Experts’ role in procedures of citizens participation and involvement

Abstract

This paper draws on the contributions presented at “Technoscience and Democracy”, the Third National Seminar organised by STS Italia in partnership with the Faculty of Education at the University of Genoa on January 29-30, 2010. The first contribution is by the seminar’s keynote speaker Luigi Bobbio, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Turin. Drawing on his fieldwork experience in institutional mediation, Bobbio focuses on the role of experts in environmental conflicts. He shows how processes of citizens’ participation and involvement must face the oscillation between politicisation and de-politicisation of science. Therefore, Bobbio introduces the hybrid forum as an alternative solution to overcome both politicisation and de-politicisation of science.The paper includes two comments by Luca Guzzetti (University of Genoa) and Giuseppe Pellegrini (University of Padua). The former connects the plurality of knowledge to the multiple interests of actors in technoscientific processes, also recognising the specific role of the expert. The latter points out the technocratic character of technoscientific innovation, then emphasising the role of civil society and deliberative arenas in promoting more responsible and participative decision-making processes.