Ilanit Zada

Professor Adams

Science and Technology in NYC

9-14-13

          In the second chapter of Surrounded by Science by Marilyn Fenichel and Heidi A. Schweingruber, there are several valid and interesting points being made. However, before the authors go into detail about “science learning” and the different aspects that play into it, they introduce their topic with sub-categories. In doing so, they make reference to science as a “cultural and social enterprise” (19). When I first read that sub-heading I was extremely confused. I could understand the reason that science would be referred to as a social enterprise: a large part of the purpose of learning science is to benefit humans and the environment we live in. However, how does science have any relationship with culture? To me, the two terms seemed like completely different entities that would never cross paths or have anything to do with one another.

          As if Fenichel and Schweingruber were reading my thoughts, they answered the question that was brewing in my mind by stating that “science reflects the cultural values of those that engage in it” (20). I had to read that sentence several times before I fully understood what they meant by it.

          After doing the everyday science project and collecting the data, it became evident that this statement was very true. Although the people I have interviewed were not scientists and have not made any monumental changes in the science field, they still each saw a way in which science applied to their lives, a way that was unique to them. Each of the interviewees, based on their personal interests, decided what in science was worthy of their attention, what they wanted to study and investigate further, and the way in which they wanted to expand their knowledge on the topic. By making these decisions, the interviewees were learning science in a way that reflected their cultural values, and validating what Fenichel and Schweingruber meant when they referred to science as a “cultural enterprise.”