Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that hit Asia caused a significant rethinking of the old system of government-business alliances and the management by the public of private risks. In Korea, this meant a shift in the development paradigm.
In a controversial move, South Korea's government has asked textbook publishers not to comply with calls to eliminate examples of evolution from science textbooks for high school students. This includes evidence for the evolution of horses and the avian an 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 decision was the result of a campaign led by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), an independent offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research that aims to clear biology textbooks of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that such materialism creates negative images to students, leading them to be skeptical.
Scientists from all over the world expressed worry when the STR campaign made headlines. Jae Choe, an evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul, complained in an open letter to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. He was supported by colleagues from around 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 the belief in creationism has been on the rise. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolution movement could increase pressure for textbook revisions in other countries, particularly those with large Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea's cultural background is particularly strong for the debate on evolution. 26 percent of the country's citizens are members of one of the religious groups and the majority adhere to Christianity or Buddhism. Many Koreans also follow Ch'ondogyo, the philosophy based on Confucian principles that is a strong advocate of social harmony, individual self-cultivation and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo teaches that human beings are one with Hanulnim the God of the Sun, and that the heavenly blessings are possible by doing good deeds.
All of this has created an ideal environment for the spread of creationism. Multiple studies have shown students with a religious background to be more reluctant to learn about evolution as compared to those who do not. The reasons behind this aren't clear. Students who have a religious background may not be as knowledgeable about the theories of science, making them more susceptible to creationists influence. Another possible factor is that students with religious backgrounds are more likely to see evolution as an atheistic concept, which may make them less comfortable with the idea.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, anti-evolution campaigns in schools have raised concern within the scientific community. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that nearly 40% of Americans believed that biological evolution was wrong and that it would be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Despite the success of creationism in some states, a lot of scientists feel that the best strategy to stop this trend is not to engage it, but to educate the public on the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists are required to instruct their students in science and the theory of evolution. They also need to inform the public about the scientific process and how knowledge is gathered and confirmed. 무료 에볼루션 must also explain that scientific theories are often challenged and re-examined. However, misunderstandings about the nature of scientific research frequently cause people to believe that evolution is not real.
For instance, some people may confuse the word "theory" with the everyday meaning of the word - a hunch or a guess. In science, however, a theory is thoroughly tested and verified using evidence. A theory that is tested and observed repeatedly is then a scientific principle.
The debate over evolutionary theory is an excellent opportunity to discuss the significance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is important to understand that science is not able to provide answers to questions about life's purpose or meaning, but rather allows living things to evolve and change.
A well-rounded education must include exposure to all major scientific fields including evolutionary biology. This is particularly important because the jobs that people hold and the choices they make require knowledge of how science works.
The vast majority scientists in the world believe that humans have evolved over time. A recent study that predicted the adults' opinions of the consensus on this issue found that those who had higher levels of education and knowledge of science were more likely to believe there is a consensus among scientists on the subject of human evolution. The people who have more religious beliefs but less knowledge of science tend to be more divided. It is crucial that educators emphasize the importance of understanding this consensus, to enable people to make informed decisions regarding the use of energy, health care and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close relative of the popular evolutionary theory. It focuses on how humans and other organisms learn from each other. Researchers in this field use explanatory models and investigative tools adapted from those used by evolutionary theorists. they look back to human prehistory to discover the genesis of our capacity to learn about culture.
This approach also acknowledges the difference between biological and cultural traits. Cultural traits can be acquired gradually while biological traits are mostly inherited at the same time (in sexual species at fertilization). In the end, the emergence of one cultural trait may affect the 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 a complex sequence of events. One of the most important 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 revert. At the end of World War II, Korea was united once more and again under the Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is a vibrant political and economic power. Despite the current global financial crisis, the country's economy has grown steadily in the past decade and is expected to maintain its steady growth in the future.
The current administration is faced by a myriad of problems. One of the most significant is its inability to develop an effective strategy to address the economic crisis. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses in the country's policies and its reliance on exports and foreign investment that may not last.
Since the financial crisis has destroyed the confidence of investors, the government must reconsider its economic strategy and look for alternative ways to boost domestic demand. It must also overhaul the incentive monitoring, monitoring, and discipline systems that are currently in place to ensure the stability of the financial system. This chapter provides a number of scenarios on how the Korean economy might develop post-crisis.
4. Evolution and Education
The biggest challenge for evolution educators is how to teach evolutionary concepts in ways that are appropriate for students of different ages and developmental stages. For example, teachers must be aware of the religious diversity in their classrooms and create a setting where students with both secular and religious views are comfortable with learning about evolution. Teachers must also be able recognize common misconceptions regarding evolution and be able to correct them in the classroom. Teachers should also have quick access to the many resources to teach evolution.
In this regard, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of sectors to discuss the best practices for teaching evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies and educational research organizations, as well as officials of government funding agencies as well as curriculum developers. The convergence of these diverse stakeholders led to the identification of a common set of recommendations that will form the basis for future action.
One important recommendation is that the study of evolution should be integrated 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 one method to achieve this goal. A new publication from the NRC offers guidance for schools on how to integrate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have proven that a more complete presentation of evolution leads to greater student understanding and belief in the concept of evolution. It is difficult to quantify the causal effects of evolution in the classroom because school curricula don't change on a regular basis and are affected by the timing of the state board of education and gubernatorial election. To overcome this limitation I use a longitudinal dataset that allows me to control for the effects of years and states fixed as well as individual-level differences in the beliefs of teachers about evolutionary theory.
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 evolution-related topics in the classroom, and could be more inclined to use strategies such as a reconciliatory approach known to increase the students' understanding of evolution.