Golem science and the public understanding of science: from deficit to dilemma

"Golem science" is Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch's humanized image of scie nce, filled with irresolution, that they wish to substitute for the "god-li ke" image of definitive knowledge characteristic of public presentations of science. This god-like image creates unrealistic expectations that fuel "a nti-scientific" reactions when unmet. This paper argues that the "flip-flop " view set forth by Collins and Pinch is a deficit model that positions the public as sociologically incompetent. It reflects the dilemma of professio nal social scientists who deconstruct science whilst appealing to the autho rity of science. This dilemma is an outcome of a deeper tension within scie nce between the universal status of knowledge claims and the particular, hu man conditions of knowledge production. Drawing on discursive (or rhetorica l) psychology, I show that this tension plays out in the rhetorical organiz ation of scientific discourse in the form of a characteristic contrast betw een empiricist and contingent repertoires. A similar tension is discernible in everyday, mundane reasoning, which suggests that a golem image of scien ce is already present in commonsense understanding alongside the "god-like" image. Thus, the public understanding of science is dilemmatically constit uted, providing the conditions of argumentation with science seen in "antis cience"-itself a "folk devil" and rhetorical label. The analysis in this pa per is illustrated using the example of creationism, which arises from an a rgumentative engagement with science that draws on the resources provided b y the dilemma of science in conjunction with other resources drawn from Chr istianity. There is no simple "flip-flop" here. Further research into rheto rical reasoning in public understanding is called for on the grounds that g reater appreciation of this is needed alongside golem science to improve re lations between scientists and the public.