What Keeps Scientists from Engaging in Public Policy Debates?

• In Event: 2483 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 10. Policy Outcomes of Social Movements

Abstract

In this project, we ask what keeps scientists from engaging in public policy debates. To answer it, we turn to the recent debate concerning so-called “gain-of-function” research that involves the creation of pathogens capable of triggering serious pandemics. While hundreds of scientists became active in this debate by signing online petitions, many more remained passive. To understand what motivated some to engage and what kept others from doing so, we turn to social movement theories. Drawing on resource mobilization and framing perspectives, we develop hypotheses about how gender, age, social and scientific success/prestige, peer effects, social vulnerability, and intellectual background might influence whether scientists engage in this debate. To test these hypotheses, we first identify a reasonable sample of all scientists “at risk” of entering the debate by focusing on all collaborators of scientists who have signed online petitions (~73K). We then gather bibliographic records (~3M) and other available data on these scientists and use network and text analytical techniques to establish measures. For example, we capture scientists’ social vulnerability in terms of their embedding in the wider collaborative network, employ generative probabilistic topic modeling to derive scientists’ research specialties, or draw on memberships in prestigious institutions as a signal for social prestige. Using regression analysis, we then examine how factors predict whether scientists will publicly take a stance in the debate. This will provide insights into how scientific movements and debates develop and contribute to our understanding of the relationships between science and the public sphere more generally.

Authors

• Achim Edelmann, University of Bern

• James Moody, Duke University

• Ryan Light, University of Oregon