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 risk. In Korea, that meant a shift in the development paradigm.
In a controversial move, South Korea's government has asked textbook publishers to ignore calls to eliminate examples of evolution in science books for high school students. This includes the evidence of the evolution of horses as well as the avian ancestor Archaeopteryx.
- Evolution and Religion
A creationist group in South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution from high school science texts. The decision 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 aims to get rid of biology books of "atheist materialism." The STR claims such materialism portrays an image of negativity for students, leading them to abandon their faith.
Scientists around the globe expressed concern when the STR campaign gained attention. In a letter to the editor of Nature evolutionary biologist Jae Choe from Ewha Womans University in Seoul complained that South Korea had given in to religious prejudice. He was backed by colleagues from across the country who gathered into a group called Evolution Korea to organize an anti-textbook petition.
Researchers are concerned about the possibility that the STR campaign will be spread to other regions of the world where creationism is on the rise. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolution movement will intensify pressure for revisions to textbooks in other countries, notably those with strong Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea's culture is especially strong in the evolution debate. 26 percent of the nation's citizens are members of one of the religious groups, and most practice Christianity or Buddhism. Additionally, a large portion of Koreans adhere to the Ch'ondogyo philosophy, which is based on Confucian principles that emphasizes harmony among people and personal self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo teaches the human being is one with Hanulnim, the God of Sun and that heavenly blessings can be achieved through good works.
All of this has made creationism a fertile ground. Numerous studies have revealed that students who have a religious background to be more hesitant to learn about evolution than those who don't. The causes behind this are not clear. One reason is that students with a religious background tend not to be as familiar with scientific concepts and theories and are therefore more vulnerable to the influence of creationists. Another factor could be that students who have religious backgrounds may see evolution as a belief system that is atheistic, making them less comfortable.
- Evolution and Science
In recent times scientists have been concerned about anti-evolution efforts in schools. A 2009 survey revealed that nearly 40 percent of Americans believe that biological evolution is a lie, and that a belief in it would conflict with their convictions about religion. Despite the success of creationism in certain states, many scientists believe that the best method to counter this movement is not to engage it, but rather to inform the public about the evidence supporting evolution.
Scientists have a duty to teach their students about science, including the theory of evolution. They must also inform the public about the research process and the way in which knowledge is verified. They must also clarify that scientific theories are often challenged and revised. However, misunderstandings about the nature of research conducted by scientists often create anti-evolution beliefs.
Some people interpret the term "theory" as a guess or a guess. However, in science the theory is rigorously tested and verified through evidence. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed becomes a scientific principle.
The debate about evolution theory is a great opportunity to discuss both the importance of scientific methodology and its limits. It is essential that people understand that science does not answer questions about the purpose of life or meaning, but provides a mechanism for living things to evolve and adapt.
Moreover, a well-rounded education must include exposure to all the major scientific fields that include evolutionary biology. This is crucial because a lot of jobs and choices require individuals understand the way science works.
The vast majority of scientists around the world agree that humans have evolved through time. In a recent study that predicted the views of adults on the consensus around this issue those with higher levels of education and science knowledge were found to be more likely to believe that there is a broad agreement among scientists about the evolution of humans. People with a higher level of religious belief but less knowledge of science tend to disagree more. It is critical that educators insist on knowing the general consensus on this issue to ensure that people have a solid basis for making informed decisions regarding their health care, energy usage, and other policy issues.
- Evolution and Culture
A close cousin to mainstream evolutionary theory, cultural evolution focuses on the various ways that organisms, including humans, learn from and with one another. Researchers in this area use explanatory tools and investigative models adapted from evolutionary theorists and go back to prehistoric times to discover the origins of culture.
This method also acknowledges the distinction between cultural and biological traits. Cultural traits are acquired slowly, whereas biological traits are usually acquired at the same time (in the case of sexual species after fertilization). This means that the emergence of one cultural 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 early 20th century was the result of a complicated 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 those 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 political and economic power. Despite the financial crisis of recent the economy of Korea has been growing consistently over the last decade. It is expected to continue this growth in the future.
The current government is faced with many challenges. The government's inability to formulate an effective strategy to deal with the current economic crisis is among the biggest obstacles. The crisis has exposed shortcomings in the policies of the country, especially its over-reliance on foreign investment and exports that may not last.
The financial crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. As a result, the government needs to rethink its strategy and find other ways to increase domestic demand. To ensure a stable economic climate the government needs to reform its incentive system, monitoring and discipline. This chapter presents several scenarios of how the Korean economy could grow in a post-crisis environment.
- Evolution and Education
The challenge for evolution educators is to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for different ages and stages of development. For example, teachers must be sensitive to the religious diversity of their classrooms and create an environment where students with religious and secular views are comfortable with learning about evolution. Teachers must also be aware of common misconceptions about evolution, and how to confront these in their classrooms. Teachers should also have quick access to the various resources available to teach evolution.
In this regard the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was a crucial step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a range of disciplines to discuss most effective methods of teaching about evolution. Attendees included representatives of scientific societies, educational researchers, government funding agency officials and curriculum designers. The convergence of these diverse stakeholders helped to identify a shared set of recommendations that will serve as the basis for future actions.
A key recommendation is that the subject of evolution should be incorporated in all science curricula at any level. National Science Education Standards (NRC) which require the integration of evolution across all life sciences, with the developmentally appropriate, are a good method to achieve this goal. A new publication from NRC offers guidance for schools on how to integrate evolution in the life science curriculum.
Numerous studies have shown that a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of evolution can lead to more knowledge and belief in evolution. It is difficult to determine the causal effects of evolution in the classroom since the curriculum for schools do not change randomly and are influenced by the timing of state boards of education and the gubernatorial election. To overcome this limitation I employ a longitudinal data set that allows me to account for fixed state and year effects and the individual-level variation in teacher beliefs regarding changes in the curriculum.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution report fewer internal barriers. This is in line with the notion that more confident faculty are less likely to be hesitant about evolution-related topics in the classroom, and 에볼루션게이밍 could be more inclined to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method which is used to increase the acceptance of undergraduate students of evolution.