Divulgação científica a partir do campo Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade: investigação da prática em centros brasileiros de excelência em pesquisa

Abstract

Science and technology (S&T) are more present in our culture, influencing our model of society and continually reaffirming our way of life. At the same time, knowledge about S&T has long been a privilege only of intellectual elites, making it impossible for the lay public to participate in decision-making processes on scientific development. In this scenario, scientific dissemination has assumed an important role as a reflexive instrument on the relations between science, technology and society and as a tool for emancipation of the citizen. In this research, we start from the field of Science, Technology and Society (STS) on the role of scientific dissemination, to analyze the strategies of diffusion of science carried out by 17 centers of excellence in research in Brazil – Fapesp's Cepid –, trying to identify which aspects related to science, technology and society are more present; what types of relations between science, technology and society they establish; what view about S&T is prevalent; and to what extent they would have the potential to meet the goals of scientific dissemination, as we understand it from the STS field. Therefore, after surveying the set of actions carried out by the Cepid during the years of 2013 to 2017, we categorize these actions indicating approximations and ruptures with the concept of scientific dissemination, based on criteria of target audience, levels of discourse, channels and intentions, proposed by Bueno (2010). Then, considering that the video was the most used support by the Cepid for the diffusion of the knowledge in the period, we investigated the audiovisual production of the 17 centers, supported by an analysis tool that indicates what are the attributes needed for scientific dissemination materials for the holding of discussions in the perspective of the interrelations between science, technology and society. The results show that the diffusion of knowledge carried out by the Cepid strongly carries the classical view of science and reinforces the notion of linear scientific development, pointing out that more science and technology necessarily represent more social development; in addition, little progress is being made to include the lay public in the debate and decision-making process on S&T advances and on the directions of society and the planet.