ABSTRACT
In this chapter we compare the public understanding of science (PUS) across Europe and China on a number of indicators. The results presented are based on an integrated database of public attitude data from the EU and China. This is the first attempt to merge Chinese and European data at microlevel for the benefit of comparison. From a set of structurally or functionally equivalent items, we derived a set of six indicators of PUS: knowledge, interest, attitude and engagement with science, an ecological mindset, and an indicator of superstition. In the following, we present a preliminary analysis of differences in these indicators and their interrelations and construct a five-group typology of the populations combining social standing and PUS.
