Regulations and identities in participatory and intersectional science communication of biodiversity: guidelines for public policies

• Grant number: 24/19947-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Alessandra Fernandes Bizerra
• Grantee: Mariana Inglez dos Reis
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/11913-9 - Regulations and identities in participatory and intersectional science communication of biodiversity: guidelines for public policies, AP.BTA.R

Abstract

Faced with the persistent and complex challenges arising from the climate emergency, various social actors are positioned as central to both its promotion and mitigation. However, these actors also establish diverse meanings regarding the role of science and technology in addressing climate change. This proposal assumes that research on the relationships between science, technology, and society (STS), which focuses on the co-construction of understandings and responses to environmental and climate changes, can contribute to the promotion of new human/environment relationships. In our study, through the lens of public science and technology communication, we aim to understand the modes of social participation in the co-creation of media about biodiversity conservation and climate change. These efforts seek to foster full, equitable, just, and inclusive participation in decision-making processes, with special consideration given to gender, race/ethnicity, and geographic location. Assuming science communication as a cultural process, we draw on the Circuit of Culture framework to analyze the processes of production, consumption, regulation, representation, and identity in the co-creation of media involving socio-environmental issues in the Itanhaém region (São Paulo). The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, developed in collaboration with local residents, working within their communities through the creation of an Environmental Agency in the municipality. The Agency aims to become a hub for discussions on local and regional socio-environmental issues, bringing together researchers and local actors to share information, identify knowledge gaps, map alternatives and opportunities, and project possible futures. With this investigation, we hope to contribute to the understanding of how individuals with different levels of proximity to the scientific community develop their critical perspectives on biodiversity conservation and the climate emergency through their participation in the co-creation of media. Furthermore, the research will generate evidence to inform actions and public policies in science and technology communication, grounded in the voices and practices of diverse social actors.