Reflections on the science society relationship. A mixed-methods study on science skepticism in Austria

Abstract A recent debate on science skepticism in Austria portrayed the country’s population as highly skeptical of science. The actual extent of science skepticism remained unclear during the debate, and an explicit definition of it was never provided. This paper examines the phenomenon of science skepticism in Austria by reviewing studies on public perceptions of science and by applying a mixed methods approach, including secondary analysis of survey data and analysis of primary data from focus groups and expert interviews. Departing from different methodological perspectives, we show that degrees of criticism of science vary according to the way they are measured, that criticism can be observed in all societal groups, that individuals are not consistent in their attitudes towards science, and that critique is often directed at scientists’ presumed motives or entanglements with politics rather than at science per se. We conclude that the dualistic perspective that dominates public debates on this topic does not resonate with the empirical complexity illustrated in this paper.