Exam 9: Scientific Belief Systems

Unlike religious belief systems, scientific belief systems proclaim "truths".

In contemporary society, the medicalization of "too fat" and "too thin" is an example of science acting as a social typer of deviance.

List and describe the four different positions in the debate over the science of genetics.

Which of the following positions involved in contemporary debates over genetics is based upon religious belief systems?

Although the Human Genome Project initially involved private industry as a source of funding, recent international laws prohibit the involvement of commercial industry in the Project.

Dr. Smith is conducting a study on the effects of marijuana use on violence. Dr. Smith thinks that marijuana use will increase violence among users, however at the completion of her study she finds that her data is inconsistent. Some of the results support her assumptions, but other results contradict her assumptions. Dr. Smith needs to get one more publication on her curriculum vitae in order to be promoted to Full Professor, so she writes a report that only includes the data that supports her assumptions. Which of the forms of deviance in science has Dr. Smith engaged in?

Dr. Hwang Woo Suk claimed he had no idea that the data he was using for his work was fraudulent data. This is an example of

Explain why the claim that homelessness can be solved by the science of genetics has been criticized for being "ignorant and uninformed".

The ability to treat genetic problems lags significantly behind the ability to diagnose genetic problems, but this gap is likely to decrease rapidly in the future.

Social Darwinism and the science of eugenics contributed to

The most profitable way for corporations to recoup the costs of the Human Genome Project is to support research into finding cures for genetic diseases.