Transcript additional power point here

Towards …
Communitarian Science Education
IHPST 2009
Larry Bencze, OISE, U. Toronto
Steve Alsop, York U, Toronto
Who Owns ‘Science’?
Jonas Salk
- Developer of first safe &
effective vaccine for Polio
"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."
Business-Science Partnerships
Profit & Merton’s Norms
 ‘Communalism’:
 e.g., Dr. Nancy Olivieri, Hospital for




Craig Venter
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!
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?
Neoliberals aim to condition students in ways conducive to
often-irresponsible for-profit production and consumption of
goods and services.
Students’
conceptions of self
vs. others …
e.g., Possessive
individualism via
individualized assessments
of ‘finished’ science
How is School Science Involved?
Students’ conceptions of science …
 Rational & Real
 Privately Owned
 e.g. knowledge =
marks
 e.g., critical
experiments
 e.g., heroes!
How is School Science Involved?
Students’ lack of capital …
De-skilled
Confused
Isolated
Homogenized
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.pdf
 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