science and religion - Long – Evolution and Religion in American Education

Question 1

layout of story

Answer 1

o Study of 31 students – results were similar to ‘the religious identification percentages of the USA’
o 2008: 78% Christian – 26% evangelical xian, 24% RC, other “mainline” xians = rest
o 16% non-religious, 5% non-Christian religions (51)

Question 2

social element to evolutionary views

Answer 2

o Creationists are subject to ‘social control’ ‘they are not in the game of rejecting evolution for the purpose of practicing better science’ but because it does not fit in with their evangelical ‘truth’ 52
o We are not prescribed to be a certain person, but our culture does greatly influence this. For example, ‘Creationists tend to beget more Creationists’ 53
o Links to the theme of identity

Question 3

summary of views

Answer 3

o Spiritual exclusivists hold that ‘their worldview cannot possibly be wrong’ – the opinions of others are the result of a “fallen” world 55
o Inclusivists = religious people that are ‘liberally minded’ 55
o Spiritual shoppers – ‘well educated, well-travelled, and less theologically committed’ than the inclusivists 55

Question 4

exclusivists - student quotes

Answer 4

♣ Hannah: “We’re Christians so it’s kind of like…we didn’t evolve from monkeys” 55
♣ Randy: “the evolution of apes to humans… it doesn’t really like…focus in…because if it did, then we’d still have more apes becoming humans today.” 55
♣ What would be a good scientific response to this? Is it really an argument? Does it reflect a failure to engage with the scientific argument
♣ Underlying problem for students in this group is that they were forced to resolve competing claims for which there was no simple resolution – if the Bible is right and authoritative, then the scientific method that produced the theory of evolution must have errors in it

Question 5

exclusivists - link between creationism and evangelicalism

Answer 5

♣ Saw their way as ‘the one true way’ 55
♣ Identified in a Foucaldian way as ‘just Christians’ and not a particular denomination
♣ As Andrea typified the position, “I don’t really associate myself with a specific denomination. I just am a Christian, end of story.” 55/6
♣ Looking at other ‘truths’ or ways of thinking are not part of the epistemological agenda for creationists 56

Question 6

exclusivists - Recognition of difficulty of views

Answer 6

e.g. Renee decided not to bring up creationism to her classmate in biology because she made a joke about it 56
♣ Hannah accuses person who told her she evolved from a fish of being wrong, ‘no offense to her, but I did not evolve from a tadpole’ (56)

Question 7

exclusivists - authority

Answer 7

o Exclusivism is dependent on authority – whether it is an authority’s figure or text (e.g. Bible) and it teaches that this is what and who we should learn from
♣ It is either that the Bible is wrong or the science between evolution is wrong – don’t allow for an in-between 57
♣ Don’t think that their view of the Bible is formed through historical, sociological or ‘cultural’ context
♣ Most people holding this view would also hold that only Christians are ‘saved’
♣ Many exclusivists agree that they seem arrogant, and perhaps irrational – but they are happy with this, because they understand science as viewing religion as irrational, so this is inevitable

Question 8

exclusivists - why are creationists unable to accept evolution?

Answer 8

• Why are they often not spurred to leave creationism after being educated on evolution? 58
• This is because they see their truth as ‘timeless and immutable’ 58
  Randy’s parents tell him that evolution is ‘material we’re supposed to know for a class, but it’s nothing we’re supposed to take to heart’ 59

Question 9

exclusivists - creationism and education/politics

Answer 9

o Several mentioned the Creation Museum as a place that supported their view of how science has got it wrong over evolution, and the geological formation of the world
o Many were home schooled (very popular among US Evangelicals) – perceived as a way to ‘control destructive influences’
o There also appears to be an underlying apocalyptic view that the diverging views somehow point to the end times – Secular Humanism is understood to arise from the Devil
o Interestingly Creationist congregations in this study were all white
o All of the students affirming this view were Republican – although they saw no connection
o They also saw no historical connection with their viewpoint

Question 10

exclusivists - racism

Answer 10

• Creationists may blame racist attitudes on evolution/Social-Darwinism 59

Question 11

inclusivists - general

Answer 11

• Largest category, and did not see absolute ontology of Creationists or scientists
  o ‘This is the type of person inclined to variably see the merits of both religion and science, rather than the more absolute and final ontology typical of Creationists, and scientists for whom natural science represents the means by which all questions of any category are appropriately answered’ 61
  o Choosing neither science nor religion is a means by which to avoid causing social disharmony 61

