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From “Concealment” to “Deconcealment”: Lay Knowledge and Its Generation Mechanism for Issues of Environmental Risk in China

Shuang Tan, Xiaonan Wang and Xuehua Lan
p. 73-85

Abstract

In this paper, lay knowledge challenges the authoritative discourse on environmental risk and promotes the transformation of the traditional governance model to a cooperation-based model adapted to a risk society. We utilise texts and interviews to explore the complexity and systematisation of the lay knowledge mechanism based on a case study of waste incineration in China. Our findings indicate that lay knowledge generation involves collaboration between risk-takers, non-core experts, and communication “alerters.” Additionally, they reveal the driven module and a cyclic process that integrates resource integration, knowledge shaping, dissemination, and empowerment, ensuring the visibility and utility of lay knowledge. This study assists in understanding civil environmental society in China and provides a new perspective for policymakers to comprehend associated risks.

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Editor’s notes

Manuscript received on 4 September 2021. Accepted on 27 October 2022.

Excerpt

Full text document will be published online on June 2024.

Outline

Introduction
Literature review
Methods and materials
A continuum: The lay community and their knowledge propositions
Risk-takers: Providing experiential “soft” knowledge
Non-core experts: Producing interdisciplinary “hard” knowledge
Communication alerters: Grafting together soft and hard knowledge
Knowledge deconcealment: The mechanism for generating lay knowledge
Driving module: Internal and external forces stimulate willingness to produce knowledge
Input link: Collaborative and complementary resource integration
Processing link: Multi-pronged knowledge shaping
Output link: Pluralistic and three-dimensional knowledge dissemination
Efficiency-enhancement link: Seizing the opportunity for knowledge empowerment
Discussion and conclusion

First lines

Introduction

Modernisation, while bringing about technological progress and socioeconomic development, also pushes humans toward a risk society. Unlike the well-known impact of natural disasters on the ecological environment of a traditional society, the essence of the impact of the environmental crisis on a risk society is a new uncertainty brought about by the application and development of science and technology (Giddens 1990). To ensure the unimpeded advancement of environmental decision-making, the authoritative community, which is jointly formed by governments, experts, and enterprises, consolidates one portion of knowledge, effectively marginalising or even concealing other portions. Such actions heighten the public’s anxiety regarding risks and their quest for the truth. Hence, members of the public form lay communities to actively learn, understand, and generate professional and technical knowledge, thereby creating a domain of lay knowledge that rivals authoritative knowled...

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References

Bibliographical reference

Shuang Tan, Xiaonan Wang and Xuehua Lan, From “Concealment” to “Deconcealment”: Lay Knowledge and Its Generation Mechanism for Issues of Environmental Risk in ChinaChina Perspectives, 133 | -1, 73-85.

Electronic reference

Shuang Tan, Xiaonan Wang and Xuehua Lan, From “Concealment” to “Deconcealment”: Lay Knowledge and Its Generation Mechanism for Issues of Environmental Risk in ChinaChina Perspectives [Online], 133 | 2023, Online since 01 June 2024, connection on 30 September 2023. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/15256; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/chinaperspectives.15256

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About the authors

Shuang Tan

Shuang Tan is a professor at the Department of Humanity and Law, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Ding No. 11 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China (ts22416@163.com).

Xiaonan Wang

Xiaonan Wang is a professor at the Department of Public Administration, Shanghai Open University, No. 288 Guoshun Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China (nancy_wangxn@163.com). Corresponding author.

Xuehua Lan

Xuehua Lan is a Master student at the School of Humanity and Law, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Ding No. 11 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China (lanxuehua3658@163.com).

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Copyright

The text and other elements (illustrations, imported files) are “All rights reserved”, unless otherwise stated.

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