Re: Is there a Ph.D. in "science" Re: [xmca] Fwd: New Degree ProgramsOxford

From: Yvette Solomon <y.solomon who-is-at lancaster.ac.uk>
Date: Tue Jun 19 2007 - 09:08:51 PDT

please can you remove me from the list?
many thanks
Yvette

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Whitson" <twhitson@UDel.Edu>
To: <mcole@weber.ucsd.edu>; "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity"
<xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 4:40 PM
Subject: Is there a Ph.D. in "science" Re: [xmca] Fwd: New Degree
ProgramsOxford

> Mike's post reminds me of a question I've had reason to ask lately:
>
> Does anybody know of anyplace that offers a Ph.D. in "Science" (rather
> than, say, Biology, Chemistry, Bio-Chem, etc.)?
>
> Background for the question:
> In the US, recent conflicts over teaching evolution have centered on the
> right way to define "science." For example, until after the most recent
> elections, the State School Board in Kansas changed the definition of
> "Science" in their "Science" standards so that "science" in Kansas was not
> limited to seeking explanations based on natural principles (i.e.,
> supernatural explanations were to be permissable in "science").
>
> These are the terms in which the conflict still continues, with advocates
> of "Intelligent Design" (including Steve Fuller, BTW), arguing that the
> groundrules and definition of science should be changed so as not to
> exclude the supernatural.
>
> While others are debating this, I want to ask -- from a curriculum
> perspective -- if there is really such a thing as "science" in the first
> place. There is an institutionalized inquiring social enterprise called
> "Biology" and there is another one called "Economics"; but is there really
> such a thing as "science" as such, or is that just an umbrella terms for
> an array of diverse enterprises that may share some things in common?
>
> I have no doubt that there are natural sciences that have in common a
> defining purpose of seeking naturalistic explanations. Whether or not
> somebody comes up with some philosophic argument or definition by which
> Intelligent Design meets criteria for being called a "science" (or some
> kind of Wissenschaft), it would still be something different from the
> essentially naturalistic natural science disciplines that comprise our
> "science" curriculum in the US.
>
> My point is not to suggest openness to the ID argument for redefining
> science. What I'm suggesting is that this whole question is irrelevant to
> the curriculum questions at issue. If curriculum consists of the course of
> learning experience in which human formation occurs through Legitimate
> Peripheral Participation (leading to more full participation) in
> Activities or Practices of actual communities or social enterprises, then
> it is the actual practices of actual communities who do biology, etc. --
> including transformative practices such as those featured in work by
> Latour, etc. on innovation -- that would be the practices of interest for
> curriculum. The practices of Biology are those of naturalistic natural
> science and, simply as an empirical (rather than a definitional) matter,
> these do not include the discourses and practices of the Intelligent
> Design Community. Whether ID should be a subject in the curriculum could
> be another question; but it would not belong within the subject of
> Biology -- for reasons that have nothing to do with the war over abstract
> definitions of what is and is not "science."
>
> What do you think?
>
> On Tue, 19 Jun 2007, Mike Cole wrote:
>
>> *Announcing two new degree programs at University of Oxford that are
>> relevant to those interested in cognition and religion.*
>>
>> *Please pass on to interested students (or colleagues who might have
>> interested students).*
>>
>> *Thanks,*
>>
>> *Justin Barrett*
>>
>> * *
>>
>> *ICEA MSc *
>>
>> What makes us human? What makes culture possible? The University of
>> Oxford's new Institute for Cognitive & Evolutionary Anthropology
>> announces a
>> new 12 month MSc degree to commence in October 2007. This program in
>> "Human
>> Biology" explores human thought, behaviour, and culture from the
>> perspectives of the evolutionary and cognitive sciences. Degree
>> candidates
>> will read in primate behavioral ecology, human evolution (with a
>> behavioral
>> ecology emphasis), mind and culture, and quantitative methods in the
>> human
>> sciences; and complete a supervised 10,000 word dissertation. Program
>> staff
>> includes Professor Robin Dunbar, Professor Harvey Whitehouse, and Dr.
>> Justin
>> Barrett. Additional information about the course and how to apply is
>> available at http://www.isca.ox.ac.uk/admissions/how_to_apply.shtml.
>> Applications for the 2007-2008 year will be accepted until July 26, 2007.
>>
>> *ICEA DPhil *
>>
>> How can cognitive or evolutionary insights help explain patterns in
>> cultural
>> expression? The University of Oxford's new Institute for Cognitive &
>> Evolutionary Anthropology announces a new 3 year DPhil degree to commence
>> in
>> October 2007. This research program offers the opportunity to explore
>> human
>> thought, behaviour, and culture from the perspectives of the evolutionary
>> and cognitive sciences. Those who already have an appropriate graduate
>> degree in a related area (e.g., experimental psychology, anthropology,
>> evolution) may apply as Probationer Research Students (PRS) in the first
>> instance; they may nonetheless subsequently be advised that one of the
>> master's degrees may be more suitable for them to start with. Program
>> staff
>> includes Professor Robin Dunbar, Professor Harvey Whitehouse, and Dr.
>> Justin
>> Barrett. Additional information about how to apply is available at
>> http://www.isca.ox.ac.uk/admissions/how_to_apply.shtml. Applications for
>> the 2007-2008 year will be accepted until July 26, 2007.
>> _______________________________________________
>> xmca mailing list
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>>
>
> Tony Whitson
> UD School of Education
> NEWARK DE 19716
>
> twhitson@udel.edu
> _______________________________
>
> "those who fail to reread
> are obliged to read the same story everywhere"
> -- Roland Barthes, S/Z (1970)
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Received on Tue Jun 19 09:11 PDT 2007

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