New tools and directions toward a better understanding of social perception of science in the Ibero-American countries

Resumen

The social perception of science & technology in Ibero-American countries seems to be acknowledged with growing interest byresearchers and policy-makers as quite relevant for strengthening science communication activities and promoting qualifiedcitizenship. In very recent years, several countries of the region (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Spain& Venezuela) have been carried out studies and national surveys to investigate the issue. This current scenario has been supportedin part by institutions like the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI), the Red Iberoamericana de Indicadores de Cienciay Tecnología (RICYT/CYTED), the Fundación Española de Ciencia y Tecnología (FECYT) and Fundacão de Amparo àPesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP). These organizations have been working as catalyst for researchers and countries inthe region to review concepts, instruments and share methodologies. Despite the fact that Ibero-American countries have enteredthis research field later then several Northern countries, and that they have adopted, in part, the usual, standard methodologies andquestions of classical surveys, they have been able to conciliate the need for international comparisons with the attention to localcontext, putting data and methodologies within the context of the recent critical debates about scientific culture. Currently, as apart of this process, RICYT, FECYT & OEI have started a new project to develop a set of common indicators for the region,working in network with experts and policy-makers. This presentation will focus specially on both a review of the historicaldevelopment of this field in the region and its current situation in terms of shared experiences, methodologies and conceptualdebate. The common framework conceives public attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, knowledge and information as a part of acomposite model of scientific culture where S&T interact with the whole of culture and society.