Ensayo sobre la educacion de ciencia intercultural

Andrés Banda

Nahum Welang

6th Level L6-003

3/November/2015

Developing Intercultural Science Education in Ecuador Summary Essay

Currently with the globalization and increase of environmental crisis, the concept of intercultural science education has emerged in Ecuador. Barbara Schroder in her article “Developing Intercultural Science Education in Ecuador” says “Interculturality is related to the concepts of both “multicultural” and “cross-cultural” but transcends them to represent something different” (Schroder, 2008, p. 29).

According to Schroder, Intercultural science refers to the connection and interaction between indigenous and western science driven by the convergences in the knowledge and ideas that both have, she argues that Indigenous science is legitimate and can coexist with Western Science. (Schroder, 2008, p. 25-26)

She gives a historical, political, cultural, and educational context of Indigenous people. Highlighting the reality and the current situation of indigenous communities and how they have organized and built powerful indigenous movements in the lasts years. Indigenous communities are very different but they are facing some troubles in common. Especially the increasing penetration of mining, encroachment on their territory, increase in poverty, ecological degradation and also linguistic discrimination. As Indigenous leaders say there should be educational solutions to these issues. For example, education programs in pharmacy, natural science and adult literacy programs. (Schroder, 2008, p. 26-31).

The author says that is very important the practical work that native communities do in order to protect the environment and to get a great relationship with the nature by making collective work. Currently the number of western scientists that recognize the importance of traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous is increasing because there is a clear problem with environmental crisis that can be handled following and learning the values that Indigenous communities have.  (Schroder, 2008, p. 26-31)

In his article Schroder explains that science is perceived in different ways and has different meanings. “It is not necessary to invoke a Western concept of science to value and reproduce ancestral knowledge” (Schroder, 2008, p. 37). The root of the word science is knowledge (Schroder, 2008, p. 34) and Indigenous and Native people make science by transmitting and preserving their knowledge. For this reason Native science should be considered real science. The development of Intercultural science is seeking to improve the concept of science by making possible a combination to coexist Native and Western science. Intercultural science education is a way to improve science and people welfare by choosing and connecting the better of two worlds. (Schroder, 2008, p.11-41)

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