The political relevance of the Internet-based visualisation of risk-related controversies

Duration: 01.04.2009 - 30.09.2010

This project is aimed at gaining insights into the generation of controversial knowledge and testing new ways of preparing political decisions on risk-policy issues. The tool 'risk mapping' will be used to support participatory opinion-making and decision-making processes. Using dietary supplements and nanoscale materials as case studies, various types of risk knowledge from a number of sources (expert knowledge, layman's knowledge, the knowledge of decision-makers such as risk managers in the political sector and in industry) are being gathered, placed in context with one another and structured with the help of mapping tools.

Background
Actual and presumed hazards such as nanoscale materials and dietary supplements open up wide areas for public and (sub-) political debates on risk. These engender sprawling arenas consisting of expert reports, counter-reports and presentations in the media which, due to their complexity and dynamics, are increasingly difficult to access for all societal players. Used as a guiding keyword for the research done in this connection, the term 'systemic risks' directs particular attention to the dynamics and mutability of these risks, two attributes that make changes in risk management a necessity: The participatory mapping of risk debates should in the context of this project enable risk monitoring that is more integrative.

Project aims
In light of this, the first objective of this project is to test a prototype for Internet-based risk mapping that was developed in a preceding project. This prototype will be tested in participatory opinion-making and decision-making processes (keyword: experimental democracy). The second objective is to enable statements to be made, with the help of this tool and an analysis of the participatory processes, about the generation of knowledge, about the origin of knowledge systems and about knowledge dynamics.
Steps
As a first step, the existing risk-mapping prototype from the preceding project will have to be further developed and opened up to make it a user-friendly, participation-based tool for generating knowledge and for visualising debates on risks. Three workshops will then be conducted with stakeholder groups (experts, political decision-makers, representatives from industry, NGOs, consumers) for each of the two case studies under examination in order to gain further insights into the individual and collective generation of knowledge that is of relevance to the respective risk. A fourth and final synthesis workshop will subsequently be held to bring together the different stakeholder groups' points of view on each case study. The visualisations developed during these workshops and the attendant process of generating them will be examined with an eye to different knowledge systems.

Case studies
. Nanoscale materials
Particles with extremely small diameters often exhibit new kinds of properties. Many are already being used today in a wealth of consumer products and technical products. It is known from past experience with asbestos that small particles can have an adverse effect on health even when the particular material is otherwise not toxic. In light of this, there is a debate on the risks inherent in nanomaterials that is growing in tandem with the number of consumer products that have been enhanced with them.

. Dietary supplements
The market for dietary supplements is booming. A growing 0 for consumers, virtually impenetrable 0 number of preparations (such as vitamins, plant extracts) is commercially available today. However, many of the positive effects ascribed to them have not been scientifically proven to a sufficient extent. Excessive dosages can bring health risks. The legal regulations that are currently in place have been full of gaps to date and licensing is not required.

Project partners
Munich Institute for Social and Sustainability Research (MPS): Dr Kerstin Dressel, Professor Dr Cordula Kropp, Wiebke Pohler and Christian Zottl.
Wissenschaftszentrum Umwelt of the University of Augsburg: Dr Stefan Böschen, Dr Jens Soentgen, Dr Martina Erlemann and Stefan Hörmann.
Software und Consulting GmbH (SoUCon): Stefan Sturm, Annette Franck.

Collaboration with the international network MApping COntroversies On Science for POlitics - MACOSPOL, a research initiative directed by Professor Bruno Latour  (Sciences Po, Paris; www.demoscience.org).

Contact
Dr Kerstin Dressel / Professor Dr Cordula Kropp
Munich Institute for Social and Sustainability Research
Forschung zu Nachhaltiger Entwicklung
Hermann-Lingg-Str. 10
D-80336 Munich
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)89 155760
Fax: +49 (0)89 1577949
E-mail: kerstin.dressel[at]sozialforschung.org; cordula.kropp[at]sozialforschung.org

Dr Stefan Böschen
Wissensschaftszentrum Umwelt
University of Augsburg
Universitätsstr. 1a
D-86159 Augsburg
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)821 598 3560
Fax: +49 (0)821 598 3559
E-mail: stefan.boeschen[at]phil.uni-augsburg.de

Project homepage: http://www.risk-cartography.org/