Science on TV: Perceptions among adolescents in three brazilian cities

Abstract

Television is an important mediator of cultural practices and contributes to the construction of social representations, including representations of science. Considering that teenagers are a main target audience, here we analyze how TV content can help build perceptions of science among these young people. Twelve focus groups were held with students from public and private schools in three Brazilian cities: Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais), and Belém (Pará). We observed that although stereotypes of science and scientists did emerge in the discussions, the students demonstrated a more detailed understanding of scientific activity, as well as the TV programming itself.