The fringes of science and technology popularization: Feminist connections between

multiple subjectivities in two southern countries

Tania Pérez Bustos

PhD ScholarPedagogical National University – Colombia

Research Advisor: Dr. Rocío Rueda OrtizFieldwork supervisors in India: Dr. A.R. Vasavi – Carol Upadhya

What is Science and Technology Popularization?

Why Colombia and India?Why Colombia and India?

Just Casual Connections?“To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of enquiry and reform” – Indian Constitution 1954

“Special support will be provided for programmes that seek to popularize and promote science and technology in all parts of the country. Programmes will also be developed to promote learning and dissemination of science through the various national languages, to enable effective science communication at all levels”. – Indian Science and Technology Policy 2003

“The state will generate incentives and will offer special benefits to people and institutions that develop and promote science and technology and other cultural manifestiations” – Colombian Constitution 1991.

The state will propitiate mechanisms to promote the demand of scientific knowledge from the different sectors of society, such as mass media, interactive science centers, science clubs, science fairs, scientific journalism, as well as through the generation of new educational models. Colombian Science and Technology Policy 2002

Challenges to build the bridges

Documented experiences, but lack of critical approaches (or any evaluation study)

Need for cognitive justice

Feminist Clues (for thinking about science from a non expert perspective)

Critical frameworks of science studies do not study science education …

What is this research about?

Science and Technology popularization ...

... About women

… Not just about women, about values as well

The feminization hypothesis (tensionas and paradigms to be de-constructed)

Are the popularization experiences a new scenario of the so called Service/Caring economy?

... Also about subordination

… of popularization to a gender biased production of knowledge

... But as well about alternatives

… Feminization of popularization as a door to understand science in a more plural and cognitive just way

(although not unproblemátic)

Concrete connections

An afro-colombian teacher

“I want my students to see how there is science in the traditional practices that their granmothers undertake at home ... That is my goal to develop alternative science educational proposals beyond what the governmet demands for us to do”

An English teacher from Rajasthan

“I came to Agastya because I was motivated with the idea of transforming people’s lives through educational experiences beyond the textbook and the classroom”

Borderlands and fringes

External and discursive fringes

Standardization of a gender biased paradigm of science and technology

Progress, development, eficiency …

Middle class androgymous youngster

Edutainment! Edutourism! Marketing! Science and technology education for what? For whom?

Empirical, a-theoretical, neutral…

Borderlands between women

… the balance

… the danger of making power relative

Interior fringes

Potential contradictions

… potential dialogues with the daily life

Pedagogical practices of science in the private domain

Uncertainty, reflexivity, commitment

Thank you for listening