module
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
SOCM039: Cultures of the Life Sciences
This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will draw from the following:
- Natural history and classification in biology
- Experimental practices
- Modelling and big data practices
- Data sharing and intellectual property
- Publishing practices
- The role of concepts such as ‘gene’ and the ‘environment’
- The role of AI in biology
- Sociopolitics of biology
- Relations between biology and medicine, translational research
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning Activity | 11 | 11 x 1 hour lectures with accompanying PowerPoint presentations |
| Scheduled Learning Activity | 11 | 11 x 1 hour discussion/seminar participation |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | 11 x 10 hours of course readings |
| Guided Independent Study | 78 | Reading/research for and writing of essay |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/
Other Learning Resources
Important Journals
Biological Theory
Biology and Philosophy
BioSocieties
History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences
Genetics and Society
Journal of the History of Biology
Studies in History and Philosophy of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics