Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that swept across Asia led to a major rethinking of the old system of government and business alliances, and public management of risk. In Korea, that meant an evolution of the development paradigm.
In a controversial decision, the South Korean government has asked publishers of textbooks to ignore calls to remove examples of evolution from science texts for high school students. This includes the evidence for the evolution of horses as well as the bird ancestral Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A South Korean creationist group has pushed textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution from high-school science texts. The decision was the result of a campaign run by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR) which is an branch of the Korea Association for Creation Research that aims to clear biology textbooks of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that such materialism paints an unhopeful picture for students and can lead to their eventual loss of faith.
When the STR's campaign made the news, scientists across the world reacted with worry. In a letter addressed to the editor of Nature the evolutionary biologist Jae Choe at Ewha Womans University in Seoul complained that South Korea had given in to religious prejudice. He was supported by colleagues from all over the country who gathered into a group called Evolution Korea to organize an anti-textbook petition.
Some scientists are worried about the possibility that the STR campaign could spread to other parts of the world where the spread of creationism is increasing. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolution movement will increase pressure for textbook revisions in other countries, particularly those with large Christian and Muslim populations.
The South Korean culture is particularly strong for the evolution debate. 26 percent of the country's citizens are members of a religious denomination, and most adhere to Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, many Koreans adhere to the Ch'ondogyo philosophy, which is based on Confucian principles which emphasizes harmony in society and personal self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo is a belief system that teaches that humans are one with Hanulnim, the God of the Sun, and that the heavenly blessings can be obtained by doing good deeds.
All of this has created an ideal environment for the spread of creationism. Several studies have shown that students with a religious background are more hesitant about learning evolution than those who are not religious. The reasons behind this aren't clear. Students who have a religious background may not be as familiar with the theories of science, making them more susceptible to the creationists' influence. Another reason could be that students with a religious background are more likely to view evolution as a religious concept, which may make them less at ease with it.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years scientists have been concerned about the anti-evolution agenda in schools. A 2009 survey revealed that more than 40% of Americans believe that biological evolution is a lie and that believing in it would be contrary to their faith-based beliefs. Many scientists believe that despite the popularity of creationism the best method to counter this belief is to educate the public about the evidence supporting evolution.
Scientists have a duty to educate their students about science, including the theory of evolution. They must also educate the public on the research process and the way in which knowledge is confirmed. They must also explain that scientific theories are often challenged and reformulated. However, misperceptions about the nature of research conducted by scientists often cause people to believe that evolution is not real.
For example, some people confuse the term "theory" with the everyday meaning of the word, which is a hunch or a guess. In the realm of science the theory is rigorously tested and verified with empirical evidence. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed is then a scientific principle.
The debate about the theory of evolution is a wonderful occasion to discuss both the importance of scientific method and its limitations. 바카라 에볼루션 is important that people understand that science does not answer questions about life's purpose or meaning, but provides a mechanism for living things to evolve and change.
A well-rounded education should also include exposure to the major fields of science including evolutionary biology. This is especially important since the jobs that people have and the choices they make require knowledge of how science works.
The vast majority of scientists around the world agree that humans have changed over time. In a recent study that predicted the views of adults on the consensus around this issue those with higher levels of education and knowledge of science were found to be more likely to believe that there is a broad agreement among scientists about the evolution of humans. People with more religious faith and less science knowledge are more likely to disapprove. It is important that educators emphasize the importance of understanding this consensus, so that people can make informed choices about the use of energy, health care and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close relative of the mainstream evolutionary theory. It examines how humans and other organisms learn from each other. Researchers in this area use explanatory tools and investigative models adapted from evolutionary theorists and go back to prehistoric times to determine the origins of culture.
This approach also acknowledges that there are some differences between cultural and biological traits. While biological traits are largely acquired at once (in sexual species, during fertilization), cultural traits can be acquired over a protracted period of time. The acquisition of one cultural characteristic may affect the growth and development of another.
In Korea, the adoption of Western style elements in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the result an elaborate sequence of events. One of the most important was the arrival of Japanese occupation forces, who introduced Western hairstyles and clothing styles to Korean society.
When Japan left Korea in the 1930s, some of these trends began to reverse. At the close of World War II, Korea was once again united, this time under the rule of the Choson dynasty.
Today, Korea is a vibrant political and economic power. Despite the financial crisis of recent, Korea's economy has been growing consistently over the last decade. It is expected to keep this trend going in the coming years.
However, the current administration faces numerous challenges. The inability of the government to develop a coherent plan to tackle the current economic crisis is among the biggest obstacles. The crisis has revealed shortcomings in the policies of the country particularly its dependence on foreign investment and exports, which may not last.
Since the financial crisis has destroyed the confidence of investors, the government must reconsider its economic strategy and come up with alternative ways to boost domestic demand. To ensure a stable economic climate the government needs reform its incentive system, monitoring and discipline. This chapter outlines several scenarios of how the Korean economy could develop in the post-crisis period.
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. Teachers must, for example be aware of the religious diversity in their classrooms and create a welcoming environment where students with both religious and secular perspectives are comfortable. Additionally, teachers must understand common misconceptions about evolution, and how to address them in their classrooms. Additionally, teachers should have access to a variety of resources to teach evolution and be able locate them quickly.
In this context the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was a crucial step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a range of sectors to discuss the most effective methods of teaching evolution. Attendees included representatives of scientific societies and educational researchers, as well as officials of government funding agencies as well as curriculum developers. The convergence of diverse participants helped to identify some common guidelines which will serve as the basis for any future actions.
It is essential to incorporate evolution in all science curricula at every level. To accomplish this the National Science Education Standards (NRC) call for evolution to be taught in a unified way across the life sciences with a progression of concepts that are developmental appropriate. A new publication from NRC provides guidance to schools about how to integrate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that a more thorough presentation of evolution is linked to better understanding by students and belief in the existence of evolution. It is difficult to determine causal effects in the classroom since school curricula don't change on a regular basis and are dependent on the timing of state board of education and gubernatorial elections. To overcome this issue I employ a longitudinal data set that lets me control for fixed state and year effects as well as individual-level variations in teacher beliefs regarding evolution.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution report fewer internal barriers. This is in line with the idea that more confident faculty are less likely to avoid teaching about evolution in the classroom. They may also be more likely to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method that is known to boost the acceptance of undergraduate students of evolution.