To demonstrate my social scientific literacy, I selected a book review from HIS-132 (American History II), which I took over sixteen weeks in the spring of 2023. This was the second book review I had written thus far, the first having been in HIS-131 (American History I), and due to already being familiar with the type of assignment and requirements, it was significantly more enjoyable as I knew what to look for when reading and what topics would be best to explore in my review, and therefore could enjoy the book more without stressing over how to write about it. As a lover of literature and a frequent reader, I was particularly excited at the opportunity to select any historical book from the time period we studied that stood out to me. I ended up choosing The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore, because I had priorly heard of the topic of the United States Radium Corporation and wanted to research it further. I was also familiar with the author and had read some of her other works in my own time, which I enjoyed.

After reading and annotating the book, I did some additional research on radium and its history, though the book itself gave an extensive amount of information, which I was able to include within my review. I also included some background information on the author, giving context as to why she chose to dedicate her time to researching the Radium Girls and why it was a tragedy she wished to tell the story of. Ultimately, I found that the book was both entertaining and educational on every aspect of radium and its consequences on early 20th-century women. It read like fiction but did not stray from accuracy and heavy topics, and though a lengthy book, it proved to feel quite short due to the nature of the writing.

The goals I had selected previously for this assignment were to take a psychology class and study human action and consequences and to demonstrate an ability to understand how human actions have impacted the zoological field. The first goal was not a measurable goal for any specific assignment, though I did accomplish it in the spring of 2022, taking PSY-150 (General Psychology), and the second was not specific to this assignment as it focused on the zoological field. My alternative goals, which I selected, were to thoughtfully analyze an ethical dilemma to form a better understanding of basic human rights and to choose a historical event I was unfamiliar with to study extensively.

I accomplished my first goal, thoughtfully analyzing an ethical dilemma to form an understanding of basic human rights, both within my paper and in annotating my book, which allowed me to analyze what I was reading during the process rather than trying to remember my thoughts and form an analysis afterward. I included several of my annotations within my review, which demonstrated some of my thoughts while reading the book. I also ensured that the book I selected was specific to an ethical dilemma—my prior choices for book reviews were primarily autobiographies or journals, so in choosing my book for this particular assignment, I ensured that it focused on a historical issue—for this specific book, the legal and ethical dimensions of labor rights and corporate responsibility.

For my second goal, choosing a historical event I was unfamiliar with to study extensively, I immediately thought of the radium dilemma and the United States Radium Corporation, which I had previously heard about but had not yet had the chance to study. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women immediately captured my interest, and I visited several local bookstores in search of a copy. After finding one, I began my extensive studying, which included annotated reading paired with frequent researching of topics I felt inclined to better understand. Fortunately, this method of studying made writing my review significantly easier, as I had nearly all my thoughts and sources already documented.

I have always been particularly interested in history and psychology and, ultimately, the consequences of human action, and this assignment allowed me to explore that while also furthering my understanding of social scientific literacy. Interestingly, I have learned from others in my chosen career field that social scientific literacy is almost, if not equally, important as the science itself when entering a career with animals and the environment. As a researcher, understanding human consequences will play a huge part in chosen topics of study and research methods. I look forward to building more on my knowledge of it, and I plan on studying psychology, in particular, more in-depth in the future.