Identities, social representations and critical thinking.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Identities, social representations and critical thinking.
Authors:	López-Facal, Ramón¹, Jiménez-Aleixandre, María² ddmaleix@usc.es
Source:	Cultural Studies of Science Education. Sep2009, Vol. 4 Issue 3, p689-695. 7p. 1 Chart.
Subject Terms:	Group identity, Critical thinking, Social conditions of students, Reasoning, Collective representation, National character, Nationalism, Identity (Psychology), Debate
Geographic Terms:	Europe
Abstract:	This comment on L. Simonneaux and J. Simonneaux paper focuses on the role of identities in dealing with socio-scientific issues. We argue that there are two types of identities (social representations) influencing the students’ positions: On the one hand their social representations of the bears’ and wolves’ identities as belonging to particular countries (Slovenia versus France for bears, France and Italy for wolves), in other words, as having national identities; on the other hand representations of their own identities as belonging to the field of agricultural practitioners, and so sharing this socio-professional identity with shepherds and breeders, as opposed to ecologists. We discuss how these representations of identities influenced students’ reasoning and argumentation, blocking in some cases the evaluation of evidence. Implications for developing critical thinking and for dealing with SSI in the classrooms are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	This comment on L. Simonneaux and J. Simonneaux paper focuses on the role of identities in dealing with socio-scientific issues. We argue that there are two types of identities (social representations) influencing the students’ positions: On the one hand their social representations of the bears’ and wolves’ identities as belonging to particular countries (Slovenia versus France for bears, France and Italy for wolves), in other words, as having national identities; on the other hand representations of their own identities as belonging to the field of agricultural practitioners, and so sharing this socio-professional identity with shepherds and breeders, as opposed to ecologists. We discuss how these representations of identities influenced students’ reasoning and argumentation, blocking in some cases the evaluation of evidence. Implications for developing critical thinking and for dealing with SSI in the classrooms are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	18711502
DOI:	10.1007/s11422-008-9134-9