Constructing knowledge in Brazilian universities: Case studies of faculty research

Abstract

ABSTRACT How culture defines what is accepted as knowledge and how such knowledge is constructed by scientists in a newly industrialized country provide the questions that guide this inquiry. Specifically, this study questions from a critical perspective how the cultural web of scientists in a sample of Brazilian universities affects the construction of knowledge. Through consideration of the cultural and subjective features of the construction of knowledge, this inquiry proposes that consideration of local vs international research, the governmental infrastructure, the alternative ideology of cultural action for freedom, and the nature of the faculties themselves are central to understanding how knowledge is defined, valued and produced in Brazil. The comparative and critical focus presented in this study encourages researchers to understand both how culture affects conceptions of knowledge and how such perspectives are responsible for the knowledge constructed and valued in the society.