Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that swept Asia caused a significant rethinking of the old model of government-business alliances and the management by the public of private risks. In Korea this required a change in the development paradigm.
In a controversial decision the South Korean government has asked textbook publishers to ignore requests for removing examples of evolution from high school science textbooks. This includes evidence for evolution of horses and the bird ancestral Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A group of creationists in South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to omit evidence of evolution from science textbooks for high school students. The decision was the result of a campaign by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR) which is an branch of the Korea Association for Creation Research which aims to get rid of biology books of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that such materialistic thinking creates a negative picture for students and can lead to their eventual loss of faith.
Scientists around the globe expressed concern when the STR campaign gained attention. In a letter addressed to the editor of Nature evolutionary biologist Jae Choe of Ewha Womans University in Seoul complained that South Korea had given in to religious prejudice. He was supported by colleagues from across the country, who formed 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 globe, including areas where creationism is growing. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolutionist movement will push for textbook revisions in other countries, especially those with large Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea's cultural background is particularly strong for the debate on evolution. 26 percent of South Koreans are members of a religious group and the majority of them practice Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, many Koreans adhere to the philosophy of Ch'ondogyo. It is that is based on Confucian principles which emphasizes harmony in society and individual self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo believes that humans are in a relationship with Hanulnim, the God of the Sun, and that heavenly blessings are possible by doing good deeds.
All of this has made creationism fertile ground. 에볼루션코리아 have shown students with religious backgrounds to be more reluctant to learn about evolution as compared to those who do not. However, the root causes of this phenomenon are not clear. Students with a religious background may be less familiar with the theories of science, making them more vulnerable to creationists influence. Another possible factor is that students who have religious backgrounds tend to view evolution as an atheistic idea and therefore less at ease with it.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, 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 could be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Many scientists believe that despite the popularity of creationism the best method to counter this belief is to educate the public about the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists have a duty to educate their students about science, including the theory of evolution. They also need to inform the general public about the scientific process, and how scientific knowledge is collected and verified. They should also explain that theories of science are often challenged and reformulated. However, misperceptions about the nature of scientific research often fuel anti-evolution beliefs.
Many people mistake the term "theory" as a guess, or a guess. In science, however, a hypothesis is rigorously tested and empirical evidence is used to verify it. A theory that survives repeated testing and observations becomes a scientific principle.
The debate over evolution theory is an excellent opportunity to discuss both the importance of scientific method and its limits. It is essential to understand that science does not answer questions about the purpose of life or meaning, but offers a way for living things to grow and adapt.
Furthermore, a comprehensive education should include exposure to all major fields of science that include evolutionary biology. This is essential because a variety of jobs and decisions require that people know how science works.
The vast majority of scientists around the world believe that humans have evolved over time. In a recent study that predicted the views of adults on the consensus on this topic those with higher levels of education and knowledge of science were found to be more likely believe that there is a broad consensus among scientists on the evolution of humans. People with more religious beliefs and have less science-based knowledge are more likely to disagree. It is important that educators insist on the importance of gaining an understanding of this consensus so that people can make informed decisions about the use of energy, health care and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close cousin of mainstream 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 adapted from those used by evolutionary theorists, and they reach back into human prehistory to discover the genesis of our capacity to learn about culture.
This approach also recognizes that there are differences between biological and cultural characteristics. While biological traits are typically inherited all at once (in sexual species, at fertilization) but cultural traits can be acquired over a long period of time. The acquisition of one cultural characteristic can influence the growth and development of another.
In Korea, for example the introduction of Western fashion elements in the latter part of the 19th 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 styles of clothing to Korean society.
Then, when Japan departed Korea in the 1930s, a few of those trends began to change. At the end of World War II, Korea was once more united but this time under the Choson dynasty rule.
에볼루션코리아 , Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the recent global financial crisis, the country's economy has grown consistently over the past decade and is expected to maintain its steady growth in the coming years.
The current government is confronted with many challenges. One of the most significant is its inability to develop an effective strategy to tackle the economic crisis. The crisis has exposed weaknesses of the country's economy policies, mainly its overreliance on foreign investment and exports which might not be sustainable in the long run.
As the crisis has shattered the confidence of investors, the government needs to reconsider its economic strategy and come up with alternatives to boost domestic demand. To ensure a stable financial climate, the government will have to overhaul its incentive, monitoring and discipline systems. This chapter presents several scenarios for how the Korean economy might grow in a post-crisis environment.
4. Evolution and Education
The challenge for educators of evolution is how to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for different stages of development and ages. Teachers should, for instance, be sensitive to the religious diversity in their classrooms and create an environment where students from both religious and secular perspectives feel comfortable. Teachers should also be able to identify common misconceptions regarding evolution and be able to address them in the classroom. Finally, teachers must have access to a variety of resources for teaching evolution and be able to locate them quickly.
In this regard, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a range of fields to discuss best methods for teaching about evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies and educational researchers, as well as officials of government funding agencies and curriculum designers. The convergence of various stakeholders helped identify the common recommendations that will form the foundation for future actions.
It is essential to incorporate evolution in all science curricula at every level. To achieve this goal it is recommended that the National Science Education Standards (NRC) require that evolution be taught in a unified way across the life sciences using a sequence of ideas that are developmentally appropriate. A new publication from NRC offers guidance to schools about how to integrate evolution in the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have shown that a more complete presentation of evolution leads to greater student understanding and belief in the concept of evolution. However, estimating the causal effect of evolution in the classroom is challenging due to the fact that school curriculums are not assigned randomly and evolve over time because of the predetermined timing of gubernatorial elections and state board of education appointments. To overcome this limitation I employ a longitudinal dataset that allows me to control for state and years fixed effects as well as individual-level variations in the beliefs of teachers about evolutionary theory.
Teachers who are more comfortable in teaching evolution report fewer internal barriers. This is in line with the notion that more experienced faculty are less likely to avoid questions about evolution in the classroom. They may also be more likely to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method known to increase the acceptance of undergraduate students of evolution.