Four steps to stimulate meaningful communication on sensitive issues in societal debate: the case of a research agenda for biotechnology and food in the Netherlands

The destructive and emotional clashes between stakeholders in innovative fields of technology (nuclear energy, cloning, GMO-crops) have been blamed on the knowledge divide between scientists, politicians and society. Often, a cautious (network) approach to synchronise knowledge levels among all stakeholders is proposed. These proposed solutions are described under various headings such as, “Interactive Science Communication”, “Interactive Policy” and “New Modes of Governance”. In this chapter a transdisciplinary approach, illustrated by an actual case on around the biotechnology and food debate, is described. Called the “four steps”-approach, it is unique in the sense that it merges classical tools for policy analysis (for example analysis of policy documents, interviews with experts, relational problem analysis) with transdisciplinary tools (for example citizens’ panels, focus groups, Socratic dialogues, stakeholder workshops) resulting in what has been termed a “constructed societal agenda”. This societal agenda reflects the

interrelated

complexity of the different issues extracted from policy discussions which are expanded, analysed and reflected upon by citizens without a vested interest. At the same time it is a frame of reference to enable communication between citizens and other parties in order to recognise their own position in relation to others in the same comprehensive scheme. In the final steps, common ground might be found to escape from simplistic dead end one-way messages, and to head for meaningful dialogues instead. The thus constructed societal agenda offers in addition a framework for democratic public input at the decision table.