Silva Eric Orion, Lowe Clayton Cory
Georgia Southern University, USA
Georgia Southern University, USA.
Public Underst Sci. 2015 May;24(4):440-9. doi: 10.1177/0963662514563041. Epub 2014 Dec 24.
This research note presents the results of a content analysis of 234 letters to the editors that discuss evolutionary theory and were published in American newspapers. We find that letters to the editor both support and hinder the cause of teaching evolutionary theory in American secondary schools. On the one hand, anti-evolutionary theory messages are marginalized in the letters section. This marginalization signals a low level of legitimacy for creationism. It might also contribute to the sense of tension that sustains creationist identities. On the other hand, relatively few letters explicitly note the fact that scientists or the scientific community accept evolution. Interestingly, the obscuration of the scientific community's support for evolutionary theory occurs both in letters supporting and opposing evolutionary theory.
本研究报告展示了对234封发表在美国报纸上、讨论进化论的读者来信进行内容分析的结果。我们发现，读者来信对美国中学进化论教学事业既有支持也有阻碍。一方面，反进化论信息在读者来信板块中被边缘化。这种边缘化表明神创论的合法性程度较低。它也可能加剧维持神创论者身份认同的紧张感。另一方面，相对较少的信件明确指出科学家或科学界接受进化论这一事实。有趣的是，无论是支持还是反对进化论的信件中，科学界对进化论的支持都被模糊化了。
