Civilian in non-military domain
In a book review on a NPR site the word "civilian" is used to describe non-scientist people (emphasis mine).
His new book, If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?, is all about communication — and miscommunication — between scientists and civilians.
That formulation gave me the impression that the author wanted to show scientists like a tight group with a tendency to use brute force to impose their point of view (like the police and army are allowed to do by definition). The definitions of civilian are all primarily related to the army or police fields, Webster, Collins.
Is there a word –not formed with negative suffix, such as non-scientist– that could replace civilian to describe non-scientist in the sentence below without any of the following:
any military/police force connotation,
"us against them" vibe
negative connotation against either "civilian" or scientist?
(Outsider does not fit either, it also feels too polarized.)
His new book, is all about miscommunication between scientists and XXXXX
The word that you want, and that the article should have used, is layperson:
noun
a person who is not a member of the clergy; one of the laity.
a person who is not a member of a given profession, as law or medicine.
(Link and definition from Dictionary.com)
In this case, we are using the second definition, in the sense that scientists are talking to others who are not members of their own profession, i.e. science. In the article, it might be best to pluralize. The result would be:
His new book, is all about miscommunication between scientists and laypeople.
Other synonyms apart from laypeople for non-scientist in your phrase could be:
His new book, is all about miscommunication between scientists and ordinary people
His new book, is all about miscommunication between scientists and the general population
His new book, is all about miscommunication between scientists and science amateurs
His new book, is all about miscommunication between scientists and those unknowledgeable in science
It's difficult. The Internet has brought together like-minded people, and amplified countless specialties and subcultures. Our "circles" have become Venn diagrams. The concept of "outsider to our circle" has become more important, but the language hasn't caught up.
As cobaltduck says, "layperson" is probably as good as you're going to get. It's not as well known as its sexist root, "layman". The reporter saying "civilian" was probably trying to avoid "layman" but grasping at straws.
However there are countless terms within the subcultures. The Amish call others "English". Fen called others "Mundanes", until the word was wholly replaced by the irrestible term "Muggles" -- thanks to the wit of J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series (where it was used for that very purpose). Of course, those terms are only meaningful to insiders, not useful to a reporter trying to describe the difference to the outsiders.
Sounds like exoteric.
From Oxford:
ADJECTIVE
formal
Intended for or likely to be understood by the general public.
From MW:
1 a : suitable to be imparted to the public the exoteric doctrine — compare esoteric
1 b : belonging to the outer or less initiate circle
2 : relating to the outside : external
His new book is all about miscommunication between scientists and the exoterics.