A mulher como sujeito que faz ciência: apresentando a filósofa natural Émilie du Châtelet a partir de uma perspectiva histórica

Abstract

It is notable that in areas involving the sciences, in particular the exact and natural sciences, there is a predominance of white, western males, and even today, there is an unequal dynamic between men and women in terms of appreciation and recognition. Studies that bring historical approaches to women's struggles for social ascension and their insertion into the scientific world, bringing to light episodes that have been relegated to oblivion by the historiography of science, have been widely recognized as an alternative to encourage a more inclusive and diverse science. In our study, the character is the eighteenth-century French natural philosopher Émilie du Châtelet, an important woman in the scientific scene of her time, with significant contributions to the construction of physical knowledge, but often placed as a supporting figure in the academic scene, based on this assumption, the following guiding question arises: How to approach through a historiographical perspective the diverse subjects that produce science in the Physics classes of the second grade of High School? In this sense, our work aims to contribute to the dissemination of discussions on gender and the role of women in the construction of knowledge, with an emphasis on Émilie's trajectory. To this end, a qualitative approach was used to achieve the objectives set and the type of research adopted was action research. The research highlighted the urgency of thinking of alternatives that can help to convey information about women in science in an accessible way in basic education. With this in mind, we made an educational booklet, with high school students as the target audience for the application, in order to popularize and insert themes in the classroom that are concerned with a democratic education aimed at conceptions of equity. It is important to emphasize gender discussions in science teaching, not only to pay attention to the presence of women in scientific production, but also to have an education that respects differences and promotes values of equity.