Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Industrial constructions of publics and public knowledge: a qualitative investigation of practice in the UK chemicals industry
| Content Provider | Hyper Articles en Ligne (HAL) |
|---|---|
| Author | Burningham, Kate Barnett, Julie Carr, Anna Clift, Roland Wehrmeyer, Walter |
| Abstract | While the rhetoric of public engagement is increasingly commonplace within industry, there has been little research that examines how lay knowledge is conceptualized and whether it is really used within companies. Using the chemicals sector as an example, this paper explores how companies conceive of publics and “public knowledge,” and how this relates to modes of engagement/communication with them. Drawing on qualitative empirical research in four companies, we demonstrate that the public for industry are primarily conceived as “consumers” and “neighbours,” having concerns that should be allayed rather than as groups with knowledge meriting engagement. We conclude by highlighting the dissonance between current advocacy of engagement and the discourses and practices prevalent within industry, and highlight the need for more realistic strategies for industry/public engagement. |
| Ending Page | 43 |
| Page Count | 21 |
| Starting Page | 23 |
| File Format | |
| ISSN | 09636625 |
| e-ISSN | 13616609 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0963662506071285 |
| Journal | Public Understanding of Science |
| Issue Number | 1 |
| Volume Number | 16 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications |
| Publisher Date | 2007-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Social Sciences & Humanities |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
| Subject | Arts and Humanities Developmental and Educational Psychology Communication |
