The “Broa Model” and the Productions of Scientific Knowledge on the Environment

Abstract

Starting from the outstanding position of scientific knowledge in dealing with the environmental issue on contemporary times, this paper analyses the process of scientific knowledge production regarding the Broa Dam located in Sao Paulo, both by analyzing the objective structure of the scientific field and through the research narratives of the scientists. The Broa Dam is possibly the most studied reservoir in Brazil, especially because of the scientific production apparatus created in the 1970s, founded in a strategic development project by two public universities (USP and UFSCar). The methodological proceedings of this case study were the documental research of scientific papers on the reservoir, and semi-structured qualitative interviews with Broa researchers, selected on purpose.

Keywords

• sociedade e meio ambiente
• conhecimento científico
• represa do broa