Resumo

DE REZENDE VERGARA, Moema. Context and ideas: History of science and public understanding of science in 19^th century Brazil. INCI [online]. 2008, vol.33, n.5, pp.324-330. ISSN 0378-1844.

The history behind the Portuguese term "vulgarização científica", known in English as public understanding of science, is reconstructed. The study of the term helps to better analyze the social processes that have led to the construction, in particular the institutionalization of science all over the world, and more specifically the 19^th century in Brazil.

Palavras-chave : História da Ciência; Institucionalização da Ciência; Vulgarização Científica.