Teaching Science as Social Science: A Curriculum Focus for Adolescents with Mild Disabilities.

Abstract

From Benjamin Franklin and his kite to Ronald Reagan and star wars, we have had faith in science and technology to solve the serious problems that confront society. Increasingly, we have extended our belief in scientific solutions to our personal lives, where scientific studies tell us how to live longer, healthier, more beautiful lives. Thanks to science, we also now know how to evaluate our personalities to ensure more passionate love lives and greater business acumen. And, though we are not likely to be cloned in the near future, with the help of science, we can foster traits in our children that will make our ancestors proud. But the advances we have witnessed and rely upon in science do not reside solely in the natural and physical branches. The social sciences probably are the most ubiquitous in our daily lives. Examples abound. Social science methods play a strong role in government as politicians use surveys routinely to test and to sway public opinion. Lawyers hire social scientists to help select members of a jury, as well as analyze jurors' behaviors during trials. The FBI established a social science division to develop profiles of terrorists. Businesses employ ethnographers to observe customers' buying habits-information that is used to improve merchandising strategies. Large retail stores have hired social scientists to "mine" sales data, from which to glean unique buying trends and preferences. (One store learned that disposable diapers and beer were the biggest sellers on Thursday nights.) Health-care providers have conducted studies to determine the impact of humor on health. Even movie producers sometimes conduct studies to determine the most crowd-pleasing ending for a film. To successfully navigate a society that increasingly relies on the social sciences to influence our thinking and actions requires a strong knowledge base in the domain. Our decisions must be informed; otherwise we simply will fall prey to those who seek to gamer our attention, sympathies, and dollars for profit. Moreover, we must help our children develop the knowledge and tools to cope in society. When enticing someone to buy their product, marketers do not discriminate by age. Children probably are bombarded as frequently as adults with television and radio ads to persuade them to purchase the latest products. To ask critical questions is not enough. We also have to recognize how information might be biased in how it is presented, collected, and interpreted. The need for knowledge and analytic tools is even greater for children because of the daily pressure that confront them. They are pressured to do and not to do things such as smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs, have sex, and join gangs.