Science Activism Is Surging, Marking A Culture Shift Among Scientists
More scientists seem empowered to advocate for a wide range of policy issues.
Hundreds of scientists protested government efforts to restrict educational access to Western science theories, including Darwin鈥檚 theory of evolution, in June 2023 in India.
Similarly, scientists in Mexico participated in a research strike in May 2023 to protest a national law they claimed would threaten the conditions for basic research. And during the same month in Norway, three scientists were arrested for protesting the nation鈥檚 slow-moving climate policy.
As these among many other actions show, scientists today are speaking out on a variety of political and social issues related to their own research fields and in solidarity with other social movements.
We are who between science and society. Through our work, we鈥檝e noticed more scientists seem empowered to advocate for a wide range of policy issues. We鈥檙e interested in how the surge in science activism may be changing the norms of scientific research.
, we recently reviewed and summarized a examining how scientists are mobilizing for social activism and political protest. 2,208 members of the Union of Concerned Scientists Science Network to learn more about scientists鈥 political engagement. Here is what we have found so far.
A New Wave Of Science Activism
, as many in the field fear that . Even so, scientist-activists have still managed to shape the U.S. political landscape throughout history. Over the past century, for example, scientists have protested , , , and the federal response to the .
More recently, the election of Donald Trump in 2016 triggered a wave of not seen in the United States since the . In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change activism, Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement, , and are playing important roles.
Some groups, like and , are new and claim dozens of chapters and thousands of members around the world. In addition, older organizations like are growing, while once-defunct organizations like have reemerged.
Science organizing also happens within universities, graduate student unions and professional associations. These groups use their and larger networks of science professionals to mobilize others in the scientific community.
Many science advocacy groups borrow protest tactics from previous eras, like mass marches and teach-ins. Others are more innovative, including 鈥溾 at medical schools to protest police racial violence and 鈥 to protect public access to government data.
Some efforts mirror conventional forms of politics, like , an organization that supports political candidates with STEM backgrounds. Others are more confrontational, such as Scientist Rebellion, some members of which to demand action on the climate emergency.
Or, science advocacy can look indistinguishable from typical academic practices, like teaching. A new course taught by an MIT physics professor titled 鈥溾 helps raise student awareness about the political nature of science.
Professional Norms May Be Shifting
We鈥檒l need more research to determine how the resurgence of scientist activism is influencing politics and policy. But we can already point to some effects 鈥 the growth of science advocacy organizations, increased to scientist activism, climate-friendly at some universities, and . However, we also expect that impending crises, like climate change, may be driving acceptance of activism within the scientific community.
For example, when we asked scientists how often they should be politically active, 95% of our surveyed scientists answered 鈥渟ometimes,鈥 鈥渕ost of the time,鈥 or 鈥渁lways.鈥 Our surveyed population is, by definition, politically engaged. But this near-uniform level of support for political action suggests that the professional norms that have long sanctioned scientist activism may be shifting.
Other findings from the survey strengthen this interpretation. Scientist activism often entails some level of personal or . But 75% of respondents told us their science-based advocacy had the support of their employers. Most surprisingly for us, respondents were twice as likely to report that activism helped to advance their careers 鈥 22% 鈥 rather than damage them 鈥 11%.
Our survey did find, however, that nonwhite scientists are more vulnerable to the risks of engaging in science advocacy. Seventeen percent of nonwhite scientists report negative career repercussions from their science advocacy, compared with less than 10% among white scientists. Yet compared with white respondents, nonwhite respondents are also more likely to engage in science advocacy.
While nonwhite respondents report higher rates of negative career impacts, the percentage reporting higher rates of career advancement from advocacy 鈥 31% 鈥 was nearly double that for white respondents 鈥 18%. This difference suggests that science advocacy has deeper career consequences 鈥 both good and bad 鈥 among nonwhite scientists. Although they are more likely to be rewarded for this activity, they are exposed to greater risk for doing so.
Emerging Lessons
Two lessons emerge from our research thus far. First, our findings indicate that science activism may be gaining legitimacy within the scientific community. In this context, social media is helping mobilize and raise visibility among younger researchers. These researchers鈥 political experiences are informed by the climate justice, Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements. As this newer generation of science activists moves into the profession, they will continue to shift the cultural norms of science.
Second, because race unevenly structures scientists鈥 experiences with activism, science activists can build on their current momentum by . This means taking actions to center and engage marginalized groups within science. can deepen activist engagement, enhance and diversify recruitment efforts, and increase its impact on social and ecological change.
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