Truth, Lies, and Conspiracy: Science Denialism in America

Catalog description

With a vaccine skeptic set to play a major role in U.S. health policy, this course asks: How did science denialism come to have such an impact on U.S. politics and culture? We will examine the history of science denial movements, including creationism, anti-vaccination activism, and climate change denial. We will look at why people join science denial movements, the role of institutions like the government, corporations, and the media (including social media) in facilitating or combating these movements, and the social, political, and economic factors that have shaped—and reshaped—science denial movements over time. We will also analyze how ideas about expertise have changed over time, and the impact of these changes on science denialism. Throughout, we will pay close attention to the role of race, gender, sexuality, and class, as well as the impact of science denial on health equity outcomes.