Evolution Korea
The economic crisis which swept Asia led to a major rethinking of the traditional system of government, business alliances, as well the public management of risks. In Korea, that required a change in the development paradigm.
In 에볼루션 has requested textbooks publishers to ignore calls for removing examples of evolution in high school science texts. This includes the evidence supporting the evolution of horses as well as the bird ancestral Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A creationist group in South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to exclude evidence of evolution in high school science textbooks. The Society for Textbook Revise, an independent offshoot from the Korea Association for Creation Research that wants to rid biology textbooks of "atheist materialism," was behind the move. The STR asserts that such materialism creates a negative image for students, leading them to be skeptical.
Scientists from all over the world expressed concerns when the STR campaign gained attention. Jae Choe, evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul wrote in an email to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. He was backed up by colleagues across the country, who formed an organization called Evolution Korea to organize a petition against the changes to the textbooks.
Some scientists are worried that the STR will be spread to other regions of the globe, including areas where creationism is on the rise. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolution movement could push for textbook revisions in other countries, especially those with strong Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea has a particularly strong cultural background for the evolution debate. Twenty-six percent of the country's citizens belong to one of the religious groups, and most practice Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, a lot of Koreans adhere to the Ch'ondogyo philosophy, which is that is based on Confucian principles that emphasizes harmony among people and individual self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo teaches the human being is one with Hanulnim, the God of Sun and that heavenly blessings are possible through the good works of one's.
All of this has provided fertile ground for the spread of creationism. Multiple studies have shown students with a religious background to be more reluctant to learn about evolution than those who don't. However, the underlying reasons for this phenomenon are not clear. Students with a religious background may be less familiar with scientific theories, making them more vulnerable to creationists influence. Another possible factor is that students who have religious beliefs are more likely to see evolution as an atheistic concept, which may make them less at ease with it.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, campaigns against evolution in schools have raised concern among the scientific community. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that nearly 40 percent of Americans believed that biological evolution was wrong and that it would be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Many scientists believe that despite the success of creationism the best method to stop this movement is to educate the public on the evidence for evolution.
Scientists have a duty to teach their students about science, including the theory of evolution. They must also inform the public about the scientific process and how knowledge is collected and validated. They should also explain that theories of science are frequently challenged and re-examined. However, misconceptions about nature and purpose of research can fuel anti-evolution views.
Some people interpret 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 survives repeated testing and observation becomes a scientific principle.
The debate about evolutionary theory is a good opportunity to discuss the significance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is crucial for people to understand that science is unable to answer questions about the meaning or meaning of life but it is merely a means that allows living things to grow and change.
Furthermore, a comprehensive education must include exposure to all the major scientific fields, including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because the jobs that people have and the decisions they make require understanding of how science works.
The majority of scientists around world agree that humans have evolved over time. A recent study that predicted adults' view of the consensus on this issue found that those with higher education levels and science knowledge were more likely to believe that there is a broad agreement among scientists about human evolution. The people with more religious beliefs and less science knowledge are more likely to disagree. It is essential that educators insist on knowing the general consensus on this issue to ensure that people have a solid foundation for making informed choices about their health care, energy usage and other issues of policy.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close cousin of mainstream evolutionary theory. It explores how humans and other organisms learn from one another. Researchers in this field utilize explanation models and tools adapted from those used by evolutionary theorists, and they look back to human prehistory to discover the genesis of our capacity to learn about culture.
This method also acknowledges the difference between cultural and biological traits. Cultural traits can be acquired slowly, whereas biological traits are usually acquired simultaneously (in sexual species at fertilization). The acquisition of one cultural characteristic can affect the development and growth of a different.
In Korea, for example the emergence of Western fashion elements in the late 19th century and the early 20th century was a result of a variety of events. One of the most important was the arrival of Japanese occupation forces, who introduced Western hairstyles and styles of clothing to Korean society.
Then, when Japan departed Korea in the 1930s, a portion of these trends began change. At the end of World War II, Korea was once more united, this time under the Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the financial crisis of recent, Korea's economy has been growing consistently over the last decade. It is anticipated to continue to grow in the coming years.
The current administration is faced with many challenges. The inability of the government to come up with a coherent strategy to tackle the current economic crisis is among the most significant challenges. The crisis has revealed weaknesses of the country's policies particularly its dependence on foreign investment and exports which could not last.
The financial crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. This means that the government must reconsider its strategy and come up with ways to increase domestic demand. To ensure a stable and stable financial environment the government needs reform its incentive and monitoring systems, as well as discipline and monitoring. This chapter provides a variety of scenarios of how the Korean economy could develop in the post-crisis period.
4. Evolution and Education
A fundamental challenge for educators of evolution is how to teach evolutionary concepts in a manner that is appropriate for students of various age groups and developmental stages. Teachers should, for instance be mindful of the religious diversity in their classrooms and create an environment where students from both religious and secular perspectives feel comfortable. Teachers must be able to recognize common misconceptions about evolution and be able to address them in the classroom. Additionally, teachers should have access to a range of resources to teach evolution and be able to find them quickly.
In this regard, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation had a key role in bringing together evolutionary researchers and educators from a variety of sectors to discuss best practices for teaching Evolution. Attendees included representatives of scientific societies, educational researchers, officials from government funding agencies, and curriculum developers. The convergence of different stakeholders led to the development of the common recommendations that will form the basis for any future actions.
One important recommendation is that the subject 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 an educational progression that is developmental appropriate, are a good way to achieve this goal. A new publication from NRC provides guidance to schools about how to incorporate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have proven that a more comprehensive presentation of evolution leads to a greater understanding of students and belief in the existence of evolution. It is difficult to estimate causal effects in the classroom because school curricula don't change on a regular basis and are dependent on the timing of state boards of education and the gubernatorial election. To overcome this problem I use an ongoing dataset that gives me to control the fixed effects of state and years as well as individual-level differences in the beliefs of teachers about evolutionary theory.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution have fewer internal barriers. This is in line with the idea that more experienced faculty are less likely to avoid questions about evolution in the classroom, and may be more inclined to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method which is used to increase the students' understanding of evolution.