Original scientific paper

COPING WITH GEN–TECHNOLOGY RISKS, AND TRUST IN AUTHORITIES

Krešimir Kufrin ; Faculty of Philosphy, Zagreb

Abstract

The paper presents some of the results of a research on attitudes towards genetic technology, carried out in the beginning of 1997 on the student sample (N=685) on the University of Zagreb, Croatia.
In the first part, the author discusses some difficulties in communication on gen–technology (complexity of the technology and disagreement among experts, achievement of effective information level, credibility of various sources, role of values, and marginality of the issue on Croatian public agenda).
The second part analyses the trust in information coming from different sources (authorities). The greatest trust is placed in doctors, environmental organizations, and university professors, while the minister of commerce, gen–tech companies and the prime minister are the least trusted sources. Factor analysis detects three latent groups of sources: government and business, nongovernmental sector, and experts.
The third part focuses on coping with gen–technology risks. Subjects express active relation to the problem and stress the importance of personal information on the subject. Factor analysis reveals two distinct coping strategies formed around the problem negation, and fatalism and passivity.
In the final part, the results are being compared with other research on the trust in authorities in Croatia and elsewhere.

Keywords

coping strategies; gen–technology; gen–technology risks; sources of information on gen–technology; trust in authorities

Hrčak ID:

141622

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/141622

Publication date:

15.1.1998.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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