cafés « juniors » pablo jensen ( cnrs) café « sciences et citoyens » (lyon, f)...
TRANSCRIPT
Cafés « juniors »
Pablo Jensen (CNRS)
café « Sciences et Citoyens » (Lyon, F)([email protected])
Newcastle, May 22, 2004
From delegative to dialogical democracy
• delegative democracy : trust– elections, experts
– danger : technocracy, lobbies, opinions ?
• dialogical democracy : negotiation– opens research of a 'common world'
– danger : representation ?
Global impactof science (techno-nature)
Critical attitudeof citizens
Participative research
Activeeducation
Scientific cafés
After years of trust in confined science (in labs)…
Participative research
• Science shops (NL, UK)• National Breast Cancer Coalition
(USA)• Öko-Institut e.V. (Germany) • ARUC (Canada)• Consensus Conferences• France ??
Community-University Research Alliances
(Canada)• promote sharing of knowledge, resources
and expertise between universities and the community;
• enrich research and teaching methods in universities;
• Example : « Partnering for sustainable resource management ». Collaboration between Cities of British Columbia, Chuzghun Resources Corporation, University of Northern British Columbia...
Global impact of science (curiosity, concerns…)
Spirit of philo cafés(conviviality, openness,debate between equals…)
cafés « Sciences et Citoyens »
(Lyon, October 1997)
What is a (Lyon’s) café des sciences?
• Appetizer time (6:45 pm)• A given topic (pain, vaccines,
madness…)• Guests : experts
– scientists (human and unhuman sciences)
– business, citizen organizations, religious– concerned public (NGO) wiser
discussion
Junior cafés
Supported by Government, Rhône-Alps region, Lyon University and (symbolically) CNRS
Change perception of science : science in action
Learn to argue using information, develop autonomy
Meet the people who are shaping our world : scientists, businessmen, politicians, NGOs
Information about scientific issues in a convivial way
Exchange views on environment, health, new technologies issues...
PEDAGOGICAL AIM : A REASONABLE SKEPTICISM
METHODOLOGY (1)
• Pupils prepare their Café : with teachers and our advice, they
• choose a topic, • define the important issues• define three profiles of complementary guests
• NB : For us, a junior café is not « a single speaker giving a short talk + discussion »
•They advertise the café within their school
• We find appropriate guests
• The cafeteria is transformed in a « school-free » place
METHODOLOGY (2)
• The discussion is lead by a teacher, or better by one or two pupils
• From 50 to 100 pupils, debate for ~ 2 hours
• Schools are free to adapt this scheme to their specific organization
METHODOLOGY (3)
Junior cafés in France
– 1999 : 3 cafés in Lyon (55 by now)
– 2001 : Rhône-Alpes : Chambéry (~ 20),
Valence, Grenoble, Saint-Etienne (~7 each)
– 2002 : Dijon (4), Paris (> 3), Strasbourg
– « Health » cafés by INSERM (physicians)
– Certainly many others…
Reasons for success
• Conviviality• Students choose the subject ! (laundry-
free clothes)
• multidisciplinary approach • Sciences uncertain : disagreements,
possible to argue (Rhône pollution)
• BUT :• Time consuming to find 3 « good »
guests• Real cost : ~ 400 euros each
Active education
• SCOPE Project (http://scope.educ.washington.edu/gmfood/)
Science Controversies On-line
Partnerships in Education
– Follow a controversy through Internet
– Argue for one choice with scientific facts
Going further...
• Forums Etudiants Citoyens– Involve future experts : university
students– Deeper preparation– Mediators between experts and public
during the café
• Three such forums so far, mainly on sustainable development