There are three parts to this take-home final. All three parts must be completed to qualify for credit. No late essays will be accepted for a grade. Each part should be single-spaced. Essays should be rigorously and ethically cited, meaning citations frequently punctuate the text and a references list is provided. Content should draw on assigned readings and discussions only – no outside sources. The purpose is to demonstrate your understanding and application of materials assigned for this course. Strive for a rich and diverse balance of examples and evidence drawn from the various readings and discussions. Use different examples for each essay (though you may give a nod to previously developed ideas as appropriate). Show me the validity of your argument through the use of specific examples rather than simply asserting something is true.
Assume you are writing for a reader who is intelligent yet uninitiated in the ideas, terms, and theories we have developed this term. Do not assume that they know what “the linear model” or “abortion politics” means. It is ok to write a working draft and just say “mechanical objectivity” as a placeholder – but make sure you return to that section and define/explain the idea before you consider your work complete. You must reflect on and build upon ideas from class to get credit for your work. You need not draw upon all our readings, but please think through the relevance of them all and make sure that you are not relying on just a few. Your grade depends on you making explicit use of our class readings. Make them a clear and prominent part of your analysis. Do not write a rant, whether it is against an individual, a political party, or another target. If you find yourself writing that someone is just “naïve” or “doesn’t understand the science,” then you are missing the point.
Part 1 (25%): Write an essay (of approximately 1000 to 1200 words) addressing the following, drawing on readings from class:
Policy action to address climate change has been stalled for decades. It is nearly a truism in the environmental community that if organizational deceit and campaigns of doubt – a favorite villain – could be eliminated, policy consensus could emerge. In other words, skepticism about the science is the main obstacle to action. This idea extends to the preeminent body of expertise on climate change: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC. The former chairman of the IPCC, R. K. Pachauri, claimed in November 2014 at the launch of the Synthesis ReportLinks to an external site. of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment that “all we need is the will to change, which we trust will be motivated by . . . an understanding of the science of climate change.” Use class ideas and readings to support or critique Pachauri’s faith in a shared understanding and acceptance of climate science as the driver of change.
Part 2 (50%): Write an essay (of approximately 1200 to 1800 words) addressing the following, drawing on readings from class:
“So secure is the epistemic authority of science these days”, writes Thomas Gieryn, “that even those who would dispute another’s scientific understanding of nature must ordinarily rely on science to muster a persuasive challenge.” Use class readings and ideas to describe at least three situations in which claims to science and objectivity were less about truth and more about legitimacy and control. How did relevant actors a) marshal claims to epistemic authority, b) exclude rival claims, and c) to what effect? Knit your writing together in such a way that the ideas, rather than the case studies and examples, are the throughline in the essay.
Part 3 (25%): Write an essay (of approximately 1000 to 1200 words) addressing the following, drawing on readings from class:
We have seen instances in class readings where expert claims can be productive, transformative, and empowering; indeed, few would assert that science and technical information have no place in decision-making or the policy process. At the same time, we have also examined the pitfalls of scientizing policy disputes and/or privileging a single epistemology. Describe at least one case where joining expert and lay knowledges produced a more empirically and socially valid view of the world, and the implications of doing so.
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I will not closely police word count – instead, be sure to make a strong argument that is well supported by class content. All evidence, examples, and ideas should be properly and ethically cited in APA format. Be sure to clearly state your argument and then develop your reasoning using specific ideas from the readings. Judicious use of strong quotes will be essential in writing a strong essay.
Essays will be graded on a scale of 0 to 10 (10=superior [rarely awarded], 9=excellent, 8=good, 7=adequate, 6=marginal, 5 and below=weak). Grading criteria include: organization, accuracy, clarity of argument and the extent to which the material addressed in the analysis paper demonstrates a clear understanding of (a) the particular prompt, and (b) the general scope of course readings and class discussions relevant to the prompt.
Sources and readings from this class: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/06/11022014_syr_copenhagen.pdf
Lead Wars by Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner
Science by the People by Aya H.Kimura and Abby Kinchy
Charles E. Lindblom “The Science of Muddling Through”
If there is no online pdf for Lead Wars and Science by the People message me at 425-501-1530 and let me know!