Science Communication and Engagement with Religious Publics

Day/time: Wednesday, April 11, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM. Room: Hill Country D. Organizers: Rob O’Malley and Elizabeth Crocker (American Association for the Advancement of Science). Maximum attendance: 40 

Are you involved in public science engagement, or thinking about it?  Are you interested in promoting dialogue about science with a broader spectrum of publics then you currently reach?  Do you want to support a culture of enthusiasm and advocacy for science in your community?  Are you concerned about effectively navigating tensions at the intersections of science, culture, and faith in your classroom, at your field site, on social media, or in public settings?

Join us for a workshop on science engagement with religious publics, developed as a collaboration between the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) “Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion” program and science communication specialists from the AAAS Center for Public Engagement on Science and Technology.  This workshop will include:

  1. an overview of why consideration of the perspectives of religious and spiritual publics is important for science engagement;
  2. a discussion of prior experiences or anticipated challenges for biological anthropologists engaging with religious communities and individuals of faith;
  3. a presentation of strategies for participating in constructive dialogue about your research (and the field of biological anthropology as a whole) with clarity and sensitivity to a range of worldviews;
  4. opportunities to practice effective science communication by tackling challenging questions or topics in biological anthropology that lie at the intersections of science, faith, and culture.

While the focus of the workshop is on engagement with religious communities and people of faith, the content is broadly relevant to effective science communication, with applications for formal academic instruction, in social and traditional media, and in a range of public engagement settings.

Lunch will be provided. Participants are limited to a maximum of 40.

The workshop will be of relevance to AAPA members involved in public science engagement, from undergraduates to senior faculty and researchers