Science Culture Publishing and the Science Communication Wave at the Turn of the Century
title: "Science Culture Publishing and the Science Communication Wave at the Turn of the Century" slug: "fanchunping-science-culture-publishing-tide.en" date: "2023-02-01" category: "science-comm" author: "Fan Chunping" excerpt: "The science culture publishing and science communication wave from 1992 to 2005 is divided into fore-wave, main-wave, and after-wave for conceptual tracing, process review, and outcome analysis. The promotion of the scientific spirit was at the core of this wave."
Science Culture Publishing and the Science Communication Wave at the Turn of the Century
Author: Fan Chunping (School of Education, Beijing Institute of Technology)
Abstract
This study divides the science culture publishing and science communication wave at the turn of the century (1992–2005) into three phases—fore-wave, main-wave, and after-wave—for conceptual tracing, process review, and outcome analysis. In an era dominated by print media, the communications paradigm, the official work paradigm, and the science culture paradigm of science communication coexisted, competed, and complemented one another.
The scientific spirit exists along a conceptual spectrum: strong scientism, rational scientism, rational humanism, humanism or liberalism, and "anti-scientism." The promotion of the scientific spirit was the core of this wave. During this period, heated discussions unfolded on the relationship between the scientific spirit and the humanistic spirit, as well as a major debate pitting liberalism and "anti-scientism" against strong scientism.
Characteristics of the wave: the science culture publishing of that era was publishing with research and with a position; theoretical research in science culture and science communication complemented the practice of science culture publishing; publishing, academia, and media resonated in unison, creating a phenomenon.
Achievements of the wave: the scientific spirit was promoted, the concept of science popularization was renewed, "science communication" became a thematic keyword on par with "science popularization," propelling the development of China's science popularization enterprise and transforming the spiritual character and overall ethos of Chinese science.
I. Research Aims and Foundational Judgments
This study arrives at the following foundational judgments:
First, the science culture publishing of that period was publishing with research and with a position—a consciously directed cultural construction undertaken through collaboration between publishers and researchers, rather than a market-driven commercial activity.
Second, publishing, research, and media resonated in unison, creating a phenomenon—unintentional at its inception but recognizable as a wave in retrospect.
Third, the promotion of the scientific spirit was the core of this wave. The discussions surrounding the scientific spirit, along with the science communication research conducted under its guidance, validated interactionism.
Fourth, science communication researchers advocated replacing "science popularization" with "science communication." Although this proposal did not prevail, it subjected the concept of science popularization to renewal, endowing it with entirely new connotations.
Fifth, the science communication propelled by science culture publishing advanced the development of China's science popularization and scientific enterprises, transforming the spiritual character and overall ethos of Chinese science.
II. Conceptual Tracing
1. Science Culture Publishing
The "science culture publishing" discussed in this article, in the specific sense of advancing alongside science communication, is a narrow concept. It refers to publishing activities characterized primarily by: presenting the scientific process and the relationship between science and society, between humanity and nature; conveying scientific methods; revealing the double-edged nature of science and technology; inspiring scientific thought; promoting the scientific spirit; and advancing public understanding of science. Such publications were once ambiguously termed "advanced science popularization" or "high-end science popularization." The scientific spirit was the soul of this publishing and communication process.
2. Science Communication
In China, the term "science communication" has been researched and disseminated under three paradigms:
(1) The communications paradigm—Zhai Jiequan published the first article on this in 1985, applying concepts and theories from communication studies to the study of scientific processes. In 2000, Lin Jian earned his doctorate with a dissertation titled "On Information Selection in Science and Technology Communication," the first doctoral dissertation in China on the topic of science communication.
(2) The official science popularization work paradigm—In 1995, Zhou Guangzhao first used this phrase in the sense of "science communication." At the first National Science Popularization Work Conference in 1996, Zhou divided the communication process into three tiers: "scientific exchange, science education, and science popularization."
(3) The science culture paradigm—This paradigm studies the mechanisms and content of science communication together. In 1996, Liu Huajie published an article distinguishing several tiers of science popularization. In 2000, he proposed that "science communication" and "science popularization" differ in their subject structure, with science communication being a complex process of two-way exchange.
3. The Scientific Spirit
Unlike the paradigmatic differences in "science communication," understandings of the "scientific spirit" form a spectrum from strong scientism, rational scientism, rational humanism, humanism or liberalism, to anti-scientism.
III. Process Review
In 1992, the first batch of the "First Mover Series" was published, marking the starting point of this wave. In July 2000, the first batch of the "Science Culture Series," conceived by Wu Guosheng and Liu Huajie with participation from Liu Bing and Jiang Xiaoyuan, was released. These publishing activities intertwined with academic discussions and media communication, forming a polyphonic science communication wave.
IV. Outcomes and Impact
After more than a decade of effort, the scientific spirit was promoted, the concept of science popularization was renewed, and "science communication" became an industry keyword. The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Popularization of Science and Technology was enacted in 2002, enshrining "promoting the scientific spirit" within its provisions.
This wave transformed the spiritual character and overall ethos of Chinese science, leaving behind valuable experience and inspiration for the subsequent development of the science communication enterprise.
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