Cafés « juniors »

Pablo Jensen (CNRS)

café « Sciences et Citoyens  » (Lyon, F)(pablo.jensen@wanadoo.fr)

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