Dr. James Michael MacFarlane

Dr. James Michael MacFarlane is a public policy professional who received his PhD from the University of Warwick. Prior to this, he gained his MSc studying the interrelations between science, media and public policy. His interests centre around the power of communications in our increasingly complex and interconnected world, as well as the role for social scientists in helping meet the new demands of science and business in the twenty-first century. His work focuses on the dissemination of expert/technical knowledge to non-expert audiences, public engagement and involvement with science, and ultimately the strengthening of science-public relations through enhanced communication and dialogue.

His PhD combined a range of traditional and digital research methods to gain insights into pro-science and technology advocacy. The study details some of the key intersubjective values, semiotic framing mechanisms and narrative tropes evoked to justify and promote enthusiasm for emerging technologies in the contemporary era. His recent publications include: Managing the Future Imaginary: Does Post-Normal Science Need Public Relations? (Roars, 2018) and an entry within a reference work on the subject of Converging Technologies (Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Social Theory, 2017). He is an associate fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) and a Certified Member of the Market Research Society (CMRS). You can find him on Twitter @JM_MacFarlane