Citizen science and democracy : get involved!

Conspiracy theories help people make sense of disturbing events

It is a common belief that conspiracy theories have grown so much with the Internet and social networks, and some now talk about a "golden age" of conspiracy theories. In fact, research on the subject has not found that the number of conspiracy theories has grown faster in recent years. What we are likely seeing is an increase in the political use and social effect of disinformation.

Researchers say that conspiracy theories emerge because when we try to explain what happens around us, we need to identify familiar patterns, and we prefer to think that events result from the actions of individuals who have a specific plan. Karl Popper, a philosopher of science, said that conspiracy theories are just religious myths in a nonreligious form. This need to "make sense" of the world around us is particularly strong when we are under major stress, facing events like the COVID pandemic or the 9/11 attack.

Conspiracy theories can be very dangerous, but they're just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how people try to solve hard problems in a simplistic way. A lack of a sensible approach that is appropriate to the complexity of modern societies may lead to the spread of extremist ideas, various forms of radicalisation, and political divisions that undermine political discourse.

Complexity science and the cynefin model?

Considering the rise in education worldwide in recent decades, one would expect fewer people to resort to irrational explanations to understand the world. Maybe conspiracy theories still thrive because they help us make sense? of a world that grows in complexity faster than our collective ability to understand it.

Fortunately, complex systems science has also progressed and useful methods for rational decision-making in complex situations is available for companies. For example, the Cinefyn framework helps managers make context-appropriate decisions.

The Cynefin Co (2021)?

Often a manager is surprised when previously successful leadership approaches fail in new situations. Different contexts require different responses, and the model helps managers to divide problems into four main contexts: simple, complicated, complex, and cahotic. Plus confusion, when it is not clear which of the other four contexts is predominant.?

The model is not intended to explain the mechanisms in place but to help categorise the contexts in which decisions have to be made, identify the approach best suited to the situation, and adopt the corresponding tools.

A tool to make sense of complex situation

A suitable tool for complex contexts developed within the framework of the Cynefin model is Sensemaker?, which enables a group of people to adopt an inclusive approach to collectively make sense of a particular situation by proceeding rationally and avoiding simplistic interpretations. SenseMaker? enables the combination of large amounts of data with the rich context of storytelling, based on the anecdotes of real people, by enhancing the voices and interpretations provided by the people themselves. No specialised skills are required to access the data synthesis, only curiosity.

Initially developed for the needs of business and used, for example, in the fields of change management, strategic analysis, or human resource management, Sensemaker is increasingly being adopted in the social field.?

For example, the Welsh Government launched a three-year project from 2018 to 2020 to collect and analyse people's experiences of using social care services and, in particular, their experiences of caring for sick family members. Using SenseMaker to collect the stories and conducting two citizen juries to examine the issues in more depth, Measuring the Mountain generated a wealth of information and critical insights into people's experiences. The project has created an extensive bank of stories, analyses, and recommendations that have largely been taken up and implemented by the government.?

Citizen science

Unfortunately, these approaches are out of reach for ordinary citizens trying to understand the social and economic context in which they live. In the long run, we should be able to rely on the education system to equip everyone with the necessary skills to accurately interpret the modern world. Unfortunately, even if this approach were adopted, it would take decades to achieve results. One way to speed the process up is to leverage citizen science.

Citizen science is an approach to scientific research that actively involves non-expert citizens in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. It is a growing practice in which scientists and citizens collaborate to produce new knowledge for science and society. . Recognition of citizen science is growing in the fields of science, politics, education, and society at large. Applied to the social sciences, it enables groups of citizens not only to study local social phenomena together but to apply collective intelligence in identifying concrete political solutions based on the understanding of complex systems, thus changing the power relations between institutional powers and citizens.?

?Eurosense?

Volteuropa launched the Eurosense project using a Sensemaker? and citizen science approach (www.eurosense.eu). The projectcollaborates with scientific partners and is funded by IMPETUS (https://impetus4cs.eu/). Eurosense is an ambitious program to collect real-life data and micro-narratives from citizens across Europe and to enable participants to use collaborative tools to better understand their own socio-economic situation and to identify relevant problems and possible solutions.

The long-term impact of the project envisions a political landscape in which the voice of citizens is given importance, leading to more responsive and effective policy responses that serve the common good. Eurosense also also aims to inspire and influence other political actors and decision-makers to adopt similar approaches, making 'sensemaking' an integral part of European democratic culture.

Eurosense is open to everyone who wants to explore innovative and collective ways to understand our social and political environment. On January 30th , we are launching a training program to help individuals and groups use Eurosense to gather narratives in their community and facilitate collective sensemaking.?

You can join us for an introductory webinar on January 23rd, from 18:00 to 19:30.

Find out more about the training and enrol here. You can sign up either for the introductory webinar or the training program, or both.

Some references?

European Citizen Science? https://eu-citizen.science/

Measuring the Mountain https://mtm.wales/

Prooijen, J.-W. van, 2018. Psychology of conspiracy theories. Routledge, New York, NY.?

Snowden,D. As through a glass darkly: a complex systems approach to futures. https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap-oa/book/9781035301607/book-part-9781035301607-11.xml