larry bencze, oise, u. toronto steve alsop, york u, toronto towards … communitarian science...
TRANSCRIPT
Larry Bencze, OISE, U. TorontoSteve Alsop, York U, Toronto
Towards …Communitarian Science Education
IHPST 2009
Who Owns ‘Science’?
"Shortly after a large-scale clinical trial in 1955, the first inactivated polio vaccine was being injected into tens of millions of people around the world - possibly the most successful pharmaceutical product launch in history. Asked why he had not obtained a patent on the phenomenally successful vaccine, Jonas Salk reportedly replied, 'That would be like patenting the sun.' A few decades later, this view seemed laughably quaint."
Jonas Salk- Developer of first safe & effective vaccine for Polio
Business-Science Partnerships ‘Communalism’:
e.g., Dr. Nancy Olivieri, Hospital for Sick Children; deferiprone, drug for thalassemia major; Company suppressed negative results.
‘Universal’: e.g., restricted access to
software by companies. ‘Disinterestedness’:
e.g., prevent research into uncommon diseases (e.g., schistosomiasis) - since they are unprofitable.
‘Originality’: e.g., ‘Me-too’ drugs!
‘Skepticism’: e.g., Ghost Writers!
Profit & Merton’s Norms
Craig Venter
Why is this happening?! Global Economization
Neoliberalism Neoconservatism
How is School Science Involved?Neoconservativism works
to preserve traditional forms of privilege and marginalize authentic democratic and social justice agendas … (Carter, 2005, p. 571).
Competition for scarce ‘capital’
Selection via decontextualization and intensification
Overall‘Survival of the Richest!’
How is School Science Involved?
Students’ conceptions of self vs. others …
Neoliberals aim to condition students in ways conducive to often-irresponsible for-profit production and consumption of goods and services.
e.g., Possessive individualism via individualized assessments of ‘finished’ science
Rational & Real
Privately Owned e.g. knowledge =
marks e.g., critical
experiments e.g., heroes!
How is School Science Involved?
Students’ conceptions of science …
De-skilled
Confused
Isolated
Homogenized
How is School Science Involved?
Students’ lack of capital …
Towards Communitarian Science Education
Equity & Diversity
Holism & Breadth
Empowerment & Depth
Critical Literacy
Self-determination
Responsibility
STEPWISE In Action
Thanks!
The paper is at: http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~lbencze/IHPST2009_Bencze-Alsop.p
df
You can write to me at: [email protected]
The Project for Activist Science & Technology Education (PASTE) (with the journal, JASTE, is at: http://www.wepaste.org