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

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You can write to me at: larry.bencze@utoronto.ca

The Project for Activist Science & Technology Education (PASTE) (with the journal, JASTE, is at: http://www.wepaste.org