The socio-epistemic constitution of science and technology in the Greek press: an analysis of its presentation

• Published in: Public understanding of science (Bristol, England) England), 2002-07, Vol.11 (3), p.225-241
• Main Authors: Dimopoulos, Kostas, Koulaidis, Vasilis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0963-6625; 1361-6609
• DOI: 10.1088/0963-6625/11/3/302

This paper aims to analyze the way in which the Greek press treats the socio-epistemic constitution of science and technology. By “socio-epistemic constitution” we mean the following dimensions: (a) techno-scientific methodology, (b) the social organization of the techno-scientific endeavor, and (c) the interactions of science and technology with other public spheres. Our methodology is based on a content analysis of a sample consisting of 1,867 relevant articles from four national Greek newspapers. The analysis showed that although there is a constant flow of techno-scientific articles, the internal aspects (methodology and internal organization) of science and technology become apparent in only a small minority of these articles. By contrast, external relationships, mainly with politics and economics, are emphasized by focusing on the positive social impact of the techno-scientific endeavor. In general, the Greek press makes a positive contribution to the advancement of the public understanding of science and technology, as the prominent presentation of some of their socio-epistemological components forms a realistic “post-academic” image of these two areas.