BIOTECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL CHANGE
SOCI 3344: MAYMESTER 2011
Instructor: Linda A. Treiber, Ph.D.
Class Meetings: 2:00 PM -5:45 PM MTWRF (5/16–5/27)
Office: Social Science 4070
hours MW 11-12 and by appointment
Meeting Place: Social Science Building room 2030
Email Address: ltreiber@kennesaw.edu
SCJ Webpage: http://www.kennesaw.edu/sga/index
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Modern biotechnology, a “revolutionary” innovation in science, is having major transforming effects on
society. It is impacting the dinner table, agriculture, health and medicine, reproduction and has farreaching implications for other areas of social life. This course is designed to examine the multiple
manifestations of biotechnology and their social change implications. The course begins by locating
the biotechnology “revolution” in the broader socio-historical context within which it is emerging, and
explores its links to the new knowledge-based economy.
The course then focuses on the
examination of the ways in which the development and application of biotechnology in its various
manifestations are transforming the cultural and institutional character of modern societies. This will
include an examination of the ways in which policy issues (social, ethical, legal/legislative and moral)
raised can be practically addressed.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To help students understand how key stakeholders including organizations, business,
government, citizens/consumers/clients assess the social significance of biotechnologies.
2. To help students understand how biotechnology relates to the discussion of nature versus nurture.
3. To provide students with an understanding of the sociological issues involved in the development
and deployment of biotechnologies, particularly in terms of “who benefits?”, and “who loses?” as
a result of such technologies.
4. To engage students in discussions of the unintended consequences of technologies, including the
effects of technology on social relationships and interactions, threats to privacy and security,
health risks of technology, and the challenge to traditional values and beliefs.
5. To engage students in discussions on how the social issues may be practically addressed.
REQUIRED TEXTS

Fukuyama, Francis. 2002. Our Posthuman Future. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
(Read and summarize Chapters 1-6 and 10-12)

Levine, Carol 2009. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Bioethical Issues. 13th edition. Boston:
McGraw-Hill

REQUIRED READINGS (On Georgia View Vista)
 Almeling, Rene. 2007. "Selling Genes, Selling Gender: Egg Agencies, Sperm Banks, and the
Medical Market in Genetic Material." American Sociological Review 72:319-340.
 (Read and Summarize)

Carpenter, Janet E. 2010. “Peer-reviewed Surveys Indicate Positive Impact of Commercialized GM
Crops” (read). Nature Biotechnology 28:319-321.

