|
Description:
|
According to Millar (1996 ) , the gulf between science and society is growing . Technologies
are tools cultures develop to solve society's problems . The rapid dispersion of science and
technology across cultural borders through trade , technology transfer and exchange ,
increasingly requires people in different cultures to make choices about accepting or
rejecting artifacts of science and technology such as genetically modified (GM ) foods ,
which originate primarily from the United States .
These issues challenge policy makers and scientists to account for the affects of different
cultural perspectives on controversial scientific issues . Given the controversy across
cultures over acceptance or rejection of genetically modified (GM ) foods , GM foods are an
excellent example with which to begin to reveal how culture impacts public perceptions of
the risk and benefits of science and technology in different societies . This research will : 1 . Define public awareness and understanding of science , specifically
GM foods ; 2 . Examine culture's impact on knowledge , including different cultural
approaches to research ; and 3 . Compare recent findings of a bi -national public opinion
survey on GM comparing in South Korea and the United States . The proposed research
outlines two research questions :
1 ) How and in what ways do South Koreans and Americans differ in their opinions about
GMOs ? This question is important for gathering current points of contrast about how the
two cultures may differ ; and
2 ) What role does culture play on opinion formation about GM foods ?
Through grounded theory , the researcher will investigate how cultural differences help
explain opinion on public perceptions of GM foods . Is it possible to identify common
cultural factors that impact public perceptions of GM foods between South Koreans and
Americans ? The study will utilize both qualitative and quantitative methodologies . Higher
education is a major producer of new science and technology . The study is significant for
higher education administrators who must understand cultural factors impacting science
internationally and globalization of the academic enterprise . |