Question 12

inclusivists - view that scientists over claim

Answer 12

• Many in this group think that scientists over claim, and disregard views that there is no evidence for creationist views
  o They don’t want to commit e.g. Allison says: “I think that in science they try to prove all the things that happen, but some people believe it differently…I think it’s probably a good idea but people still can believe what they want to believe.” 62 & Mitch: “It [evolution] can really only be described as a theory…some will argue that there’s concrete proof, some will argue that there isn’t.”
• This group would also probably assert that Christianity is the best way to know God, but that all religions have good ways to know about God

Question 13

inclusivists - willingness to be educated about evolution

Answer 13

o “I would not be opposed to it…I think both theories are important to the educational process…I think providing options is the best way to do it.” Mitch

Question 14

inclusivists - fear of tension

Answer 14

o	This group seems scared of causing tension between the two groups in America – Shelley clarified that “I do believe in evolution… I do see the evidence for it…but I don’t believe that just because you believe in evolution doesn’t mean that you can’t believe in God.” But her friend is a creationist and doesn’t understand this 63 
o	They don’t have an issue with evolution being taught but with the tension it created in the school environment 63
o	Mitch: “In eighth grade there was a growing debate in our school about the legitimacy of evolution…some of the more devout Catholic parents were trying to press the issue of Creationism, the other side of course was for more evolution based learning…it grew to divide the class a little bit but I’m not sure how many of the students actually cared that much about it.” 63 
o	These students wanted both sides to be taught and for each side to recognise the other but the Creationists did not want this 64

Question 15

inclusivists - scientific theory and view of bible

Answer 15

• This group affirmed strongly that they did not have the answers on all topics – they were not exclusivist on any matters
• Many would assert ‘evolution is only a theory’ (although this is to understand the science well)
• Many of the scientists in this group felt that ‘Intelligent Design’ as a theory had become accepted without ‘proof’
• Most interpreted the Bible ‘metaphorically’ and felt alienated from those who were more literal
• Beware of emphatic terms, however, here we are not seeing that this group see literal interpretation as ignorant

Question 16

inclusivists - epistemological

Answer 16

• Issue is ‘one of socialization into an epistemological culture.’
• The idea that ‘both sides must be taught’ vs ‘this view is right’ is epistemological not anything else!
• Many in this group didn’t discuss such matters at church much (mainly to avoid conflict)
• People talk vaguely with ambiguous language – see Allison on page 64

Question 17

agnostics/atheists - attitudes of Americans to this group

Answer 17

• Most Americans are distrustful of this group – society esteems scientists, but also distrusts elite groups
• Exclusivists would regard this group as destined for hell

Question 18

agnostics/atheists - understanding this group through social attitudes

Answer 18

• We might understand this group through social attitudes (so as atheists they are not accepted in US society) – and if this is the case we might think that there are more in this group that would openly identify

Question 19

agnostics/atheists - students in this group

Answer 19

• regarded science as authoritative
• Resented the way in which creationism had led to a distrust of science
• They had ‘life experiences in discussing evolution which for them involved anger or pejoratives’ (65)
• They spoke with great clarity about science and what it stands for (in contrast with the inclusivist group!)
• They did not consider creationism and Intelligent Design to be ‘science’
• They preferred to understand ‘the facts’ and saw ‘religion’ as to be left out of the discussion – so although they were engaged well with science, they didn’t seem to have understood the philosophical arguments about epistemology, etc.
• They didn’t think that the Creationist view point should be raised in science class

Question 20

agnostics/atheists - student quotes

Answer 20

• James: “I’d be rather angry because that’s not science, that’s faith, there’s a difference.” 66
• Sheena: “I would not like it. I don’t feel it’s the school’s right to push religion and things like that… if I want to teach my children religion and stuff like that I’ll take them to church, they don’t need to learn that in school. There’s more important things that should be focused on.”
• Will (gentle boy): “Just give the facts…leave religious or other opinions outside.” 65

Question 21

5 - evolution and the structure of worldview change: Tyson

Answer 21

• For Tyson ‘religious conviction and tradition could not be affected by the contingencies of history, human thought, or social movement’ 70
• ‘In this second narrative, Tyson in his own way self-checks and confirms his story by seeing the ease of the Creationist narrative versus the more complex and harder work of science. A cynical take on Tyson’s reasoning might even grant him an elegant application of Ockham’s razor toward its practical reason (Bourdieu 1998).’ 71

Question 22

5 - evolution and the structure of worldview change: james

Answer 22

• James shares that when he was young his Grandmother used to take him to Pentecostal Church but the experience was “very intense” and “frightening to [him] as a child” and so he ‘no longer practices this faith’ 71
• James likes to talk about science but his parents are reluctant to do this with him and his mother “does not like the fact that [he does] not believe in Jesus” 71
• His Grandfather saw evolution as the work of the devil, saying “Oh they’ve got you too” when he expressed interest in evolution 72 “The secularists…brought you away from the teachings of Christ.”

