Constance Areson Clark
Randolph College, Inc. (Lynchburg, VA 24503-1555)
FB-51864-05
Fellowships for College Teachers and Independent Scholars
Research Programs
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[Grant products]
Totals:
$40,000 (approved)
$40,000 (awarded)
Grant period:
7/1/2005 – 6/30/2006
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The Popularization of Science in America during the 1920s
This book explores the evolution debates of the 1920s and the protean appearance of evolutionary theory as it passed through a series of different lenses into popular culture. Images mattered because the debates were, ultimately, about symbols. The authority of science—and of scientists—was at issue, and scientists disagreed about the boundaries of that authority. Many were uneasy about publicity, public relations and celebrity in this volatile decade. Not all scientists chose to join the debate; some saw it as beneath their dignity as "scientific men." Those who did participate were not always typical of the new wave of scientists; yet they were the people who were presented to the public as custodians of scientific opinion.
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