TY - JOUR
T1 - Stem Cells and society
T2 - An undergraduate course exploring the intersections among science, religion, and law
AU - Pierret, Chris
AU - Friedrichsen, Patricia
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - The intersection of science and our society has led to legal and ethical issues in which we all play a part. To support development of scientific literacy, college science courses need to engage students in difficult dialogues around ethical issues. We describe a new course, Stem Cells and Society, in which students explore the basic biology of stem cell research and the controversy surrounding it. As part of the course, we highlight the nature of science, looking at the methods and norms within the scientific community. To gain a perspective on the current stem cell controversy, we examine the public debates in the 1970s surrounding in vitro fertilization, the stem cell initiative in Missouri, and the personal and religious viewpoints that have emerged relative to the stem cell debate. In the Stem Cells and Society course, students are challenged to develop and clarify their own personal positions concerning embryonic stem cell research. These positions are grounded in science, religion or personal philosophy, and law.
AB - The intersection of science and our society has led to legal and ethical issues in which we all play a part. To support development of scientific literacy, college science courses need to engage students in difficult dialogues around ethical issues. We describe a new course, Stem Cells and Society, in which students explore the basic biology of stem cell research and the controversy surrounding it. As part of the course, we highlight the nature of science, looking at the methods and norms within the scientific community. To gain a perspective on the current stem cell controversy, we examine the public debates in the 1970s surrounding in vitro fertilization, the stem cell initiative in Missouri, and the personal and religious viewpoints that have emerged relative to the stem cell debate. In the Stem Cells and Society course, students are challenged to develop and clarify their own personal positions concerning embryonic stem cell research. These positions are grounded in science, religion or personal philosophy, and law.
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U2 - 10.1187/cbe.08-09-0053
DO - 10.1187/cbe.08-09-0053
M3 - Article
C2 - 19255139
AN - SCOPUS:64549094538
SN - 1931-7913
VL - 8
SP - 79
EP - 87
JO - CBE Life Sciences Education
JF - CBE Life Sciences Education
IS - 1
ER -