Models of Science Communication in Society

Science communication is a broad field of empirical and applied studies and of theoretical reflection. There are three main models of science communication: deficit, dialogue and participation. These models assume different goals and mechanisms of communication, as well as different social positions. The deficit model was dominant throughout the second half of the 20th century. The deficit model assumes that the key characteristic of the public is the deficit of scientific knowledge. The consequence of the deficit of scientific knowledge in public is a wary or hostile attitude towards science. The goal of communication is to overcome the deficit, and the mechanisms are enlightenment and popularization. The dialogue model of communication emerged in the 90s as an alternative to the deficit model. The goal of the dialogue model is to ensure mutual understanding and trust between scientists and the public. The inclusion of the scientific community in public dialogue ensures trust. The mechanisms are public debate, expertise, the visibility of scientists, and the engagement of people outside the academy in scientific communication. In the dialogue model the scientific community loses its separate position and communicate on equal terms with other communities. The participation model was developed a little later than the dialogue model. The participation model involves the engagement of society in the process of management and production of science. One of the mechanisms of participation is “citizen science”. The social position of scientific community becomes blurred and amorphous. We suppose that the basic matrix of science communication is the deficit model. Some specific mechanisms of the dialog and participation models can be demanded in practice, but the asymmetry of access and possession of scientific knowledge is the starting point that justifies both the existence of science as a separate institution and the very need for communication with non-academic communities.