Biology 340: Science in Culture and Society
Prerequisite: Three credit hours of any R-designated introductory course.
Credit Hours: (3)
Science is a way of learning about and understanding our world; as such, it necessarily
interacts with and informs the societies that practice it. This course is designed
to place science in a societal context and explore how science, society, and culture
influence each other. You will learn about the process of scientific discovery and
the roles of uncertainty, replication, and consensus in the scientific process, as
well as how this process is sometimes misconstrued in societal debates about science.
You will practice identifying, evaluating, and constructing evidence-based arguments
and differentiating science from pseudoscience and anecdotal evidence. We will discuss
sources of bias in both scientific practice itself and in later reinterpretation of
scientific evidence by other societal groups. Throughout the course, we will discuss
current topics of societal importance in which scientific knowledge plays and important
role and use current media presentations and statements by public figures on these
topics to practice scientific literacy and critical thinking skills.
Content
This course will use current relevant issues to discuss the intersection of society
and science, and so specific topics will shift accordingly. Potential topics of discussion
may include climate change, vaccines, gene editing, and/or any other topics of current
societal importance in which scientific research plays a large and on-going role.
Areas of study included in the course may include (but are not limited to):
- Scientific thinking and process
- Bias in scientific research
- Bias in scientific reporting
- Differences between science, pseudoscience, and anecdotal evidence
- The representation, use, and misuse of science in societal contexts
- Impacts of cultural values and societal goals on scientific inquiry and conduct
- The role of science and scientists in society
Course Learning Objectives
After successfully completing this course, you should be able to:
- Explain how reports of scientific findings in the popular press and media write-ups
of the same studies and topics are related to the peer-reviewed literature and identify
key differences between these sources that might bias or obscure scientific findings.
- Evaluate information provided from multiple sources relevant to a particular claim.
- Differentiate between evidence-based and opinion-based statements, understand the
role of evidence in scientific thinking, and explain the importance of consensus and
uncertainty in the scientific process of discovery and evaluation of knowledge.
- Identify, compare, and contrast scientific and societal/cultural perspectives, using
historical and current events as context.
- Use logic, reasoning, and communication skills to discuss the use/misuse of scientific
information in current societal issues.
- Describe how scientific discoveries impact culture and society, and how culture and
society shape and direct scientific research and discovery, using historical and current
events as examples.
- Evaluate and synthesize scientific information to identify evidence-based arguments
on relevant scientific topics.
- Explain the importance of diverse perspectives on complex scientific, ethical, and
cultural issues and identify instances in which actual positions on current scientific
topics of debate do or don’t integrate these perspectives.
- Compare and contrast the role of uncertainty and ambiguity in science vs. society
and explain how new knowledge is valued, used, and trusted using current and historical
events as context.
- Debate current issues in which the interpretation or application necessary scientific
information is considered controversial, using factually accurate arguments that demonstrate
basic scientific literacy and an appreciation for the role of society and culture
in shaping the use of scientific knowledge.
Assessment Measures
Grades in this course may be based on an assortment of written and oral assignments,
including but not limited to exams, essays, debates, group discussions, and presentations.
Participation in class may be assessed as part of the course grade.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
May, 2023