Evolution Korea
The economic crisis which swept Asia prompted a major reappraisal the traditional system of government, business alliances, as well the public management of risks. In Korea this meant a change in the model of development.
In a controversial decision, South Korea's government has requested textbook publishers to ignore calls to remove 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 South Korean creationist group has convinced textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution from high-school science texts. The move was a result of a campaign led by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR) an independent offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research, which wants to rid biology books of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that this kind of materialism paints an unhopeful picture for students and leads to their eventual loss of faith.
When the STR's campaign made the news, scientists around the globe expressed alarm. Jae Choe, 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 across the country, who set up a group called Evolution Korea to organize a petition against the changes to the textbooks.
Some researchers are concerned that the STR will expand to other parts of the world, where the belief in creationism has been increasing. 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 population.
The South Korean culture is especially strong in the evolution debate. 26 percent of the country's residents belong to a religious denomination and the majority practice 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 believes that humans are in a relationship with Hanulnim, the God of the Sun, and that the heavenly blessings are possible through good works.
All of this has created an ideal environment for the spread of creationism. Numerous studies have found that students who have religious backgrounds to be more uncomfortable learning about evolution as compared to those who do not. The underlying reasons for this phenomenon are unclear. One reason is that students with religious backgrounds tend to be as well-versed in scientific theories and concepts which makes them more vulnerable to the influence of creationists. Another possible factor is that students with religious backgrounds are more likely to see evolution as a religious concept, which may make them less comfortable with the idea.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, campaigns against evolution in schools have raised concerns in the scientific community. A 2009 survey revealed that more than 40 percent of Americans believe that biological evolution is wrong and that a belief in it would conflict with their faith-based beliefs. Despite the success of creationism in certain states, many scientists believe that the best method to counter this movement is not to be actively involved in it, but to inform the public about the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists are responsible for teaching their students science that includes the theory of evolution. They should also inform the public about the process of science and how knowledge is collected and confirmed. They must explain how scientific theories are frequently challenged and modified. However, misconceptions about nature and purpose of research can lead to anti-evolution beliefs.
For instance, some people confuse the term "theory" with the common meaning of the word - a guess or a guess. In the field of science, however, an hypothesis is rigorously tested, and empirical data is used to verify it. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed is then a scientific principle.
The debate about evolutionary theory is an excellent opportunity to discuss the significance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is crucial to understand that science does not answer questions about life's purpose or meaning, but instead offers a way for living things to grow and adapt.
Moreover, a well-rounded education must include exposure to the vast majority of scientific fields, including evolutionary biology. This is particularly important because the jobs that people have and the decisions they make require knowledge of how science works.
The majority of scientists across the world believe that humans have evolved over time. A recent study predicting adults' views of the consensus on this issue found that those who had higher levels of education and science knowledge were more likely to believe that there is a general consensus among scientists about human evolution. Those who have more religious beliefs and less science-based knowledge are more likely to disagree. It is crucial that educators emphasize the importance of gaining an understanding of this consensus, so that people can make informed decisions regarding health care, energy usage and other issues of policy.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a cousin of the popular evolutionary theory. It focuses on the ways that humans and other species learn from one another. Researchers in this field employ explanation models and tools that are adapted from the ones used by evolutionary theorists. they reach back into human prehistory to discover the origins of our capacity for cultural understanding.
This method also acknowledges the distinction between traits that are cultural and biological. While 에볼루션 게이밍 are largely acquired in one go (in sexual species, at fertilization), cultural traits can be acquired over a long period of time. The acquisition of a cultural characteristic can influence the development and growth of a different.
In Korea For instance the introduction of Western fashion elements in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th century was a result of a variety of events. One of the most significant was the arrival of Japanese occupation forces who introduced Western hairstyles and clothing styles to Korean society.
When Japan quit Korea in the 1930s, a few of these trends began to change. At the end of World War II, Korea was united once more but this time under the Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the current global financial crisis, the country's economy has grown consistently over the last decade and is expected to maintain its steady growth in the coming years.
The current government is confronted with many challenges. The inability of the government to come up with a coherent plan to tackle the current economic crisis is one the biggest challenges. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the country's economy policies, including its excessive dependence on foreign investment and exports that may not be sustainable over the long term.
The crisis has shaken confidence of investors. In the aftermath, the government must rethink its strategy and find other ways to increase domestic demand. It also needs to reform the incentive monitoring, control, and discipline systems that are currently in place to create a stable financial environment. This chapter provides a variety of scenarios of how the Korean economy could grow in the post-crisis period.
4. Evolution and Education
One of the biggest challenges for evolution educators is how to teach evolutionary concepts in a manner that is appropriate for students at various ages and developmental stages. Teachers must, for example, be sensitive to the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a learning environment where students of both religious and secular perspectives are comfortable. Teachers should also be able recognize common misconceptions regarding evolution and know how to correct them in the classroom. Teachers must also have quick access to the many resources to teach evolution.
In this context the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step towards bringing evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of fields to discuss best methods for teaching about evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies, educational research, government funding agency officials and curriculum developers. The convergence of these diverse groups resulted in a consensus set of recommendations that will serve as the basis for future action.
One of the most important recommendations is that the teaching of evolution should be incorporated in all science curricula at any level. To accomplish this it is recommended that the National Science Education Standards (NRC) require that evolution be taught in a unified manner across all life sciences using a sequence of ideas that are developmentally appropriate. A new publication from the NRC provides guidance for schools on how to integrate evolution in the life science curriculum.
A number of studies have demonstrated that a more comprehensive teaching of evolution is associated with more knowledge and belief in the concept of evolution. It is difficult to quantify causal effects in the classroom because school curricula do not change in a random manner and are influenced by the timing of the state board of education and gubernatorial elections. To overcome this issue I employ an ongoing data set that lets me control for state and year fixed effects and the individual-level variation in teacher beliefs about evolution.
Another important finding is that teachers who feel more comfortable teaching about evolution report having fewer personal barriers to teaching it. 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. They may also be more inclined to employ strategies such as a reconciliatory approach which is used to increase undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.