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The Impact of Global Economization on Science Education and Public Enlightenment

This paper explores how global economization, marked by neoliberal economic policies and social injustices, affects the integrity and purpose of academic science. It investigates the shift from ‘academic’ to ‘post-academic’ science focusing on profit-driven motives, which compromises Merton's scientific norms such as communalism and universalism. The study analyzes the willingness of scientists to inform the public, revealing a spectrum of approaches among participants. Conclusions suggest a need for enhanced public education regarding the implications of profit-driven science on school science and societal values.

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The Impact of Global Economization on Science Education and Public Enlightenment

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  1. Scientists, profit& public enlightenment IHPST 2007 Calgary, AB Larry Bencze, Mike Bowen, & Maurice DiGiuseppe

  2. Arguably the factor most greatly affecting science & school science is … Global Economization! • Involving: • Neoconservative social-political policies • Neoliberal economic policies (Carter, 2005). With: IMF, WB, WTO Political Compass: www.politicalcompass.org/

  3. Global Economization Social Injustices • Growing rich vs POOR • Massive starvation • Decreasing job security • Debt in Poor countries • Socio-techno-determinism Environmental Degradation • Habitat degradation/pollution (air, water, soil) • Loss of rainforests; Water shortages; Soil erosion; Desertification; Aquatic pollution; Ozone depletion; Global warming • Species loss • Species population reduction (e.g., fish) • ~ 125 species lost per day (McMurtry, 1999)

  4. Global Economization & Professional Science Since about 1950, ‘Academic’ science has been been replaced by ‘Post-academic’ science (Ziman, 2000). Oriented towards generating for-profit products & services Collectivized Multi-disciplinary Privately-funded Short-term

  5. Effects of Profit Motive on NoS Merton’s Norms (1942, 1973) Compromised • ‘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! Science for Profit!

  6. Research Goal: … to determine scientists’ willingness to enlighten members of the public and school students about problems associated with the profit motive. • Participants: 8 scientists (various fields) • Data Collection: • Interview Transcripts (90-120 min) • Questions re: NoS, Public Education • Used Artefacts; e.g., S&T Model, S.T.P., Merton’s Norms • Analyses: CCM via CGT

  7. Results • Participants’ willingness to educate others about profit-driven science varied; i.e.,: • Informers (1) • Para-informers (5) • Protectionists (2)

  8. Factors Affecting Intentions Participants’ Direct Experiences 2 pgs

  9. Factors Affecting Intentions Participants’ Sense of the Vulnerability of Science to the Profit Motive Although they claimed their field had not been adversely affected by the profit motive, they felt that people should be informed about this in order to protect the integrity of science. Could be explained, again, by knowledge duality theory.

  10. Factors Affecting Intentions Participants’ Views About Science

  11. Status of School Science School science systems typically portray professional science as “pure and isolated from culture” (Allchin, 2004, p. 939).

  12. Conclusions • More NoSed needed; re: profit motive • Informers & Para-informers may assist • Those educated should include: • School science students • Undergraduate science students • Student-teachers • Scientists • Other ‘Stakeholders’; e.g., government, business, etc.

  13. The End! • The paper is located online at: • http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~lbencze • Contact Information • lbencze@oise.utoronto.ca • http://www.lbencze.ca • http//www.lbencze.ca/STEPWISE.html

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