| Description |
1 online resource |
| Contents |
Part I Foundations -- 1 Popular Science Writing: Problems and Potential 3 -- Social Contracts 6 -- Why Popular Science Writing Matters 7 -- How Rhetoric of Science Can Help Improve Popular Science Writing 9 -- Models of Science Popularization 11 -- 2 Theoretical and Analytical Framework 18 -- Philosophical Foundation: Traditional-Idealism Versus Realist-Skepticism 18 -- Realist-Skepticism and Science Communication 24 -- Theoretical Lens: Rhetorical Genre Theory 26 -- Analytical Framework: The Rhetorical Situation 27 -- Corpus Selection 31 -- Conclusion 36 -- 3 A Brief History of Science Popularization 37 -- Early Science: 1600s 37 -- Enlightenment Science: 1700s and Early 1800s 39 -- Professionalizing Science: Mid- and Late-1800s 40 -- Big Science, Scientism, and the Traditional Social Contract 42 -- Post-Academic Science and the Need for a New Social Contract 44 -- Conclusion 46 -- 4 Practitioner Perspectives on their Craft 48 -- Practitioner Roles 49 -- Role #1: Boosters 50 -- Role #2: Translators 56 -- Role #3: Critics 58 -- Conclusion 60 -- Part II Applications -- 5 Boundary Work: Presenting Science in Context 65 -- Boundary Work and the PAST-CUSP Continuum 66 -- Boundary Work Described in Practitioner Texts 68 -- Boundary Work in Popular Science Texts 72 -- Boundary Work in Kolbert's 'The Sixth Extinction?' 77 -- Conclusion: Boundary Work and a New Social Contract 80 -- 6 Expertise: Broadening the Scope of Participation 82 -- Expertise and the PAST-CUSP Continuum 82 -- Expertise Described in Practitioner Texts 84 -- Expertise in Popular Science Texts 87 -- Expertise in Corson's 'Stalking the American Lobster' 91 -- Conclusion: Expertise and a New Social Contract 93 -- 7 Ethos: Establishing Relationships with Readers 96 -- Ethos and the PAST-CUSP Continuum 96 -- Ethos in Popular Science Texts 102 -- Ethos in Hirsh's 'Signs of Life' 108 -- Conclusion: Ethos and a New Social Contract 111 -- 8 Rhetorical Orientations: Inviting Reader Engagement 113 -- Rhetorical Orientations and the PAST-CUSP Continuum 113 -- Rhetorical Orientations Described in Practitioner Texts 120 -- Forensic Orientations in Popular Science Texts 123 -- Epideictic Orientations in Popular Science Texts 128 -- Deliberative Orientations in Popular Science Texts 132 -- Rhetorical Orientations in Nijhuis' 'Taking Wilderness in Hand' 135 -- Conclusion: Rhetorical Orientations and a New Social Contract 138 -- 9 Technocracy and Democracy: Talking about Risk 140 -- Risk and the PAST-CUSP Continuum 140 -- How Practitioners Talk About Risk 147 -- Risk in Popular Science Texts 151 -- Risk in Trivedi's 'The Wipeout Gene' 155 -- Conclusion 158 -- Part III Final Words -- 10 Conclusion: Toward a New Social Contract 163 -- The Need for CUSP and the Role of Popular Science Writing 163 -- Engaging Larger Conversations 168 -- Escape From the Science-Society Dualism 169 |
| Summary |
"Technoscientific developments often have far-reaching consequences, both negative and positive, for the public. Yet, because science has the authority to decide which judgments about scientific issues are sound, public concerns are often dismissed because they are not part of the technoscientific paradigm they question. This book addresses the role of science popularization in that paradox; it explains how science writing works and argues that it can do better at promoting public discussions about science-related issues. To support these arguments, it situates science popularization in its historical and cultural context; provides a conceptual framework for analyzing popular science texts; and examines the rhetorical effects of common strategies used in popular science writing. Twenty-six years after Dorothy Nelkin's groundbreaking book, Selling Science: How the Press Covers Science and Technology, popular science writing is still not meeting its potential as a public interest genre; Communicating Popular Science explores how it can move closer to doing so"-- Provided by publisher |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographic references and index |
| Notes |
online resource; title from PDF title page (ProQuest Ebook Central, viewed November 19, 2020) |
| Subject |
Communication in science.
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SCIENCE -- Study & Teaching.
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SCIENCE -- Philosophy & Social Aspects.
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SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Popular Culture.
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SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Media Studies.
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Communication in science
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9781137017581 |
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1137017589 |
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9781299764767 |
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1299764762 |
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