“It shouldn’t look aggressive”: How conceptions about publics shape the development of mining exploration technologies

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“It shouldn’t look aggressive”: How conceptions about publics shape the development of mining exploration technologies. / Bleicher, Alena; Häßler, Pauline; David, Martin.
In: Public Understanding of Science, Vol. 31, No. 8, 01.11.2022, p. 978-992.

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@article{f90a39dee98b47e48780b6e700d727ac,
title = "“It shouldn{\textquoteright}t look aggressive”: How conceptions about publics shape the development of mining exploration technologies",
abstract = "Today, industrial-scale mining is a high-tech activity that transforms places and regions by creating massive technological infrastructures. “The public” and its relationship with this industry are seen as increasingly relevant for mining projects; however, the role technologies play in this regard is as yet under-researched. In this article, we use an example from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research program to examine how technoscientific actors build relationships with the public in the context of mining technology development. More precisely, we reveal how the public is conceptualized by technology developers and how such conceptions come into play in technology development projects. We argue that a central aspect of this is the assumption that certain characteristics of the public are variable or stable. While characteristics perceived as stable tend to lead to an adjustment of the technology to suit the attitudes of an imagined public, characteristics perceived as variable cause no technological modifications but do influence the selection of communication strategies.",
keywords = "imagined publics, mining exploration technology, stable and variable publics, Management studies",
author = "Alena Bleicher and Pauline H{\"a}{\ss}ler and Martin David",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2022.",
year = "2022",
month = nov,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1177/09636625221100681",
language = "English",
volume = "31",
pages = "978--992",
journal = "Public Understanding of Science",
issn = "0963-6625",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",
number = "8",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - “It shouldn’t look aggressive”

T2 - How conceptions about publics shape the development of mining exploration technologies

AU - Bleicher, Alena

AU - Häßler, Pauline

AU - David, Martin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2022.

PY - 2022/11/1

Y1 - 2022/11/1

N2 - Today, industrial-scale mining is a high-tech activity that transforms places and regions by creating massive technological infrastructures. “The public” and its relationship with this industry are seen as increasingly relevant for mining projects; however, the role technologies play in this regard is as yet under-researched. In this article, we use an example from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research program to examine how technoscientific actors build relationships with the public in the context of mining technology development. More precisely, we reveal how the public is conceptualized by technology developers and how such conceptions come into play in technology development projects. We argue that a central aspect of this is the assumption that certain characteristics of the public are variable or stable. While characteristics perceived as stable tend to lead to an adjustment of the technology to suit the attitudes of an imagined public, characteristics perceived as variable cause no technological modifications but do influence the selection of communication strategies.

AB - Today, industrial-scale mining is a high-tech activity that transforms places and regions by creating massive technological infrastructures. “The public” and its relationship with this industry are seen as increasingly relevant for mining projects; however, the role technologies play in this regard is as yet under-researched. In this article, we use an example from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research program to examine how technoscientific actors build relationships with the public in the context of mining technology development. More precisely, we reveal how the public is conceptualized by technology developers and how such conceptions come into play in technology development projects. We argue that a central aspect of this is the assumption that certain characteristics of the public are variable or stable. While characteristics perceived as stable tend to lead to an adjustment of the technology to suit the attitudes of an imagined public, characteristics perceived as variable cause no technological modifications but do influence the selection of communication strategies.

KW - imagined publics

KW - mining exploration technology

KW - stable and variable publics

KW - Management studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131566088&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/09636625221100681

DO - 10.1177/09636625221100681

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 35652413

AN - SCOPUS:85131566088

VL - 31

SP - 978

EP - 992

JO - Public Understanding of Science

JF - Public Understanding of Science

SN - 0963-6625

IS - 8

ER -