Exploring Societal Impact of Nanomedicine Using Public Value Mapping

Abstract

Scholars looking to promote the idea that public values, like equity should guide scientific research often run into a tricky problem: who decides which values are most important? It can be a bit presumptuous for individual scholars to claim that they know what is best for the world and which values should be pursued. One recent technique developed to deal with this dilemma is Public Value Mapping or PVM. The basic idea behind PVM is that while deciding which values should be pursued by scientific institutions can open a can of worms in regards to representation and ethics, at the very least institutions should be held accountable for the values they public claim they are pursuing. The first step of PVM is to map the values publicly espoused by the organizations involved in the development of science and engineering research projects, and then analyze the effects these organizations have on the world to see if there is a correlation. PVM scholars routinely find that the grand social visions promised by scientific institutions rarely become reality In this chapter Catherine Slade turns the PVM lens on nanomedicine and the organizations who claim they are working for an equitable distribution of the benefits of the field. Unfortunately Slade finds the organizations are falling well short of their stated goals in terms of both actions and outcomes, but her work shows that PVM can be a useful tool in the effort to ensure that statements about equity are not simply lip service.-eds.