Ideology, Elitism and Social Commitment: Alternative Images of Science in Two fin de siècle Barcelona Newspapers

Abstract.   This paper analyses the image of science fostered by two leading, though ideologically opposed, Barcelona newspapers at the turn of the 19th century: Conservative La Vanguardia and left-wing El Diluvio. Social tensions in the city and the leading role the press played in this context are critical to uncovering both newspapers' differing models of science popularisation, which depicted science either as a neutral, isolated endeavour or as a socially committed liberating force. El Diluvio' s utilitarian approach to science is in keeping with its objective of improving the living conditions of the working classes. Conversely, elitism might explain La Vanguardia' s top-down approach to science and its isolation in columns devoted to popularising science for its own sake. This case study reveals the existence of alternative popularisation efforts in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, beyond the broadly accepted link between science popularisation and the consolidation of scientists' professional prestige.