On the essence and necessity of public understanding of science

Ojagh, Zahra; Sheikh Jabbari, Mohammad Mehdi; Vesali, Mansor; Zare, Mehdi; Dorostian, Arezo

doi:10.22047/ijee.2013.3013

On the essence and necessity of public understanding of science

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

Zahra Ojagh ¹

Mohammad Mehdi Sheikh Jabbari ²

Mansor Vesali ³

Mehdi Zare ⁴

Arezo Dorostian ⁵

¹ PhD Candidate of Communications University of Tehran

² Corresponding author Professor of Physics Institute for Research in Fundamental Science IPM and Physics Branch if Iranian Academy of Sciences

³ Assistant Professor of Physivs Shahid Rajaee Tarbiat Dabir University

⁴ Associate cProfessor of Seismology International institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology

⁵ Assistant professor of Geology Islamic Azad University

https://doi.org/10.22047/ijee.2013.3013

Abstract

This article discusses public understanding of science and the need for its increase and expansion as a function of public communication of science. In this study popularization of science is presented as a means for increasing Public Understanding of Science (PUS). In this article we argue that institutionalization for public communication of science is an urgent need for increasing PUS and we provide characteristics of the institute or system of science popularization for connecting the science community and the public sphere. Our study offers the reasons of science popularization and increasing of PUS with regard to the level of the development and the type of political system of societies. Also, this article explains how popularizing of science and production of popular science can lead to the formation of interdisciplinary sciences, relation between various scientific disciplines and university-industry connections. On the other hand, popular science introduces opportunities of engagement in the scientific societies and hence increases the social capital between Iranian elite.

Keywords

Science popularization

public understanding of science

public communication of science

Institutionalization

popular science

science literacy