Postgraduate Module Descriptor

SOCM016: Cultures of the Life Sciences

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Aims

This module provides a thorough introduction to contemporary and historical practices in the biological and biomedical sciences, and will draw on scientific, philosophical, historical and sociological literature to do so. This module focuses on the ways in which biological knowledge is produced, from the collection and description of species in natural history to the use of models, computation, digital publishing and data-sharing in contemporary biotechnology. Students will investigate the relation between the knowledge produced within the biomedical sciences and the infrastructures, legal norms, instruments, institutions and socio-historical conditions under which such knowledge is achieved. Important historical developments will be dealt with in relation to contemporary shifts in biological practice and theory. As a result, students will be able to critically assess the relevance of material, social and economic conditions for the production and future of biomedical knowledge.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. demonstrate an understanding of many of the basic conceptual issues and challenges at stake in the life sciences, 2. demonstrate in writing an ability to philosophically analyse the ways in which these problems have been and/or could be addressed 3. demonstrate in writing an ability to understand both contemporary and historical aspects of biology in a wide conceptual context and to think across discipline-specific boundaries.
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. demonstrate in writing and orally a well-developed ability to understand and analyse scientific theories and philosophical arguments 5. demonstrate in writing and orally an understanding of the role and importance of detailed empirical work for philosophical understanding
Personal and Key Skills	6. demonstrate an independent ability to construct their own arguments and critically evaluate the ideas and arguments of others, both orally and in writing 7. demonstrate in writing able to show they have acquired precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex problems. Students will also be able to identify and locate appropriate literature, and write cogent and convincing essay

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Topics will be drawn from the following:

Natural history and the role of classification in biology

Experimental practices

Modelling practices

Data sharing and intellectual property

Publishing practices

The role of concepts such as ‘gene’

Bioinformatics and the role of computers in biology

Sociopolitics of biology

Relations between biology and medicine

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
23	277	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
scheduled learning activity	22	11 x 2 hour lectures
scheduled learning activity	1	1 hour writing tutorial (in preparation for essay writing)
Guided independent study	110	11 x 10 hours of course readings
Guided independent study	40	Preparation of presentation
Guided independent study	127	Reading/research for and writing of essay

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Web based and electronic resources:

ELE http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/