Tag: Science & Religion

Beyond partisanship in biopolitics: Reservations about science transcend political boundaries

February 13, 2014 —During the next decade, advances in the life sciences are likely to generate intense political debate in the United States and around the world. Even as conflict over human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research has largely subsided, controversies may resurface as such investigations move forward, and as political conditions change. High-profile debates at the national and local levels over synthetic biology, personal genomics, and various reproductive technologies may also emerge.

Public discussion is likely to focus on a recurring set of questions that blur traditional partisan and ideological differences: Do scientific breakthroughs promote or undermine social progress? Is research being pursued too cautiously or too quickly? Do scientists respect or cross moral boundaries? Does research serve the public interest or private interests?

In a study published at PLOS ONE with Ezra Markowitz, we analyzed a series of nationally representative surveys collected between 2002 and 2010 with the goal of better understanding how the U.S. public came to form opinions and judgments about embryonic stem cell research. The intense campaigning on the issue across elections and states allowed for a unique retrospective comparison of the major factors that shaped public opinion. We used a variety of statistical procedures to differentiate the influence of traditional partisan and ideological factors from more fundamental beliefs about science and society.

Our results indicate that—more so than political party identification, ideology, religious identity, self-rated knowledge, or abortion views—an individual’s beliefs about science and society had the strongest unique influence on their support for embryonic stem cell research. Moreover, identifiable segments of the public differ substantially in how they perceive the social implications of science, and traditional political labels do not easily define these groups.

One segment of the public we call “scientific optimists,” who comprised a third of Americans, believed strongly in the link between science and social progress and tended to be overwhelmingly supportive of scientific advances such as hESC research. This group was, on average, highly educated, financially well off, split evenly in terms of gender, and was disproportionately white. Optimists also tended to split almost evenly by partisan identity, although they trended slightly more Democrat. In terms of ideology, they were the most moderate in their outlook. Compared with other groups, optimists also considered themselves well informed about advances in science and medicine.

“Scientific pessimists,” who made up about a quarter of Americans, showed strong reservations about the moral boundaries that scientists might cross, were concerned that science could create new problems for society, and were the most likely to oppose hESC research. On average, this group scored lower in terms of educational attainment and income, and trended more female and minority in background. Pessimists split evenly relative to partisan identity, but tended to be disproportionately either moderate or conservative in their ideological outlook. Compared with optimists, this group did not consider itself as well informed about science and medicine.

The “conflicted” view science in both optimistic and pessimistic terms. They comprised about a quarter of the public, and were in many ways socially similar to scientific pessimists in their background, but tended to be older. Although they indicated ambivalence about the impacts of science on society, conflicted members of the public appeared open to accepting the arguments of scientists and advocates who emphasized the benefits of research. Between 2002 and 2010, more than 60 percent of this segment came to eventually favor hESC research.

The “disengaged” appeared to lack strong beliefs about how science impacts society, and did not consider themselves as well informed as optimists. This group, which comprised about 15 percent of the public, may have been the most susceptible to swings in opinion, as the disengaged may have relied on political messages and events rather than strongly formed beliefs about science and society to guide judgments on specific issues like hESC research. For example, between November 2008 and May 2010, there was a 20-point shift in support for hESC among this group, from approximately 50 percent to 70 percent support. This swing correlated with President Barack Obama winning the 2008 election, his decision in 2009 to expand funding for hESC research, and the subsequent decline in media attention to partisan conflict over the issue.

As we and other social scientists continue to analyze public opinion about advances in the life sciences, looking beyond partisanship and ideology to deeper factors influencing judgments, our findings can support improved communication and outreach by scientists and their institutions. Activities that can be improved through research include contextualizing information in a manner that is personally relevant and understandable, and working within cities, states, and across communities with trusted media providers and opinion-leaders, who can help broker respectful dialogue and debate about the social implications of science.

–A version of this article was co-authored with Ezra Markowitz and published at Scientist magazine.

Citation:

Nisbet, M.C.& Markowitz, E. (2014, Feb. 18). Beyond Partisanship in Biopolitics. The Scientist.

