This article discusses a range of recent major surveys of public attitudes toward biotechnology. The authors identify a number of problematic features of the surveys: the use of predominantly consumerist rather than civic conception of public discourse; the assumption of a unitary "general public," a "cognitive deficit" approach to public understanding of science; and the presumption of a politically neutral and instrumental ist model of science and technology. The authors then examine some alternative ap proaches to exploring perceptions of biotechnology (...) among a diversity of interested publics, including more focused dialogical surveys, consensus conferences, and parlia mentary inquiries. (shrink)

Two recent surveys of genetic engmeering scientists have assessed how scientists in the United States and in Europe view the influence of regulation and public attention on recombinant DNA research. Generally, European researchers are more negative about this issue: they feel that public attention has hampered progress in the field more than it has helped it. The probable cause for this difference is that European countries tend to have more—and more stringent—regulations on bioengineering than the United States, although there are (...) also national differences in the climate for bioengineering research. On the other hand, scientists in the United States seem extremely concerned about competitiveness, especially relative to Japan. (shrink)