Evolution Korea
The economic crisis which swept Asia prompted a major reappraisal the old system of government and business alliances, as well as public management of risk. In Korea this meant a shift in the model of development.
In a controversial move, South Korea's government has requested textbook publishers not to comply with calls to remove examples of evolution from science textbooks for high school students. This includes the evidence supporting the evolution of horses as well as the avian ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A South Korean creationist group has pushed textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution from high-school science texts. The decision was the result of a campaign by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR) which is an affiliate of the Korea Association for Creation Research, which wants to rid textbooks on biology of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that such materialism creates a negative image for students, causing them to be skeptical.
Scientists around the globe expressed worry when the STR campaign was featured in the news. In a letter to the editor of Nature evolutionary biologist Jae Choe at Ewha Womans University in Seoul complained that South Korea had given in to religious prejudice. His colleagues backed him from across the country who gathered into a group named Evolution Korea to organize an anti-textbook petition.
Some scientists are concerned about the possibility that the STR campaign will be spread to other parts of the globe, where the spread of creationism is increasing. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolutionist movement will increase pressure for textbook revisions in other countries, especially those with strong Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea has a particularly significant cultural context for the debate about evolution. 26 percent of South Koreans belong to of a religious community and the majority of them practice Christianity or Buddhism. Additionally, a large portion of Koreans adhere to the philosophy of Ch'ondogyo. It is based on Confucian principles that emphasizes harmony among people and personal self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo is a belief system that teaches that humans are one with Hanulnim the God of the Sun, and that heaven-bound blessings can be derived by doing good deeds.
All of this has provided an ideal environment for the spread of creationism. Numerous studies have revealed that students who have a religious background are more hesitant about learning about evolution than students who are not religious. However, the underlying reasons for this phenomenon are not known. One reason is that students with religious beliefs tend to be as well-versed in scientific theories and concepts which makes them more vulnerable to the influence of creationists. Another factor could be that students with a religious background may view evolution as a belief system that is agnostic, making them feel uncomfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent times, scientists have been concerned about anti-evolution initiatives in schools. A 2009 survey revealed nearly 40 percent of Americans believed that biological evolution was a myth and that it could conflict with their religious beliefs. Despite the popularity of creationism in certain states, many scientists believe that the best way to counter this movement is not to be actively involved in it, but to educate the public about the evidence supporting evolution.
Scientists are accountable for teaching their students science including the theory of evolution. They also need to inform the public about the process of science and how knowledge from science is gathered and validated. They must also explain that scientific theories are frequently challenged and re-examined. However, look at here about the nature and purpose of scientific research can fuel anti-evolution views.
For example, some people confuse the term "theory" with the common meaning of the word - a hunch or guess. In the field of science, however, a hypothesis is rigorously tested, and empirical data is used to prove it. A theory that is able to withstand repeated testing and observations becomes an established scientific principle.
The debate over evolution theory is a great chance to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is crucial to be aware that science does not answer questions about life's purpose or meaning, but rather offers a way for living things to grow and adapt.
A well-rounded education must include exposure to the vast majority of scientific fields that include evolutionary biology. This is especially important since the jobs that people have and the decisions they make require understanding of how science works.
The vast majority of scientists around the world believe that humans have evolved over time. A recent study that predicted adults' opinions of the consensus on this issue found that those who had higher levels of education and scientific knowledge were more likely to believe there is a broad agreement among scientists on the subject of human evolution. The people with more religious beliefs and less science knowledge tend to be more skeptical. It is essential that teachers stress the importance of understanding this consensus to enable people to make informed decisions regarding the use of energy, health care, and other policy matters.
3. Evolution and Culture
A close cousin to the popular evolutionary theory, the concept of cultural evolution focuses on the various ways that humans and other species learn from and interact with one another. Researchers in this field use explanatory models and investigative tools that are adapted from those employed by evolutionary theorists, and they look back to human prehistory to determine the genesis of our capacity for culture.
This approach also recognizes the differences between cultural and biological traits. While biological traits are typically acquired in one go (in sexual species, during fertilization), cultural traits can be acquired over a protracted period of time. The acquisition of a cultural characteristic can influence the development and growth of a different.
In Korea for instance the emergence of Western fashion elements in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th centuries was the result of a variety of events. One of the most significant was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces that introduced Western hairstyles and clothes.
After that, when Japan departed Korea in the 1930s, a portion of these trends began to reverse. By the end of World War II, Korea was once again united but this time under the rule of the Choson dynasty.
Today, Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the financial crisis of recent Korea's economy has been growing steadily over the past decade. It is anticipated to continue to grow in the near future.
The current government is faced with many challenges. One of the most serious is its inability to find an effective strategy to tackle the economic crisis. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses in the country's policies particularly its dependence on exports and foreign investment which could not last.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. In the aftermath, the government must rethink its strategy and find other ways to increase domestic demand. To ensure a stable and stable financial environment the government will need to overhaul its incentive, monitoring and discipline systems. This chapter offers a number of scenarios of how the Korean economy might develop in the post-crisis period.
4. Evolution and Education
The biggest challenge for evolution educators is how to teach evolutionary concepts in a way that is suitable for students at various ages and developmental stages. For example, teachers must be sensitive to the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a space where students with religious and secular beliefs are comfortable with learning about evolution. Additionally, teachers must recognize the most common misconceptions about evolution and how to confront these in their classrooms. Additionally, teachers should have access to a variety of resources that are available for teaching evolution and be able to find them quickly.
In this regard, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of disciplines to discuss most effective methods of teaching about evolution. The participants included representatives from scientific societies, educational researchers, officials from government funding agencies and curriculum designers. The convergence of these diverse groups helped to identify a shared set of recommendations that will serve as the basis for future actions.
It is crucial to include evolution in all science curricula at every level. National Science Education Standards (NRC), which call for the integration of evolution across all life sciences with the developmentally appropriate, are a way to accomplish this goal. A new publication from the NRC provides guidance to schools on how to integrate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have shown that a more thorough presentation of evolution is linked to a greater understanding of students and belief in the concept of evolution. It is difficult to determine the causal effects of evolution in the classroom since school curricula do not change on a regular basis and are dependent on the timing of the state board of education and the gubernatorial election. To overcome this limitation I employ an ongoing data set that allows me to control for year and state fixed effects as well as individual-level variations in the beliefs of teachers about evolution.
Another important finding is that teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution report having fewer intrapersonal barriers to doing so. This is in line with the hypothesis that more experienced faculty are less likely to be hesitant about evolution-related topics in the classroom, and could be more likely to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method which is used to increase the acceptance of undergraduate students of evolution.