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Co-production of an institution: Montserrat Volcano Observatory and social dependence on science

Co-production of an institution: Montserrat Volcano Observatory and social dependence on science This paper documents the foundation and work of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), on the island of Montserrat in the Eastern Caribbean. It describes the co-production of the MVO as the result of a crisis-driven dialogue between scientists and officials. This involved contested understandings of the role of volcano observatories, and the balancing of limited resources within and beyond the observatory. Challenges also arose early on in the MVOs history within the social context of the science itself as a result of different institutional and cultural framings. Montserrats government desperately needed scientific advice, but the high level of uncertainty involved in volcano forecasting combined with conflicts in the different scientific communities involved appeared to threaten the islands future. In the following years, the institutionalising of volcanological science on Montserrat sought to overcome those early challenges and produce a dialogue that benefited both science and Montserrat. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Science and Public Policy Oxford University Press

Co-production of an institution: Montserrat Volcano Observatory and social dependence on science

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References (12)

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
ISSN
0302-3427
eISSN
1471-5430
DOI
10.1093/scipol/scs078
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This paper documents the foundation and work of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), on the island of Montserrat in the Eastern Caribbean. It describes the co-production of the MVO as the result of a crisis-driven dialogue between scientists and officials. This involved contested understandings of the role of volcano observatories, and the balancing of limited resources within and beyond the observatory. Challenges also arose early on in the MVOs history within the social context of the science itself as a result of different institutional and cultural framings. Montserrats government desperately needed scientific advice, but the high level of uncertainty involved in volcano forecasting combined with conflicts in the different scientific communities involved appeared to threaten the islands future. In the following years, the institutionalising of volcanological science on Montserrat sought to overcome those early challenges and produce a dialogue that benefited both science and Montserrat.

Journal

Science and Public PolicyOxford University Press

Published: Apr 13, 2013

Keywords: social studies of volcanology volcanic risk uncertainty and policy co-production Montserrat scientific advice

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