5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

While the urgency of the climate crisis increases, and climate science puts forward alarming reports, some citizens question the relevance and trustworthiness of their knowledge more and more. They may feel like the academic world is too far removed from their daily lives, that it invents solutions that benefit the already advantaged, or that it has too close ties with vested interests which corrupts their operations.

The conventional role of science as the detached producer of objective knowledge no longer fits when dealing with complex social-scientific crises – such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the climate crisis. More people understand science as societally situated, and scientists themselves increasingly feel uncomfortable with that old ideal. The same goes for the traditional form of science communication, which assumes knowledge deficits, and finds solutions in explaining science more. This approach falls short in restoring trust and reducing polarisation. But what happens when science starts to engage more directly with and in society? How is scientific independence and authority reconfigured by such desires and developments?

In this panel, we welcome scholars who are studying/working on new forms of science communication and/or societal engagement around climate research. These approaches may take many forms: from social media campaigns to citizen assemblies, and from virtual reality simulations to taking part in societal activism. The key objective must fall within the broad category of improving the strained relations between science and society in the context of the climate crisis by engaging citizens and scholars in new constellations.