Bogner Alexander, Torgersen Helge
Institute of Technology Assessment, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria.
Institute of Technology Assessment, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria
Public Underst Sci. 2015 Jul;24(5):516-32. doi: 10.1177/0963662514539074. Epub 2014 Jun 24.
To understand controversies over technologies better, we propose the concept of 'problematisation'. Drawing on Foucault's idea of problematisation and on the concept of frames in media research, we identify characteristic forms of problematising biotechnology in pertaining controversies, typically emphasising ethical, risk or economic aspects. They provide a common basis for disputes and allow participants to argue effectively. The different forms are important for how controversies are negotiated, which experts get involved, what role public engagement plays and how political decisions are legitimized--in short, for technology governance. We develop a heuristic for analysing the link between forms of problematisation and different options for technology governance. Applied to synthetic biology, we discuss different problematisations of this technology and the implications for governance.
为了更好地理解围绕技术的争议，我们提出了“问题化”的概念。借鉴福柯的问题化思想以及媒体研究中的框架概念，我们在相关争议中识别出生物技术问题化的特征形式，这些形式通常强调伦理、风险或经济方面。它们为争议提供了共同基础，并使参与者能够有效地进行辩论。不同的形式对于争议如何协商、哪些专家参与其中、公众参与发挥何种作用以及政治决策如何合法化（简而言之，对于技术治理）都很重要。我们开发了一种启发式方法来分析问题化形式与技术治理不同选项之间的联系。将其应用于合成生物学，我们讨论了该技术的不同问题化方式及其对治理的影响。