Question 23

5 - evolution and the structure of worldview change: cindy

Answer 23

• Cindy went to a school that was anti-evolution and so was her home environment 73
• She became sceptical of her community and started to wonder if she was just doing things because others were e.g. getting baptised – she also wondered if people just went to church to gossip 73
• She got a secret abortion after she was impregnated by her boyfriend who ill-treated her 73
• The community criticised her for getting pregnant 73
• She gives examples of people being seriously offended by their friends becoming atheists or associating themselves with other people who are atheists 77
• Cindy was still xian and so evolution still ‘conflicted’ with her view sometimes 78
• New world-view formed by moving away from the church and distancing herself from her home life and community (SUGGESTS SOCIAL GROUPS ARE NOT WILLING TO INTEGRATE)

Question 24

crisis of creationism

Answer 24

• large number of Judeo – Christians have found a way of integrating evolutionary theory with a ‘non-literalistic understanding of the Bible.’ – in the USA many have not - ‘Creationists continue to look to a form of Truth which most intellectuals have simply left behind.’
• Creationism seems to be facing some sort of crisis - ‘scientific narrative increasingly becomes omnipresent; it is unclear what Judeo-Christian religious discourse will survive Darwin’s apocalypse.’

Question 25

interest and visit to university

Answer 25

2008 – visits Mason- Dixon University ‘to study the ways students interact with the concept of evolution as they encounter it in university science education.’

• ‘As an anthropologist of science education, I am interested in the ways culture – specifically religious fundamentalist strains within American culture – mediates teaching and learning to science education.’
• ‘I would familiarize myself with the campus and secure permission secure permission to participate as an observer.’

Question 26

information collection from university

Answer 26

‘data from schedule books, student requirements, courses of study, environmental artefacts such as postings, handbills, etc. – would be collected. I would review the campus and regional newspaper archives for historical controversy regarding evolution.’

Question 27

own experience with danger of evolution

Answer 27

‘After some years doing archaeological fieldwork, I entered the science classroom with the intent to improve the quality of evolution education.’
‘In my working-professional master’s degree program at the time, the science educator recoiled in a warning to me about pushing the evolution issue.’ – in his own teaching, upon mentioning evolution, a student jumped to his feet and said: “I didn’t come from no stinkin monkey!”
‘something was not quite connecting between our curricular ideals and actual practices in science education.’

Question 28

political aspect of evolution debate

Answer 28

• Must acknowledge that this issue is also political - Such an analytic view takes us outside of the influence of the classroom by considering the relative power of all discourse in a student’s life.’
• ‘the tension for some between science and religion in the USA is built on quite shallow understandings of both.’ + ‘Anyone can be made to appear stupid when measured against an area of knowledge for which they hold no vested interest nor expertise.’ - if you have never been taught it then how are you to know any different? - Higher education used to only favour the economic elite
  ‘For creationists, evolution then is simply a straw man or placeholder for a larger and much deeper conflict of ideologies or worldviews.’- this kind of “religious conservatism’ - many teachers refuse to argue

Question 29

analysis - motive in writing

Answer 29

• admits that ‘Although I will be discussing religion, I have no religious faith. My interest in discussing this stems from a desire to find novel ways towards getting evolutionary theory taught.’
• what compels him? ‘My mother has repeatedly, during critical moments in conversations, warned me that I am going to hell.’ - ‘For her, my intellectual pathway was tantamount to taunting God.’ + ‘I came to this position through my coming to understand biological evolution.’ – not for lack of his parents trying - has then loved both sides of the argument

Question 30

analysis - experience and perspectiv

Answer 30

• • also has experience actually teaching evolution
• looks outside of the classroom - teachers who accept not teaching evolution ‘due to the social pressures within the community they teach, seem to have a contextually sensible stance- they have learned to cut the stress of conflict.’
• talks through many different surveys

Question 31

analysis - method

Answer 31

• follows a group of biology students as they encounter evolutionary theory - ‘In interviews, I worked back through student life histories with science, religion, and how they came to their positions regarding evolution.’