Episode 2.3: Decolonising Science Communication with Alana Dooley

    Why should we acknowledge different knowledge systems in science communication?

    Episode Fast Facts

    Time: 45 minutes

    “These role models we look up to are male (…) And in five, ten years, I’d just like to see women in those powerful, known positions. If I said to someone in five years: ‘I’m a science communicator’, they might say: ‘Oh, like this woman’.”

    — Alana Dooley

    The Collective: Kate Holmes, Camila Pardo Uribe, Ximena Shaw Williams, Clare Boon

    Special Guest: Alana Dooley
    Alana Dooley at ICRAR (International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research). Image supplied by Alana Dooley.

    Episode Credits

    Guests: Alana Dooley

    Host: Kate Holmes and Camila Pardo Uribe

    Producer: Kate Holmes and Camila Pardo Uribe

    Audio Engineering & Editing: Ximena Shaw Williams and Camila Pardo Uribe

    Show notes: Clare Boon and Camila Pardo Uribe

    Audiogram by Adobe Podcast

    Join Kate and Camila as they talk with Alana Dooley about her journey in science communication. They discuss their personal definitions of science communication and the importance of Alana’s Indigenous identity in how she approaches her science communication practice. They explore the weaponisation of science towards certain communities and the importance of acknowledging and addressing our colonial history in Australia.
     
    Alana tells us about the importance of Indigenous knowledge in understanding the night sky in her own life and the impact this has had on her understanding of how scientific knowledge is understood.
     
    “There is this view in Western science that because there is knowledge, you are entitled to it (…) You’re not entitled to any knowledge that’s not your own” – Alana Dooley
     

    Episode links:

    Read about Alana’s experience aboard the JR vessel here.

    Read about the deficit model here and here and listen to our episode on it here.

    Find out more about science capital by reading up on Emily Dawson’s work.

    Want to find out about most of sci comm being women? Read the paper here.

    Heather’s Raising The Bar episode.

    Keywords

    Science Communication, Indigenous Knowledge, Inclusive Science Communication, Decolonisation

    The Collective on this episode:
    Kate Holmes

    Kate Holmes

    Host, Producer
    Camila Pardo Uribe

    Camila Pardo Uribe

    Host, Producer and Editor
    Ximena Shaw Williams

    Ximena Shaw Williams

    Editor
    Clare Boon

    Clare Boon

    Research, Governance

    We love hearing everyone’s stories of how they got into science communication. What about you? What brought you here? Feel free to share in the comments!

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