Final Report Summary - SS-ERC (Project on Social Sciences and European Research Capacities)
It is in this perspective that the handbook has been conceived. The document is addressed to a wide range of actors: primarily, the policy makers involved, at different levels (European, national or local), in science, technology and innovation. Moreover, the actors who, directly or indirectly, are engaged in research and innovation, including scientists, universities, research institutions, science parks, high-tech incubators, technology districts and the like. Finally, the handbook could also be useful for the large number of actual and potential stakeholders (enterprises, civil society organisations, science communicators, etc.) concerned with science and technology.
The handbook on the socialisation of the scientific and technological (S&T) research represents the final product of the SS-ERC project. It collects and melts the results of the previous phases of the project and, in particular, a research on the current trends in S&T carried out in five EU Member States (Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain) and five experimentations conducted in four countries (one in Denmark, two in Italy, one in Slovenia and one in Spain) where forms of cooperation between social researchers and natural scientists / engineers have been tested.
The handbook is aimed at providing research actors (scientists, administrators of research institutes, policy makers, entrepreneurs and their representatives, leaders of civil society organisations) with theoretical and practical orientations for identifying, interpreting, managing and driving the profound changes that are presently modifying the way in which science and technology are produced, communicated and valorised in view of common economic and social objectives.
The text revolves around the concept of S&T socialisation, which refers to the aptitude of research actors and stakeholders to handle the social dynamics (in a broad sense, including relational, political, cultural, economic and organisational ones) increasingly involved with S&T and science-society relationships, in a context where, especially in Europe, research appears to be less embedded into society, its capacity to manage itself seems to decrease and its 'place' within society appears unstable and uncertain.
The handbook is organised in three parts.
- Part A dwells upon the changes affecting science and technology in contemporary societies, introduces the notion of socialisation and describes the risks related to a 'hypo-socialisation' of S&T, mainly in a European perspective.
- Part B analyses S&T socialisation from different points of views, deepens the relation between socialisation and democratisation of science and technology (introducing the notions of 'scientific citizenship' and 'technological responsibility') and provides some overall categories for developing specific S&T socialisation policies in support of the usual research policies.
- Part C provides strategic and practical orientations to devise S&T socialisation measures, at the appropriate levels (research groups, university departments, research institutes, local, national and European levels) in six main S&T socialisation areas, i.e. scientific practices, scientific mediation (research management, teaching, local networking, etc.), scientific communication, evaluation, governance, and innovation.