Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that swept Asia caused a significant rethinking of the old model of government-business alliances and the public management of private risks. In Korea this meant a shift in the model of development.
In a controversial move, the South Korean government has requested textbooks publishers to ignore calls to remove examples of evolution from high school science texts. This includes the evidence for the evolution of horses and the avian ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A South Korean creationist group has persuaded textbook publishers to eliminate evidence of evolution from high-school science texts. This was the result of a campaign led by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), an independent branch of the Korea Association for Creation Research, which wants to rid textbooks on biology of "atheist materialism." The STR asserts that such materialism creates an image of negativity for students, leading them to abandon their faith.
Scientists across the globe expressed concern when the STR campaign was featured in the news. Jae Choe, an evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul and wrote a letter to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. He was backed 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 that the STR could expand to other parts of the globe, where creationism has been increasing. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolution movement will push for textbook revisions in other countries, particularly those with large Christian and Muslim population.
The South Korean culture is especially strong in the debate over evolution. 26 percent of the nation's citizens are members of a religious denomination, and most adhere to Christianity or Buddhism. Many Koreans also adhere to Ch'ondogyo, the philosophy based on Confucian principles that emphasizes social harmony, individual self-cultivation, and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo teaches the human being is one with Hanulnim the God of Sun and that heavenly blessings can be achieved through the good works of one's.
All of this has created fertile ground for the spread of creationism. Several studies have shown that students who have religion-based backgrounds tend to be more uncomfortable about learning evolution than those who do not have a religious background. The causes behind this are not evident. One reason is that students with a religious background tend not to be as well-versed in scientific concepts and theories which makes them more susceptible to the influence of creationists. Another factor could be that those with religious backgrounds may see evolution as a concept that is not a religion, which makes them feel uncomfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent times the scientific community has been concerned about anti-evolution efforts in schools. 에볼루션 무료체험 revealed that nearly 40 percent of Americans believe that biological evolution is wrong and that a belief in it would be contrary to their convictions about religion. Despite the popularity of creationism in some states, many scientists feel that the best way to counter this movement is not to engage it, but to inform the public on the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists have a duty to educate their students about science and the theory of evolution. They also need to inform the general public about the process of science, and how scientific knowledge is gathered and validated. They must explain how scientific theories are often challenged and revised. However, misinformation about the nature and purpose of scientific research can lead to anti-evolution beliefs.
For instance, some people may confuse the word "theory" with the common meaning of the word - a guess or a guess. In the realm of science, a theory is thoroughly tested and verified using evidence. A theory that survives repeated testing and observation becomes a scientific principle.
The debate over the evolutionary theory provides a great occasion to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is important that people understand that science cannot answer questions about life's purpose or meaning, but instead offers a way for living things to evolve and evolve.
Furthermore, a comprehensive education should cover all major fields of science, including evolutionary biology. This is essential because a variety of jobs and decisions require people know the way science operates.
The majority of scientists around the world accept that humans have changed over time. A recent study that predicted adults' opinions of the consensus on this subject found that those with higher education levels and knowledge of science were more likely to believe there is a broad agreement among scientists about human evolution. The people with more religious faith and less science knowledge are more likely to disagree. It is essential that teachers insist on the importance of gaining an understanding of this consensus, to enable people to make informed decisions about health care, energy usage and other issues of policy.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a cousin of the mainstream evolutionary theory. It examines the ways that humans and other species learn from one another. Researchers in this field use elaborate models and tools that are adapted from the ones used by evolutionary theorists, and they reach back into human prehistory to determine the origins of our capacity to learn about culture.
This approach also acknowledges the difference between traits that are cultural and biological. Cultural traits can be acquired slowly while biological traits are usually acquired at the same time (in sexual species, at fertilization). This means that the acquisition of one trait may affect the development of another.
In Korea For instance the introduction of Western fashion elements in the latter part of the 19th century and the early 20th century was a result of a variety of events. One of the most important was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces who introduced Western hairstyles and clothes.
When Japan left Korea in the 1930s some of these trends began to reverse. At the close of World War II, Korea was once more united but this time under the Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the recent financial crisis the economy of Korea has been growing steadily over the last decade. It is expected to continue this growth in the near future.
The current government is confronted by a myriad of problems. The inability of the government to come up with a coherent strategy to address the current economic crisis is one the most significant challenges. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the country's economy policies, including its excessive dependence on exports and foreign investment, which may not be sustainable over the long term.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors, the government must rethink its economic strategy and look for alternative ways to boost domestic demand. To ensure a stable financial climate, the government will have to overhaul its incentive system, monitoring and discipline. This chapter presents several scenarios of how the Korean economy might grow in a post-crisis environment.
4. Evolution and Education
The challenge for educators of evolution is to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for various levels of development and ages. Teachers should, for instance, be sensitive to the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a welcoming environment where students from both religious and secular perspectives are at ease. Additionally, teachers must recognize the most common misconceptions about evolution and how to address these in their classrooms. 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 together evolutionary researchers and educators from different sectors to discuss the best methods for teaching about Evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies and educational research organizations, as well as government funding agency officials and curriculum designers. The convergence of diverse stakeholders helped identify the common recommendations that will form the basis for future actions.
It is essential to incorporate evolution in all science curricula at every level. National Science Education Standards (NRC), which call for the integration of evolution across all life sciences with the developmentally appropriate, are one way to accomplish this goal. 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 complete presentation of evolution is linked to a greater understanding of students and belief in the existence of evolution. However, estimating causal effects in the classroom is challenging because school curriculums are not randomly assigned and change over time as a result of the predetermined dates of gubernatorial election and state board of education appointments. To overcome this issue I employ a longitudinal data set which lets me control for fixed state and year effects as well as individual-level variations in the beliefs of teachers about the evolution of their curriculum.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution also have fewer internal barriers. This is in line with the idea that more experienced faculty are less likely to be hesitant about questions about evolution in the classroom, and could be more inclined to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method which is used to increase undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.