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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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Science communication - Academia to non-academia

Author

Term

4. term

Education

Publication year

2019

Submitted on

Pages

95

Abstract

Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan psykologisk viden formidles fra universiteter til mennesker uden for den akademiske verden. Det kombinerer en kulturpsykologisk tilgang, som ser på, hvordan kultur og meningsskabelse former kommunikation, med et strukturelt perspektiv inspireret af Michel Foucault. Her bruges begreberne diskurs, governmentalitet og institutionalisering til at vise, hvordan magt og institutioner sætter rammer for, hvad der kan siges, og af hvem. Kommunikation forstås som et kulturelt redskab, der gør det muligt at dele viden og koordinere socialt samspil. Teorien om sociale repræsentationer bruges til at forklare, hvordan videnskabelige ideer bliver oversat til mere hverdagslige begreber. Positioneringsteori bidrager med at belyse de ofte asymmetriske og skiftende magtforhold i formidlingssituationen, hvor aktører indtager forskellige roller og rettigheder. For at forbinde teori og praksis bygger specialet på to interviews med de psykologiske forskere Svend Brinkmann og Jaan Valsiner. Materialet analyseres med tematisk netværksanalyse (Thematic Network Analysis), som organiserer centrale temaer og kobler dem til den teoretiske ramme. Samlet giver specialet et flerlaget billede af videnskabskommunikation i psykologi. Når viden bevæger sig ud af akademiet, passerer den gennem filtre og kanaler, bliver omformet af forskellige diskurser og påvirkes af institutionelle vilkår og samfundsmæssige magtstrukturer. Flere aktører med egne dagsordener og motiver er med til at forme processen og dens resultater.

This thesis examines how psychological knowledge is communicated from universities to people outside academia. It combines a cultural-psychological approach, which looks at how culture and meaning shape communication, with a structural perspective inspired by Michel Foucault. The concepts of discourse, governmentality, and institutionalization are used to show how power and institutions set the terms of what can be said, and by whom. Communication is treated as a cultural tool that enables people to share knowledge and coordinate social interaction. The theory of social representations explains how scientific ideas are translated into more familiar, everyday concepts. Positioning theory highlights the often asymmetric and shifting power relations in communication, as participants take up different roles and rights. To connect theory with practice, the study includes two interviews with the psychological scientists Svend Brinkmann and Jaan Valsiner. The material is analyzed using Thematic Network Analysis, which organizes key themes and links them to the theoretical framework. Taken together, the thesis offers a multi-level picture of science communication in psychology. As knowledge moves out of academia, it passes through filters and channels, is reframed by different discourses, and is influenced by institutional settings and societal power structures. Multiple actors, each with their own agendas and motives, shape the process and its outcomes.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]