Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that hit Asia forced a major reappraisal 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 decision, South Korea's government has requested textbook publishers to ignore requests to eliminate examples of evolution in science books for high school students. This includes evidence for the evolution of horses as well as the bird an ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A group of creationists in South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution from science textbooks for high school students. This was the result of a campaign run by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), an independent offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research which aims to get rid of biology books of "atheist materialism." The STR claims such materialism portrays negative images to students, making them abandon their faith.
When the STR's ad campaign made the news, scientists around the globe expressed alarm. 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 backed by colleagues from all over the country, who formed a group called Evolution Korea to organize an anti-textbook petition.
Some scientists are worried that the STR will be spread to other regions of the world, where the belief in creationism has been on the rise. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolution movement putting more pressure on textbook revisions, specifically in countries with large Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea's cultural background is particularly 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. Many Koreans also adhere to Ch'ondogyo, a philosophy based upon Confucian principles that emphasizes harmony in the social, personal self-cultivation and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo teaches the human being is one with Hanulnim the God of Sun, and that divine blessings are achievable through good works.
All of this has created a fertile ground. Several studies have shown that students who have religion-based backgrounds are more hesitant about learning about evolution than students without religion. The underlying reasons for this phenomenon are not known. Students with a religious background may be less familiar with scientific theories, making them more vulnerable to creationists influence. Another possibility is that students with religious backgrounds 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, anti-evolution programs in schools have raised concern among the scientific community. A 2009 survey revealed that over 40% of Americans believe that biological evolution is wrong and that a belief in it would be contrary to their faith-based beliefs. Despite the popularity of creationism in some states, many scientists believe that the best strategy to counter this movement is not to be actively involved in it, but to educate people about the evidence supporting evolution.
Scientists have a duty to educate their students about science and the theory of evolution. They should also inform the general public about the scientific process, and how scientific knowledge is gathered and validated. They must explain how theories of science are frequently challenged and modified. However, misunderstandings about the nature of scientific research frequently fuel anti-evolution beliefs.
Many people mistake the term "theory" as a guess, or a guess. In the field of science, however, a hypothesis is rigorously tested and empirical data is used to confirm it. A theory that is tested and observed repeatedly becomes a scientific principal.
The debate about evolutionary theory is an excellent opportunity to discuss the significance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is important to be aware that science does not answer questions about the purpose of life or meaning, but provides a mechanism for living things to grow and change.
A well-rounded education should include exposure to all the major scientific fields that include evolutionary biology. This is particularly important because the jobs that people have and the decisions they make require knowledge of how science works.
The vast majority of scientists around the world believe that humans have changed over time. In a study that predicted the opinions of adults about the consensus around this issue people with higher levels of education and science knowledge were found to be more likely believe that there is wide agreement among scientists about human evolution. The people who have more religious beliefs but less science knowledge tend to be more divided. It is crucial that teachers insist on knowing the general consensus on this issue to ensure that people have a solid foundation for making informed decisions about their health care, energy usage and other issues of policy.
3. Evolution and Culture
A close relative to the mainstream evolutionary theory, the concept of cultural evolution explores the many ways that humans and other species learn from and with one another. Researchers in this field use explanatory models and investigative tools that are adapted from those employed by evolutionary theorists. they go back to human prehistory to find out the origins of our capacity for cultural understanding.
This method also acknowledges the difference between traits that are cultural and biological. Cultural traits can be acquired gradually, whereas biological traits are mostly inherited at the same time (in sexual species at fertilization). In the end, the acquisition of one cultural trait can influence the development of another.
In Korea the emergence of Western style elements in the late nineteenth and early 20th century was the result of an elaborate sequence of events. One of the most significant was the arrival of Japanese occupation forces, who introduced Western hairstyles and styles of clothing to Korean society.
Then, when Japan left Korea in the 1930s, some of these trends began change. By 에볼루션 슬롯 , Korea was once again united, this time under Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the current global financial crisis, the country's economy has grown steadily in the last decade and is set to maintain its steady growth in the future.
However, the current government is facing a variety of challenges. The inability of the government to develop an effective strategy to tackle the current economic crisis is one of the biggest challenges. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the country's economy policies, including its excessive dependence on foreign investment and exports, which may not be sustainable over the long term.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. In the aftermath, the government needs to reconsider its approach and find other ways to boost the domestic demand. It must also overhaul the incentive monitoring, control, and discipline systems that are currently in place to ensure an environment that is stable for the financial sector. This chapter provides a number of scenarios of how the Korean economy might grow in a post-crisis environment.
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 diversity of religions within their classrooms and create a learning environment where students of both religious and secular beliefs are comfortable. Teachers must also be able to identify common misconceptions about evolution and be able to correct them in the classroom. Teachers should also have quick access to the various resources to teach evolution.
In this regard the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of fields to discuss most effective methods of teaching about 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 groups resulted in a consensus set of recommendations that will form the basis for future actions.
It is important to include evolution in all science curricula 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 method to achieve this goal. A new publication from NRC provides guidance to schools about how to integrate evolution in the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have shown that a more comprehensive presentation of evolution leads to better understanding by students and belief in the existence of evolution. However it is difficult to determine causal effects in the classroom is a challenge because school curriculums are not assigned randomly and change over time as a result of the predetermined timeframe of gubernatorial elections as well as state board of education appointments. To overcome this issue I utilize a longitudinal data set which allows me to account for year and state fixed effects and individual-level variation in the beliefs of teachers about evolution.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution also have less internal barriers. This is in line with the idea that faculty who are more confident are less likely to be hesitant about evolution-related topics in the classroom, and could be more inclined to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method known to increase undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.