College Seminar (101-7-1)

Topic

Biology and Society

Instructors

Marcelo Vinces

Meeting Info

Shepard Hall Classroom B05: Mon, Wed, Fri 3:00PM - 3:50PM

Overview of class

Biology is the study of life and living organisms. Like all the natural sciences, it is concerned with describing, predicting and understanding natural phenomena based on evidence from observation and experimentation. It is a data-driven endeavor. But like all human activities, it does not exist in objective isolation, but rather within a societal context. This course aims to contextualize the study of biology towards a better understanding of how social and cultural histories and dynamics have had a profound effect on biological research, and how social, political and economic problems can strongly influence the impact of scientific breakthroughs.

The topics we will cover, among others: the role of subjectivity in science (the good and the bad); the cultural, political and societal barriers to reaping the benefits of biological research; the role of communications in the field of biology; and select biological topics including evolution, cancer and infectious disease. You will learn from press articles, academic literature and non-fiction general-audience books.

This seminar is a liberal arts course in Biology and will thus touch on all the foundational disciplines of the Weinberg College curriculum: natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, empirical and deductive reasoning, historical studies, ethical and evaluative thinking, and even literature and the arts.

Teaching Method

This is a discussion-based course with minimal lecture. Attendance and participation in the discussion, in class and online, will be critical to learning in this course.

Evaluation Method

Students will be evaluated by class participation, online discussions, response papers, and presentations. There will be no final exam.

Class Materials (Required)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; Author: Rebecca Skloot; ISBN: 9781400052189. Paperback

Approx. price (new): $18.99


The Story of Life: Great Discoveries in Biology ; Author: Sean B. Carroll; ISBN: 978-0393631562. Paperback

Approx. price (new): $35.75


Used and digital copies of these books are fine too.

Class Attributes

WCAS College Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required