From invited to uninvited participation (and back?): rethinking civil society engagement in technology assessment and development

In recent years, citizens?? and civil society engagement with science and technology has become almost synonymous with participation in institutionally organized formats of participatory technology assessment (pTA) such as consensus conferences or stakeholder dialogues. Contrary to this view, it is argued in the article that beyond these standardized models of ??invited?? participation, there exist various forms of ??uninvited?? and independent civil society engagement, which frequently not only have more significant impact but are profoundly democratically legitimate as well. Using the two examples of patient associations and environmental and consumer organizations in the field of nanotechnology, it is illustrated that interest-based civil society interventions do play an important role in the polycentric governance of science and technology. In conclusion, some implications for the activities of TA institutions and the design of novel TA procedures are outlined.     

Cross-Cultural Competency Through Service-Learning

ABSTRACT

This article addresses the development of cross-cultural competency within the context of service-learning. The need to integrate cross-cultural competency into the academic curriculum has risen dramatically with the sharp increase in resident Hispanics and their families. Service-learning addresses the demand for culturally competent graduates who can address the paradigms of inequality and invisibility as well as the language barrier. Service-learning develops cultural competency through weekly direct contact and journal writing exercises. By venturing into the community, students see beyond the cultural walls that often divide neighborhoods, and they also make connections between economics, anthropology, history, political science, and other disciplines. Through service-learning, many university students develop maturity and ingenuity that they would not acquire in the classroom. Community partners—the families, students, and teachers—discover how to complement and advocate for each other to help ensure well-being and academic success. This article analyzes and evaluates the service-learning experience through a community practicum course in which students spend 40 hours working with Hispanic migrant families. It includes the evolution in service-learning in a university program and the value in the shift from a focus on language acquisition to the development of cultural competency as an integral part of the program. Working with a population that is culturally different from themselves and the textbook knowledge they have received has become a cornerstone of university language and teacher-training programs.