**6. The crossroads of science, politics, and culture**

Debate exists regarding whether incorporating the sustainable development goals in science education - regarded by some as representing an imposition of Western neoliberalism and by others as anti-imperialist and decolonializing [59] - needlessly politicizes the discipline. After all, science is inherently political [60]. From Copernicus to the Manhattan Project, to Wangaari Mathi, and Anthony Fauci, scientists have always contributed to and engaged in political discourse. As Backhaus [60] notes "Science produces knowledge, knowledge provides options for politics,

and politics then enables and finances (or impedes and starves) science" (p. 310). Tiptoeing around the eggshells of public opinion is antithetical to scientific praxis and effective liberatory teaching. Science Education cannot be apolitical, and when it pretends to be, it is most likely acting to reinforce hegemonies [56, 60]. The avoidance of politically sensitive topics in science education is futile and hinders advances in the field, tacitly reinforcing harmful power structures.

Science is inseparable from culture, whose influences shape the types of questions researchers ask, the framework for thinking about and investigating them, the lenses through which data are collected and interpreted, the perspective through which it is disseminated and understood [25, 61]. Educators must enable students to navigate the boundaries and borders between science and their lived experiences [62, 63]. The epistemology, beliefs, and practices underpinning Western science constitute a culture unto itself. Teachers can act as guides - helping students explore, comparing this to a border crossing, or an admission ticket, which demands socialization into unfamiliar ways of knowing, doing, and being. For much of its history, mainstream western science education was heavily influenced by didactic teaching methods and strict logical positivism, divorcing it from the dynamics of socio-political context, and meaningful relevance to the realities of students [64–66]. It also artificially separated the various science disciplines from one another [61]. This approach created a homogenized and sanitized representation of science as a field, ignored the diversity of learners in schools, removed the contextual factors that ground and incentivize learning [61, 66, 67] and operated counter to student's effective meaning-making and development of critical thinking skills [25]. Critics of this approach, such as Dewey, argued science as a practice is an interdisciplinary, iterative, inquiry-based experience intertwined with culture and values, thus science education ought to emphasize preparing students to engage in this process [61]. For example, students who are taught how to dissect the impacts of excess fertilizer runoff on invertebrate health from this perspective will likely emerge capable of successfully filling out a diagram connecting the cause and effects of this problem. However, to fix this problem, they need to be able to communicate effectively about this problem to people who may have differing opinions and perspectives, dissecting the interplay of a variety of factors. Simply developing an understanding that X harms Y and affects Z in multiple ways does not consider the fact that people who cause X are complex individuals acting within even more complicated social contexts. Students must be challenged to imagine how to effectively reshape these social contexts. However, the positivist, reductionist framework continues to plague modern science education, accentuated and exacerbated by the imposition of standardization and aggressive testing measures. This is incompatible with the demands of the modern world, which require students to adapt to rapidly developing situations affected by politics, knowledge, and technology [60, 64, 65, 67].

Today's youth are inheriting the inequities and injustices that previous generations failed to rectify, many of which have complex intersectional interactions with one another. Imperialism and colonialism precipitated the emergence of the Anthropocene [68] as the wanton exploitation of indigenous peoples and resources simultaneously ushered in devastation of societies and the ecosystems upon which they depended.

In December of 2022, the UNFPA published a brief [69] documenting the intersections of race, gender, environmental and climate justice. The brief summarizes research and expert testimonies from Asia, Africa, North and South America, as well as Australia. It underscores the importance of addressing intersectionality in

#### *The Goals of Science Education Should Be Linked to the Central Tenets of Sustainable… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.114114*

sustainability issues. Systemic discrimination due to race, disability, and ethnicity is intricately linked with issues of health, well-being, safety, environmental degradation, and climate change. These connections extend to displacement, vector-borne diseases, adverse birth outcomes, deforestation, and numerous other interconnected issues. The consequences of emissions from wealthier nations lead to melting ice, rising sea levels, and increased flooding in poorer nations. In the aftermath of these calamities, women and children are at higher risk of health issues, as well as violence, including sexual assault. On a global scale, women and gender minorities of the African diaspora are significantly more likely to experience adverse health outcomes from environmental pollution when compared to peers from other backgrounds [69]. Even in the wealthiest nations, such as the United States, Black women, and children are significantly more likely to be exposed to pollution and persistent environmental pollutants, while being less likely to have access to green spaces and decent healthcare, leading to shorter lifespans. Similar patterns are evident for indigenous populations around the world affecting every walk of life [70].

An international study of 10,000 youth in 42 countries found youth around the world are experiencing significant levels of anxiety and despair, often feeling betrayed by their leaders [71]. Youth in nations most impacted by climate change, especially poorer nations, were most susceptible. Thanks to the efforts of activists, the tides may be beginning to turn on these trends. Ineza Umuhoza Grace is an ecofeminist who inspires young people to take action. She is passionate about empowering women to lead change towards sustainability. Her youth-and-woman-led Rwandan nonprofit Green Protector fights for environmental improvement. In 2022, Umuhoza played a pivotal role in advocating alongside numerous youth activists at COP27, the United Nations' worldwide conference on climate change, to demand a fund dedicated to addressing losses and damages stemming from natural disasters linked to climate change. Her effort paid off. World leaders agreed to make contributions to begin offsetting climate change's effects on the most vulnerable nations. Recognizing the potential of youth and the power of education, she also started an organization called The Green Protector that works to inspire other Rwandan youth to protect the environment. She is a recipient of the 2023 Global Citizen Award [72]. Similar efforts are being undertaken by youth activists worldwide, providing an invaluable opportunity for educators to connect demoralized youth to effective models and role models of change.
