Ideologies and attitudes towards science |
|
| Coordinator 1 | Dr Vera Toepoel (Statistics Netherlands) |
Science, as the activity that pursues an epistemological foundation based on the value of technology, has
always guided human action in its constant thirst for knowledge and its progress, as well as in concrete
discoveries and inventions. However, its legitimacy during the advent of Covid-19 pandemic seemed to falter, as a result of both (individual) cognitive processes and new (collective) ideologies that do not always recognise expert knowledge or those subjects who institutionally hold it (virologists, epidemiologists, scientific-technical committees, etc.).
In this scenario, which has the typical features of a “Risk Society”, feelings such as anxiety and fear –
together with a certain inevitable generic alarmism in times of crisis – merge with the consequences of a
hyper-mediated contemporary condition (as observed in today’s “Platform Society”). Among the outcomes of a greater exposure to the effects of misinformation, “filter bubbles”, and “echo-chambers”, there is the polarisation and radicalisation of public debate. In addition to these effects, a very important role is played by the personal resources possessed, in terms of cultural capital and critical thinking skills. The combination of these and other elements leads to a strong distinction between people who continue to place their trust in science and people who lend themselves to a general anti-system distrust, various conspiracy theories and delegitimizing visions.
The present session aims to stimulate a reflection on both collective ideologies and personal attitudes
towards science, with specific reference to the pandemic context and the public opinion about vaccination
policies. The surveys carried out by the various contributions return different explanatory perspectives,
exploring the relationship between society and science through both qualitative and quantitative
approaches.