1. The study of scientific knowledge, practices, and beliefs as they develop within and are understood by specific cultural or ethnic groups; the intersection of ethnography and science.
Usage: plural form; typically used in academic and anthropological contexts; interdisciplinary field combining anthropology, history of science, and cultural studies

Examples

• Ethnosciences examine how different cultures develop and validate their own systems of knowledge about medicine and astronomy.
• Researchers in ethnosciences investigate traditional ecological knowledge held by indigenous communities.
• The ethnosciences reveal that non-Western cultures have sophisticated scientific practices adapted to their environments.
• Ethnosciences challenge the assumption that science is a purely Western invention.
• Universities increasingly offer courses in ethnosciences to broaden students' understanding of global knowledge systems.