Who Is Best Served by Public Engagement Models?

Within the scientific community, a consensus has emerged that "public engagement" is critical to building better connections between scientists and other groups in society. Engagement is often contrasted with a "deficit model" of communication. Although many scientists accept and strongly support the idea of engagement, they are often unaware of underlying epistemological foundations of engagement models. This paper will explore the social, political, and epistemological implications of different models of public communication of science and technology.