What happens when inclusion in science communication is well meant — but still reinforces existing hierarchies?
In our SciComm Café on May 26, 2026, Miriam Welz introduces Academic Saviorism: a concept for critically examining symbolic inclusion in participatory science communication. We will discuss how institutions can invite “diverse voices” while still controlling whose knowledge counts, whose needs are assumed, and who can truly participate. The session invites reflection on how science communication can move beyond performative inclusion toward shared authority, real participation, and structural change.
Miriam Welz is a doctoral researcher and scholarship holder in Media and Communication Studies at Leipzig University. Her work critically explores inclusion, participation, and power relations in academic and science communication contexts. In her talk, she reflects on how well-intended inclusion efforts can unintentionally reproduce hierarchies — and how participatory formats can become more just and meaningful.
The talk take place online on May 26, 2026, 4–5pm. Please send an e-mail to info@scicom-cafe-wue.de if you wish to join.
No responses yet