Evolution Korea
The financial crisis that hit Asia led to a major rethinking of the traditional system of government, business alliances, as well the public management of risks. In Korea, this meant a change in the model of development.
In a controversial move, South Korea's government has requested textbook publishers to ignore calls to eliminate examples of evolution from science textbooks for high school students. This includes the evidence for the evolution of horses as well as the Avian ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A creationist group from South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to exclude evidence of evolution in high school science textbooks. The Society for Textbook Revise, an independent offshoot from the Korea Association for Creation Research that wants to rid biology textbooks of "atheist materialism," was behind the move. The STR asserts that such materialism creates negative images to students, making them abandon their faith.
Scientists across the globe expressed worry when the STR campaign was featured in the news. Jae Choe, an evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul, complained in an email to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. He was supported by colleagues from across the country, who formed an organization called Evolution Korea to organize a petition to protest the changes to the textbooks.
Some scientists are worried that the STR campaign could spread to other parts of the world where the prevalence of creationism is rising. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolutionist campaign putting pressure on textbook revisions, specifically in countries with large Christian and Muslim populations.
The South Korean culture is especially strong in the debate over evolution. 26 percent of South Koreans are part of a religious group and the majority of them practice Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, a lot of Koreans adhere to the Ch'ondogyo philosophy, which is based on Confucian principles which emphasizes harmony in society and individual self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo is a way of teaching that the human being is one with Hanulnim, the God of Sun and that the heavenly blessings are achievable through good works.
All of this has created fertile ground for the spread of creationism. Numerous studies have found that students with a religious background to be more hesitant to learn about evolution than those who do not. The underlying causes are not evident. Students who are religious might be less familiar with scientific theories, which makes them more susceptible to the creationists and their influence. Another factor could be that students with religious backgrounds may see evolution as a belief system that is agnostic, making them feel less comfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent times, scientists have been concerned about anti-evolution initiatives in schools. A 2009 survey revealed nearly 40 percent of Americans believed that biological evolution was wrong and that it would be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Many scientists believe that despite the fact that creationism has been successful, the best way to counter this belief is to educate the public about the evidence for evolution.
Scientists have a duty to educate their students about science, including the theory of evolution. They also need to inform the public about the research process and the way in which knowledge is confirmed. They must explain how scientific theories are frequently challenged and revised. However, misconceptions about nature and purpose of research can fuel anti-evolution views.
Many people mistake the term "theory" as a guess or a guess. In science, however the hypothesis is tested thoroughly and empirical data is used to confirm it. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed is then a scientific principle.
The debate about evolutionary theory is a good opportunity to discuss the significance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is essential that people understand that science does not provide answers to questions about life's purpose or meaning, but provides a mechanism for living things to develop and change.
A well-rounded education should also include exposure to all major scientific fields including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because the jobs that people have and the decisions they make require a understanding of how science works.
The majority of scientists around world accept that humans have changed over time. In a study that predicted the views of adults on the consensus on this subject, those with higher levels education and knowledge of science were found to be more likely to believe there is a wide consensus among scientists on human evolution. The people with more religious beliefs and have less science-based knowledge tend to be more skeptical. It is important that educators insist on the importance of gaining an understanding of this consensus to enable people to make informed decisions regarding energy use, health care and other issues of policy.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close relative of the popular evolutionary theory. It focuses on the ways that humans and other species learn from each other. Researchers in this field employ explanation models and tools that are adapted from those employed by evolutionary theorists. they look back to human prehistory to determine the origins of our capacity to learn about culture.
This approach also acknowledges the differences between biological and cultural characteristics. Cultural traits can be acquired slowly, whereas biological traits are mostly inherited at the same time (in the case of sexual species after fertilization). As a result, the acquisition of one trait can influence the development of another.
In Korea the introduction of Western elements of style in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the result an intricate sequence of events. One of the most significant was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces that introduced Western hairstyles and clothes.
When Japan left Korea in the 1930s, some of these trends began to reverse. By the end of World War II, Korea had once again unified, this time under the rule of the Choson dynasty.
Today, Korea is a vibrant economic and political power. Despite the recent global financial crisis, the country's economy has been growing steadily over the last decade and is set to sustain its steady growth in the future.
The current government is confronted by a myriad of problems. One of the most serious is the inability to come up with a consistent policy to address the economic crisis. The crisis has revealed weaknesses in the country's policies particularly its dependence on exports and foreign investment, which may not last.
As the crisis has shattered the confidence of investors, the government needs to review its economic strategy and come up with alternatives to increase domestic demand. To ensure a stable economic climate, the government will have to overhaul its incentive and monitoring systems, as well as discipline and monitoring. This chapter provides a variety of scenarios of how the Korean economy could develop after the crisis.
4. Evolution and Education
The challenge for teachers of evolution is how to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for different stages of development and ages. For example, teachers must be sensitive to the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a setting where students with both secular and religious views feel comfortable learning evolution. Teachers should also be able recognize common misconceptions regarding evolution and know how to address them in the classroom. Teachers must also have quick access to the many resources that can be used to teach evolution.
In this regard, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation played an important role in bringing evolutionary researchers and educators from a variety of sectors to discuss the best methods for teaching about Evolution. Attendees included representatives of scientific societies, educational researchers, officials of government funding agencies, and curriculum developers. 에볼루션사이트 of these diverse parties helped to identify a shared set of recommendations that will serve as the basis for future actions.
One of the most important recommendations is that the teaching of evolution should be included in every science curriculum at every level. National Science Education Standards (NRC) which require the integration of evolution across all life sciences with the developmentally appropriate, are a good way to accomplish this goal. Furthermore, a new publication from the NRC provides guidance to schools on how to integrate evolution into the science curriculum.
Multiple studies have proven that a more thorough explanation of evolution can lead to a greater understanding of students and belief in evolution. It is difficult to determine the causality of teaching in the classroom because school curricula do not change randomly and are dependent on the timing of the state board of education and gubernatorial elections. To overcome this limitation I utilize a longitudinal data set that allows me to control for state and year fixed effects and individual-level variation in the beliefs of teachers about the evolution of their curriculum.
Another significant finding is that teachers who are more comfortable teaching about evolution report having fewer personal barriers to doing so. This is in line with the notion that more experienced faculty are less likely to be hesitant about questions about evolution in the classroom. They may also be more inclined to use strategies such as the reconciliatory method which is used to increase undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.