By Socializing Science / Watching Time: 10 Minutes
On April 18, 2016 Andrea Bandelli successfully defended his Phd thesis entitled “Contextualising Visitor Participation:Science Centers as a Platform for Scientific Citizenship”.
Andrea Bandelli examined how science museums support this scientific citizenship from the perspective of the museum and its visitors. He found that these museums are places where the public is encouraged and empowered to talk about science, especially the less educated visitors, who have few other opportunities to get involved in science.
Science centers and science museums are not just places where visitors can learn about science; They are also a forum for discussions and debates on the role of science in society. They are, as it were platforms where visitors are “scientific citizens”: places where visitors learn about science and participate in the discussions that shape the role of science and technology in our society.
Bandelli notes that science centers play an important role in the “democratization” of public participation in science. At the same time however, there are barriers that keep them from fully engaging the involvement of the public. For example, fear of doing it wrong, which may block further action.
For more information on Andrea Bandelli, visit his website at : http://www.bandelli.com
Socializing Science would like to congratulate him and invite you all to watch his defense in this clip.