologies can provide museum visitors with the full insight into modem science in terms of its complicated relationships to politics, economy, culture, art, risk, and environment. This paper argues that for the 21st century we need to establish a new kind of science museum through the critical examination of its previous kinds - science museums and science centers. In the first part of this paper, the history of the first and second generations of science museums, including their recent trends in science centers, in the West will be elaborated. Secondly, the development of national science museums in Korea will be discussed specifically for the understanding of Korean science museums. The next part of this paper will seek for the possibilities of the third generation of science museums through three examples, which show interdisciplinary, contextual, and institutional approaches to change science museums or science centers. Fourthly, the social function of science museums as 'forum' will be discussed in relation to promoting public 'participation' of science as well as public 'understanding' of science. As a conclusion, some practical suggestions and conceptual guidelines will be proposed for the future Korean national science museum.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-127
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• 2009

The Korean Astronaut Project(KAP) aims to make the first Korean astronaut fly and take part in space activities in the International Space Station(ISS) in April 2008. KAP was on the purpose of studying the requirement to master manned space technologies as part of the long-term basic plan for national space development. However, people criticized that Ms. Yi was a 'space tourist' not an 'astronaut' because KAP was a program for pride, prestige in 21c's new space race, not specifically science and technology. The government emphasized that Yi carried out her 15 experiments in ISS very competently. In contrast people devaluated Yi's space experiments as below the level, though some of them are enough meaningful to be published on SCI journals. Why did the government fail to make people take Ms. Yi as an astronaut? I answer to this question using the notion of "Network Analysis" based on Actor-Network Theory(ANT).

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.107-137
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• 2016

By analyzing a nationwide survey on Korean publics, this study examines the social determinants of public support for three types of scientific research-basic research aimed at pure knowledge, applied research toward industrial application, and research for social problem-solving which aims to enhance ordinary citizens' quality of life. The present study finds the differential effects of social- and political value orientations on the level of public support for respective types of research. As ones have more progressive in their subjective political orientations, they are more likely to support research for social problem-solving than other types of research, while conservatives tend to support basic research and those with neo-liberal ideology tend to support applied research. The Korean public also tends to perceive research for social problem-solving as a counter to basic research while it has been developed against the conventional emphasis on applied research in Korea. Also, the level of support for research for social problem-solving increases with the higher level of trust in scientific authority and expertise, while it has been developed against expertism and included public engagement in science as an important element. Finally, those who have lower income tend to support for research for social problem-solving than other types of research. The implications of these findings are discussed.