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Urban Resilience and Innovation in a Polarized Society:
Research to Inform Communication and Advocacy
@MCNisbet
Northeastern University
January 15, 2014
Matthew C. NisbetAssociate ProfessorSchool of CommunicationAmerican University Washington D.C.
Boston Society of Architects (2013) ; Mass Gov (2011). City of Boston.gov Climate Action Web Site
Climate Ready Boston (2013)
Climate Change as Public Health Threat
Extreme Heat and Infectious Disease
@MCNisbetClimate Ready Boston (2013); Centers for Disease Control (2013).
Public Engagement and Communication?
@MCNisbetCity of Boston Climate Action Plan (2011); Boston Harbor Association (2013); Marty Walsh for Mayor (2012)
Holding community meetings in each neighborhood, particularly those closest to
the waterfront, will enable us to hear each other‟s concerns and brainstorm best
approaches to specific local problems where a one-size-fits-all measure might not
be the best solution. Finally, I will seek to expand and foster current city
relationships with leading climate researchers at our exceptional colleges and
universities….
Framing Science?
Context and Identity Shape Perceptions of Complex Debates
@MCNisbetNisbet & Lewenstein 2002; Nisbet, Brossard & Kroepsch 2003; Nisbet & Huge 2006; Nisbet & Mooney 2007;
Nisbet & Scheufele 2009; Nisbet 2009; Nisbet & Kotcher 2009 & more….
Framing Science?
Context and Identity Shape Perceptions of Complex Debates
@MCNisbetNisbet & Lewenstein 2002; Nisbet, Brossard & Kroepsch 2003; Nisbet & Huge 2006; Nisbet & Mooney 2007;
Nisbet & Scheufele 2009; Nisbet 2009; Nisbet & Kotcher 2009 & more….
Audience Segmentation and Public Perceptions
@MCNisbet
In Depth Interviews w/ 70 subjects by Segment
@MCNisbetMaibach, E., Nisbet, M.C. et al. (2010). BMC Public Health 10: 299.
Segment 4-6:
Sentence Specific Reaction to Essay
@MCNisbet
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 B1 B2 B3 B4 C1 C2
DISENGAGED DOUBTFUL
DISMISSIVE POPULATION
Maibach, E., Nisbet, M.C. et al. (2010). BMC Public Health 10: 299.
Provoking Anger Across Audience Segments:
Identifying Boomerang Effects
@MCNisbetMyers, T., Nisbet, M.C., Maibach, E.W., & Leiserowitz, A. (2012). Climatic Change.
Engaging A Broader Public Via Energy Resilience?
@MCNisbetMASSPIRG 2013. Moving Off the Road.
Engaging A Broader Public Via Energy Resilience
@MCNisbetMASSPIRG (2013). Moving Off the Road; MA Gov (2010) Clean Energy & Climate Plan 2020
Energy Resilience and Climate Disruption
Warmer, Wetter Future with More Extremes
@MCNisbet
Will Oil Prices Triple in Next Five Years?
@MCNisbetNisbet, Maibach, & Leiserowitz (2011). American Journal of Public Health.
Oil Price Spikes and Risk to Economy?
@MCNisbetNisbet, Maibach, & Leiserowitz (2011). American Journal of Public Health.
Oil Price Spikes and Risk to Public Health?
@MCNisbetNisbet, Maibach, & Leiserowitz (2011). American Journal of Public Health.
Preparing and Planning Ahead for Climate Change
Building a Civic Science Infrastructure and Network
@MCNisbetNisbet, M.C., Hixon, M., Moore, K.D., & Nelson, M. (2010). The Four Cultures: New Synergies for Engaging Society on
Climate Change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 8, 329-331.
