Stories of scientists perception of the public and their impact on the development of biotecnology research on Genetically Modified Organisms in Italy

Abstract

It is possible to argue that the UK represents the natural home for the modern Public Understanding of Science debate. The recent interest showed by Italian researchers towards these issues, which clearly emerges though the development of a number of initiatives including the launch of the academic journal Technoscienza and the Italian STS society (2005), shows that new room to debate these issues is gradually been developed. In this context, in light of the idea according to the relation between science and the public should be organized through the development of hybrid forum and public engagement initiatives, it makes sense to ask how scientists experience the public. In this paper I will try to address these questions, focusing on the case of Genetically Modified Organisms. Thorugh the stories proposed by eleven Italian researchers who worked on GMOs, the article explores how science experience public opinion on GMOs, and how this influenced, or failed to influence, the futures of these products. I conclude that there still exist a number of barriers that still separate science from the public and contribute to move away experience of public engagement and hybrid forums.