Associate Professor Yuko Fujigaki is associate professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan. She was a council member of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) 2002-2005 and is now program chair for the 4S 2010 Tokyo meeting, jointly held with Japanese Society for Studies of Science and Technology. Her 2005 edited book Case Analysis and Theoretical Concepts for Science and Technology Studies (Univ. of Tokyo Press) deals with Japanese cases relating to STS, including Minamata disease (mercury pollution), Itai-Itai Disease (cadmium pollution), Monjyu (nuclear power plant) incidents, AIDS, BSE, and GMOs. This book also questions universalities vs. cultural differences in STS concepts. Other books include The Public Ethic and Spirit of Specialism and the edited volume Theoretical Perspectives for Science Communication (Univ. of Tokyo Press 2008). She is now analysing cross-boundary conflicts among different journal communities, using a concept of 'validation boundaries', and in relationships between validation boundaries and the social responsibility of scientists. Governmental activities include being Vice Director of Research, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy, Science and Technology Agency, 1996-2000; and member of the Policy Evaluation Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, Culture and Sports, Evaluation Committee for Research Institutes of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Keynote presentation abstract
Public Participation and Science Communication: Japanese Contexts and Case Studies
In this presentation, I discuss the role of public participation and science communication in the governance of science and technology in Japanese context using several case analyses. First, I compare the case of Minamata disease (Mercury pollution) to that of Itai-Itai Disease (Cadmium pollution), where the role and the importance of public participation in environmental problems are shown. Second, through case analysis of Monjyu (Nuclear Power Plant) incidents, I will show that Japanese society is now in a transition phase from the Technocratic Model to the Democratic Model in decision making processes regarding governance of science and technology. This transition is also parallel with that of the Deficit Model to the Lay Expertise Model or Public Participation Model in science communication. Finally, I will introduce several findings about science communication programs by Japanese governments and analyse the gap between government-driven public participation program and grass-roots public participation, as well as the gap between government-driven PUS and science communication for filling these gaps.