Studying the emergence of a new social representation: Changes in thinking about nanotechnologies in early 21st-century Italy

Sonia Brondi, Federico Neresini
2018 European Journal of Social Psychology  
We investigated the emergence of a new social representation (SR) of a techno-scientific innovation-nanotechnologies-among the Italian public. We reviewed how nanotechnologies entered parliamentary debates and the media agenda in the early third millennium. We conducted crosssectional surveys in 2006 (N = 246) and 2011 (N = 486) to examine the emerging SR of nanotechnologies. We sought to observe processes of anchoring and objectification 'in action', by analyzing roles of (i) social groups,
more » ... (ii) neighboring SRs of science and of technology, over time. Several changes from 2006 to 2011 were identified: From a 'descriptive' to an 'evaluative' approach; from a 'neutral' to a 'controversial' issue; from a 'concrete' to an 'abstract' object; and from a 'technological' to a 'scientific' phenomenon. We conclude that nanotechnologies finally became 'relevant enough' by 2011 to be considered a proper object of SR, and an emerging SR can be observed.
doi:10.1002/ejsp.2369 fatcat:s4aohxkxbva7lf2qwdzn25ia5i