Exploring the cultural authority of science in South Africa through public attitudes to science

Abstract

Thomas Huxley is now famously chronicled as initiating debates about the value and importance of science to the culture of humanity and its importance within a modern economy (Miller, 1983). The cultural authority of science has evolved and shifted since the late 19 century, however, more than 130 years later, despite radical advances in science and technology, the authority, importance and culture of science remains an ongoing debate within the polemic. Counter to the contemporary broad public perception, science is neither a qualification nor a career path. We are reminded of what science is: a systematic way of thinking about the world, about building knowledge and more importantly explaining phenomena through testing observations and assembling an iterative consensus of how the universe works. These are the elemental foundations of the scientific method that lead to replicability, reliability and accuracy within research outputs.