Jenkins (1990) argues that scientific literacy depends on time and social contexts and on
the primary purpose. For example, national scientific literacy enhances national economic
prosperity or security. However, the integration of science within the economics of industrial
societies as well as in the technologies of war and pollution causes certain concerns about the
ethical nature of the scientific enterprise. An important aspect of scientific literacy, then, relates
to defense of issues that have risen in the political arena, where the scientific community
has often sought to defend itself against its critics.