Reference:

Nisbet, M.C. & Markowitz, E. (2014). Understanding Public Opinion in Debates Over Biomedical Research: Looking Beyond Partisanship to Focus on Beliefs about Science and Society. PLoS ONE 9(2): e88473.

Opinions about scientific advances blur party-political lines

Reading about the rapid pace of advances in biomedicine, you may have wondered why more politically liberal countries like Germany and Canada have stronger restrictions on embryonic stem cell research than the politically conservative US.

History and happenstance play a role, but these differences also reflect public concerns that do not conform to traditional left or right political ideologies.

As debates over stem cell research continue and as conflicts over other biomedical advances emerge, a recurring set of questions is likely to be seen. Do scientific breakthroughs promote or undermine social progress? Is research being pursued too cautiously or too quickly? Do scientists respect or cross moral boundaries?

In a study published in PLOS ONE with Ezra Markowitz, we analyzed series of surveys collected between 2002 and 2010 to better understand what the US public thinks about stem cell research and how they formed these opinions. We were able to distinguish between the different factors influencing their beliefs. At play were factors such as traditional loyalties to political parties and more fundamental beliefs about science and society.

Our results indicate that, more than political party identification, ideology or religious beliefs, an individual’s beliefs about science and society had the strongest influence on their support for stem cell research. It was also possible to identify distinct segments who differ substantially in what they thought about science’s social implications. Traditional political labels do not easily define these groups.

Based on our data we classify the US public in four categories:

  1. Scientific optimists: These comprise about a third of the public. They believe strongly in the link between science and social progress. They are likely to support most scientific advances and three quarters of this group are in favour of embryonic stem cell research. Optimists are on average highly educated, financially well off and disproportionately white. They are split almost evenly along political lines, with slightly more Democrats among them. In terms of political ideology, they are the most moderate in their outlook.
  2. Scientific pessimists: This group comprises just under a quarter of the public. They have strong reservations about the moral boundaries that might be crossed by scientists and believe science may lead to new problems. They are the most likely to oppose advances in biomedical research, with only 40% in favour of stem cell research. Compared to optimists, this group scores much lower on average in terms of educational attainment and income. More tend to be female and from a minority background. Pessimists split evenly along party lines, but tend to be disproportionately either moderate or conservative in their ideological outlook.
  3. The conflicted: This group represents another quarter of the public. They view science in both optimistic and pessimistic terms. Though they are socially similar to the Pessimists in their background, they tend to be older on average than members of other segments. They appear open to accepting the arguments of scientists and advocates who emphasise the benefits of research. By 2010, more than 60% of this segment had come to favour embryonic stem cell research.
  4. The disengaged: About 15% of the public lacks strong beliefs about how science might impact society. As a result, they are likely to be the most susceptible to shifts in opinion driven by political messages. For example, between 2008 and 2010, support for embryonic stem cell research among this group increased by 20 percentage points.

A Better Informed Public

As advances in stem cell research, synthetic biology, personalized genomics and other scientific fields move forward, our current media is unlikely to adequately address the deeper set of public concerns reflected in our study.

Cable TV, social media and the tabloid press tend to favor sensationalism over context. These complex debates are all too likely to be distorted in terms of simplistic left-right distinctions or exaggerated to be miracle breakthroughs or morally repugnant. At more prestigious news outlets, budget cuts and layoffs will limit the opportunity for in-depth coverage and analysis.

Given these challenges, academics need to invest in encouraging respectful debate about the future of science and what it means for society. The place to start may be in the cities and regions where research is taking place. Here we need to better understand the different questions being asked about scientific advances and invest in local media and public forums that encourage constructive discussion and debate.

–A version of this article was co-authored with Ezra Markowitz and originally published at The Conversation. 

Citation:

Nisbet, M.C. & Markowitz, E. (2014, Feb. 19). Opinions about Scientific Advances Blur Party/Political Lines. The Conversation UK. 

Reference:

Nisbet, M.C. & Markowitz, E. (2014). Understanding Public Opinion in Debates Over Biomedical Research: Looking Beyond Partisanship to Focus on Beliefs about Science and Society. PLoS ONE 9(2): e88473.