Topic 10: Science, Technology & Ethics
a
Module: Health, Illness and Society
Topic 10
Topic 10: Science, Technology & Ethics
Objectives
When you have completed the reading and participated in the taught components for this week, we hope you will be able to:
- Describe the way in which ideas about science, scientific knowledge and technological development shape medicine and healthcare
- Demonstrate a good understanding of the ethical principles and practices underpinning health research.
- Outline the potential impact of new technologies on the future of health, medicine and society. .
Lecture: Science and ethics
This lecture will focus on the development of science, scientific knowledge and technological development and the way in which it has shaped medicine and healthcare over time and across settings. It will examine the apparent shift from 'little science' to ‘big science’, the increasing relevance of biotechnology, as well as the role of science in promoting health and increasing wealth. The lecture will also cover ethics in research.
Virtual debate: Should contemporary medicine offer long life without disability and infirmity?
One team of students will argue that contemporary developments in medicine (e.g. biotechnology, molecular genetics) offer the means for addressing illness and disability associated with ageing and, in principle, make it possible to live forever. The other will argue that they raise social, moral and ethical questions about health, illness and ageing which impact significantly on individuals and society at large.
Click below to discuss:
Preparation for this week
The preparation for this week involves reading the chapter by Turner (link below) and searching the internet and/or newspapers to find concrete examples of scientific and technological developments in medicine and heathcare.
Consider both positions of the debate, thinking about the pros and cons of each. Audience members should prepare a question to ask one of the speakers or a point to make during the debate. Lead speakers should prepare a 3-4 minute talk, seconders a 1 minute talk presenting an example to support the argument.
The virtual seminar will be open afterwards so that you can continue the debate and/or follow up from the lecture.
Set reading
BOOK CHAPTERS
Turner BS: Biotechnology and the Prolongation of Life: A Sociological Critique. In: Handbook of Medical Sociology. 6th edn. Edited by Bird CE, Conrad P, Fremont AM, Timmermans S. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press; 2010. (Read it here)
SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL READING FOR THE MODULE
BOOKS
Handbook of Medical Sociology. 6th edn. Edited by Bird CE, Conrad P, Fremont AM, Timmermans S. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press; 2010. (many additional chapters as well as those specifically recommended for the core reading). (check library avalability)
Seale C: Researching Society and Culture. London: Sage; 2012 (check library availability)
JOURNALS
Rather than suggest specific journal articles, we recommend the following journals which you can browse on line:
Sociology of Health and Illness:
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/shil_enhanced/
Social Science and Medicine:
http://www.journals.elsevier.com/social-science-and-medicine/
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Improving Chronic Illness Care (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
http://www.improvingchroniccare.org/
Health Talk Online