Volti, Rudi 2006. Society and Technological Change, Fifth edition. New York, NY: Worth. (Read
Chapters 1, 2, and 7—I will lecture on this material)
(RECOMMENDED):
Clarke, Adele E., Janet K. Shim, Laura Mamo, Jennifer Ruth Fosket, and Jennifer R. Fishman. 2003.
"Biomedicalization: Technoscientific Transformations of Health, Illness and U.S. Biomedicine." American
Sociological Review 68:161-194.
Rifkin, Jeremy. 1998. The Biotech Century: Harnessing the Gene and Remaking the World. New York, NY: Jeremy
P. Tarcher/ Putnam.
Percent of Grade
REQUIREMENTS/EVALUATION
Written Summaries/ Reaction Papers (including 3
Discussion Questions) of Selected Course Readings (3-4 page
length)
Attendance and Participation: Class Exercises, and
Activities.
Includes Serving as Discussant for Class Discussion,
Debates/ Post-Presentation Debriefing
Final Exam in class
May 27, 2011
TOTAL
40%
30%
30%
100%
All written material will be graded on both style and content
1. Proper documentation of evidence (see SGA website for guidelines on using ASA referencing
format)
2. Systematic presentation of ideas
3. Spelling and proof-reading
4. Double-spaced 10-12 point font Times New Roman
5. Late points (5 points per day) will be deducted for work that is not turned in on time.
6. “On time” means that a hard copy is delivered prior to morning session on date due.
ATTENDANCE: Attendance and participation= 30% of your grade.
Final GRADES:
Grades will be based upon your percentage of the total number of points on final exam, written work,
and participation/attendance.
2
A= 90-100%; B= 89.99-80%; C= 79.99-70%; D= 69.99-60%; F= Below 60%.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT:
Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as
published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs, Section II of the Student Code of Conduct
addresses the university’s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and
cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentation/falsification of University
records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials,
malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student
identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the
established procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either an “informal”
resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which
may subject a student to the Code of Conduct’s minimum one semester suspension requirement.
DISABILITIES:
If you have other academic or testing needs, please make an appointment with me so that we may
work together to serve those needs.
CONDUCT:
Several rules of classroom conduct should be followed:
 Please give the speaker, lecturer, or discussant your full attention and respect.
 Raise your hand if you have a comment. Do not talk out of turn, particularly when someone
else has the floor.
 Please do not use cell phones during class.
 DO NOT USE LAPTOPS DURING CLASS
 Arrive on time and do not leave early.
 If an instructor (including me) or any of your peers says or does anything that you consider
racial or sexual harassment, notify the instructor immediately. If this happens in class, you
may write me an anonymous note or contact me in person.
 Belligerent, abusive, profane, threatening and or inappropriate behavior is a violation of the
KSU student council regulations. I value and respect your contributions. Please do the same
for others in the class.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
NOTE: This outline may change if necessary.
Class date
May 16
Topic
please look at syllabus and do the following readings:
Assignment:
Please get the text books and read.
Assignment:
Review Volti 1,2, and 7
(Please read-NO Summary)
Course Overview;
Issues in Biotechnology and Social
Change
Film: “Biotechnology”
3
Winners and Losers:
Historical Perspectives on the
Technological Revolution
Sign up for a debate!
May 17
Genetic Engineering
Nature versus Nurture
Bioengineering
Reading Assignment:
Fukuyama 1,2,3
(Summary and Reaction Paper 1 on
this material due May 18)
Class exercise in the computer lab
Film: “Fed Up! Genetic Engineering, Industrial Agriculture
and Sustainable Alternatives”
May 18
Role of Genetically modified foods in our future
Film: “The Future of Food”
Debate 1: Should Genetically Modified Organisms be part
of our food supply?
Summary 1 due (see above)
Read also “Peer-reviewed surveys
indicate positive impact of
commercialized GM crops” from
Nature Biotechnology
And guess what’s coming to dinner
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/comi
ng/
May 19
GUEST: Dr. Carrie McMahon, Consumer Safety
Officer, FDA (Teleconference) (3:00-4:00 pm)
Our PostHuman Future:
Control of Behavior through Drugs
Medicalization and Biomedicalization
May 20
Reading Assignment:
Fukuyama 4,5,6
(Summary and Reaction Paper 2 on
this material due May 20)
Read also: issue 3, Debate pros and
cons in Levine
Debate 2: Does direct to consumer advertising enhance
patient choice?
Biotech Products
Promotional films from
CryoLife
EAT SOMETHING
BEFORE THE TOUR!
SITE VISIT TOUR CRYOLIFE, INC.
Be there by 2:30 sharp! We will return to campus after the
tour for our debate.
Debate 3: Is It Ethical to Remove Patients’ Hearts for
Transplantation Immediately after Cardiac Death?
4
Summary 2 due (see above)
Review CryoLife website on WebCT
Reading Assignment:
Fukuyama 10, 11, 12
(Summary 3 and Reaction Paper on
this material due May 23)
Read also: issue 19, Debate pros and
cons in Levine
Directions to Cryolife (1655 Roberts
Blvd. NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144)
from Kennesaw State University.
Estimated time: Around 12 minutes
Distance: 3.27 Miles
Take Chastain Road NW about 1.3
miles till it becomes McCollum
PKWY NW.
Turn LEFT at the light onto Old
Hwy 41/GA-293/S Main St. NW
(first light past McCollum Airport).
Go about 0.8 miles, then turn LEFT
onto North Roberts Blvd. NW
(Hooters is on the left corner).
Follow North Roberts Blvd. about
0.3 miles until it dead ends into
Roberts Boulevard. Cryolife will be
straight ahead.
May 23
Vaccines as Big Business
Historic Moments in Biotechnology: Film: “In Search of the
Polio Vaccine”
Organizations and the Regulation of Biotechnology
Debate 4: Should Vaccination for HPV Be Mandated for
Teenage Girls?
May 24
Summary and Reaction Paper 3 due
(see above)
Read also issue 12, Debate pros and
cons in Levine
Assignment:
Ameling 2007 on GA View Vista
(Summary 4 and Reaction on this
material due May 26)
Ethics and Biotechnology
Film: “The Missing Women”
GUEST: Dr. Gillian Hue (Emory University) 4:00 pm
May 25
Debate 5: Should we be able to clone humans?
Review materials in Fukuyama for
debate
Selling eggs and sperm
GUESTS: Ms. Louise Rains and Ms. Meghan Rachford
(from Sutherland Law firm) 4:00 pm
Legal aspects of Biotechnology
May 26
Dystopias and Losing our Humanity?
Film: “GATTACA”
Summary and Reaction Paper 4 due
(see above)
Debate 6: Should a Pregnant Woman Be Punished for
Exposing Her Fetus to Risk?
May 27
REVIEW FOR FINAL
Debate 7: TBA, if needed
Last day of class
FINAL EXAM
All written material due in class
Final exam in class
5
6