Equity, Exclusion and Everyday Science Learning: The Experiences of Minoritised Groups

by Emily Dawson

Equity, Exclusion and Everyday Science Learning explores how some people are excluded from science education and communication. Taking the role of science in society as a starting point, it critically examines the concept of equity in science learning and develops a framework to support inclusive change.

This book presents a theoretically informed, empirically detailed analysis of how people from minoritised groups in the UK experience science and everyday science learning resources in their daily lives. The book draws on two years of ethnographic research carried out in London with five community groups who identified as Asian, Somali, Afro-Caribbean, Latin American and Sierra Leonean. Exploring their experiences of everyday science learning from a sociological perspective, with social justice as a guiding concern, this book opens with a theory of exclusion and closes with a theory of inclusion.

Equity, Exclusion and Everyday Science Learning is not only an essential text for postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers of Science Education, Science Communication and Museum Studies, but for any professional working in museums, science centres and institutional public engagement.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2019

Reviews

[Cath Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very important and eye-opening book about barriers to participation in everyday science learning, and how (for example) abolishing museum entrance fees is only the very start of the process of removing these barriers.

Somewhat limited in scope (the book is based on interviews and activities with five groups in London), but does a good job at generalising the findings when possible. Definitely well worth reading. I will never look at a science museum the same way again.