The Case of Embryonic Stem Cell Research:
Science as Political Wedge Strategy
@MCNisbetNisbet & Becker (in press). Public Opinion Quarterly; Nisbet & Markowitz (in press). PLoS One
Looking Beyond Partisanship:
Mental Models About Science and Society
@MCNisbetNisbet & Becker (in press). Public Opinion Quarterly; Nisbet & Markowitz (in press). PLoS One
Scientific Reservations (r=.38)
• 'Scientific research these days
doesn't pay enough attention
to the moral values of society‟
• 'Scientific research has
created as many problems for
society as it has solutions‟
Scientific Optimism (r=.40)
• „Scientific research is essential
for improving the quality of
human lives‟
• „New technology used in
medicine allows people to live
longer and better‟
The Popularization and Dissemination Model
@MCNisbet
Engages a core audience of science
enthusiasts who can comment, share, and
repurpose.
Can reach through incidental exposure non-
attentive, broader publics.
Can shape the decisions and thinking of
policymakers, journalists and funders.
For scientists, can build personal
brand, increase citation impact, influence
scientific peers, and develop skills and
experience.
Popularization & The Cycle of Hype
@MCNisbet
Commercialization and competition for funding
puts pressure on scientists and institutions to
“oversell” their findings.
Media coverage emphasizes near term societal
benefits and market development with less
emphasis on uncertainty and possible risks.
Hype risks credibility and trust in science and
may undermine ability to do basic research.
Increasingly defines science and higher
education in terms of economic development and
job growth.
Popularization and the Framing of Policy Options:
Evaluating the Media Impact of a Bestseller
@MCNisbet
0 20 40 60 80 100
Advocacy
Education
Privacy
Accountability
Control / Access
Progress
Welfare
Compensation
Informed Consent
Minor Emphasis
Major Emphasis
% of Reviews, Profiles, Features, Interviews & Opinion Articles
N = 125
ETHICAL THEMES EMPHASIZED IN MEDIA DISCUSSION
Nisbet & Fahy (2012).
Public Intellectuals and Communities of Assumptions
@MCNisbet
o Public intellectuals help create discourses and “communities of
assumptions” that define problems and policy options.
o By calling attention to specific disciplines and networks of
experts, they define which experts or views might be
mainstream versus what might be contrarian or out of bounds.
o Once assumptions and legitimate authorities are established, it
becomes “costly in terms of human mental labor to re-examine
what has finally come to be taken for granted.”
o Other public intellectuals are needed to “disturb the canonical
peace” and “defamiliarize the obvious” by identifying the
flaws in conventional wisdom and by offering alternative
renderings of a problem.
Nisbet (2011); Nisbet (2013); Nisbet (under review).
“Soft Path” Technocratic Approach to Social ChangeDesign to Win Foundations, 2007-2010 / $368M Distributed Across 1248 Grants
@MCNisbetNisbet (2011); Nisbet (2013); Nisbet (under review).
Personalities, Celebrities and Global Commodities
@MCNisbet
o Merge public and private selves by relating
complex ideas or problems to personal
anecdotes, “journeys,” “realizations.”
o Appearance, headshot, image, and dress
are likely to be consistent with the subject
matter they write about.
o Establish authenticity, commitment to a
topic i.e. “walks the walk,” “practices what
they preach” or has acquired unique
knowledge through exceptional
experiences.
o Most are commodities, in that their
books, writing, and speeches are bound up
with a dense web of
promotion, selling, marketing, and
millions of dollars in transactions.
Nisbet (2011); Nisbet (2013); Nisbet (under review).
Public Intellectuals Online & Spirals of Attention
@MCNisbet
o Motivated “issue publics” deep dive
into subject content across
outlets, making public intellectual work
online participatory and social.
o Articles become most popular, read, or
emailed at news
sites…flagged, highlighted, contextua
lized, and spread by way of
comments, Facebook “like” buttons, and
indicators of how often a story has been
re-tweeted.
o Meta-commentary and reactions from
bloggers and journalists at other news
sites turns article into “pseudo-event.”
www.ClimateShiftProject.org
@MCNisbet