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Risky Talk: Framing the Analysis of the Social Implications of Nanotechnology

Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, cmp8{at}lehigh.edu

Stephen H. Cutcliffe

Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, shc0{at}lehigh.edu

Nanotechnology promises to amend an understanding of elemental properties, alter the basic techniques of manufacturing, and improve disease diagnosis. There is a disconnect among the positive predictions of scientists and researchers, the fears of public interest groups, and the developers of products. A new framework for evaluating the social implications of nanotechnology will permit a dialogue among interest groups, who currently fail to effectively communicate with one another. Each instance of nanotechnology application will likely have its own unique attributes, but this framework for evaluating the social implications of nanotechnology will address three questions: How do problems become visible to the social groups that contribute to the framing of technology? What kind of language do social groups use to express significance? How does risk standardization contribute to technology stabilization? The suggested framework compares the ways that risk is discussed in military applications, consumer products, and workplace safety.

Key Words: nanotechnology • risk • social construction of technology • societal implications of nanotechnology

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