Facilitating the ideas-informed society: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: The concept of the ideas-informed society represents a desired situation in which: 1) citizens see value in staying up to date, and 2) citizens regularly keep themselves up to date by actively engaging with new ideas, developments and claims to truth, doing so both openly and critically. As a result, individuals become ever more knowledgeable, are better able to make good decisions, as well as find themselves in better position to re-align their values in response to new progressive norms and beliefs. Given these potential benefits, of primary interest are those who do not value staying up to date, nor attempt to do so. Methods: With this systematic review we have sought to identify ways to consider how such ‘ideas refusers’ might be switched-on to engaging with new ideas. We have done so by exploring: 1) the factors which act as barriers to and enablers of the actualisation of the ideas-informed society; 2) interventions/programmes and community-led activities developed to actualise the ideas-informed society; and 3) other non-empirically tested/verified suggestions for how the ideas-informed society might be actualised. Our findings derive from 25 research outputs (from a total of 631 originally identified) as well as examine case studies of ‘bottom-up’ analogous activities. Results: Our review highlights the presence of seemingly impactful approaches to enabling citizens to engage with new ideas, including science cafés and museum exhibitions. Other more bottom-up approaches include community-based events and festivals; social networks (and discussion within these networks) are also key to whether and how individuals engage with ideas, and the breadth of ideas they engage with. Conclusions: We conclude by suggesting development and rigorous testing is now needed of interventions that seek to: 1) pique citizens’ curiosity; 2) establish connections to social networks and; 3) arm citizens with essential ideas-related dispositions.