Evolution Korea
The financial crisis that hit Asia led to a major rethinking of the old system of government and business alliances, as well the public management of risks. In Korea this meant a change in the model of development.
In a controversial decision the South Korean government has asked textbooks publishers to ignore calls for removing examples of evolution in high school science texts. This includes the evidence for the evolution of horses and of the bird ancestral Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A South Korean creationist group has persuaded textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution from high school science texts. The Society for Textbook Revise, an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research that wants to rid biology textbooks of "atheist materialism," was behind the move. The STR claims that such materialism paints an unhopeful picture for students, and could lead to their eventual denial of faith.
Scientists across the globe expressed worry when the STR campaign gained attention. Jae Choe, evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul, complained in a letter to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. His colleagues backed him from around the country who formed a group called Evolution Korea to organize an anti-textbook petition.
Some scientists are worried 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-evolution movement will push for textbook revisions in other countries, especially those with strong Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea's cultural background is especially strong in the debate on evolution. Twenty-six percent of the country's citizens are members of one of the religious groups and the majority practice Christianity or Buddhism. Many Koreans also adhere to Ch'ondogyo - the philosophy based on Confucian principles, which emphasizes harmony in the social, personal self-cultivation, and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo is a way of teaching that the human being is one with Hanulnim, the God of Sun and that heavenly blessings can be achieved through good works.
All of this has created a fertile field. Several studies have shown that students with religious backgrounds tend to feel more uncomfortable about learning evolution than those who are not religious. The reasons behind this aren't obvious. One possible explanation is that students with religious backgrounds tend to be as familiar with scientific theories and concepts, which makes them more vulnerable to the influence of creationists. Another reason could be that those with a religious background may view evolution as an idea that is not a religion, which makes them feel uncomfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, campaigns against evolution in schools have raised concern in 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 conflict their religious beliefs. Despite the popularity of creationism in some states, many scientists believe that the best strategy to stop this trend is not to engage it, but to inform the public about the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists are accountable to teach their students science, which includes the theory of evolution. They should also inform people about the process of science and how knowledge from science is gathered and confirmed. They should also explain how scientific theories are frequently challenged and modified. However, misperceptions regarding the nature of research conducted by scientists often fuel anti-evolution beliefs.
For example, some people are able to confuse the term "theory" with the normal meaning of the word - a guess or guess. In science, however the hypothesis is tested thoroughly and empirical data is used to verify it. A theory that is tested and observed repeatedly becomes a scientific principal.
The debate about evolutionary theory is a good opportunity to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is important for people to recognize that science is unable to answer questions about the purpose or meaning of life but only provides a mechanism that allows living things to develop and adapt.
A well-rounded education must include exposure to all major scientific fields including evolutionary biology. This is especially important since the jobs people are employed in and the decisions they make require a knowledge of how science works.
The vast majority of scientists around world believe that humans have changed over time. A recent study that predicted the adults' opinions 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 on the subject of human evolution. People with a higher level of religious belief but less knowledge of science tend to disagree more. It is crucial that teachers insist on the importance of knowing the general consensus on this issue, so that people have a solid basis for making informed decisions regarding their health care, energy usage and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close cousin of the popular evolutionary theory. It focuses on how organisms like humans learn from one another. Researchers in this field employ explanation tools and models derived from evolutionary theorists and go back to the prehistoric human to find the origins of culture.
This method also acknowledges the difference between traits that are cultural and biological. Cultural traits are acquired slowly, whereas biological traits are usually acquired simultaneously (in sexual species, at fertilization). In the end, the acquisition of one characteristic can affect the development of another.
In Korea the emergence of Western styles in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the result an elaborate sequence of events. One of the most significant was the arrival of Japanese occupation forces who introduced Western clothing styles and hairstyles to Korean society.
When Japan quit Korea in the 1930s some of these trends began to reverse. At the close of World War II, Korea was once again united, this time under the rule of the Choson dynasty.
Today, Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the recent financial crisis the economy of Korea has been growing consistently over the last decade. It is expected to continue this growth in the future.
The current government is faced with a variety of challenges. One of the biggest is its inability to find an effective strategy to tackle the economic crisis. The crisis has revealed weaknesses of the country's policies, especially its over-reliance on foreign investment and exports that may not last.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. As a result, the government has to reconsider its strategy and come up with other ways to boost the domestic demand. To ensure a stable financial climate the government needs to overhaul its incentive, monitoring and discipline systems. 에볼루션 바카라사이트 of how the Korean economy could grow after the crisis.
4. Evolution and Education
The challenge for teachers of evolution is how to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for different levels of development and ages. Teachers need to, for instance be aware of the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a welcoming environment where students with both religious and secular beliefs are at ease. Teachers must also understand the most common misconceptions about evolution and how to deal with these in their classrooms. Teachers must also have quick access to the many resources to teach evolution.
In this context, Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation played a significant role in bringing evolutionary researchers and educators from different sectors to discuss best practices for teaching Evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies and educational researchers, as well as government funding agency officials as well as curriculum developers. The convergence of these diverse parties resulted in a consensus set of recommendations that will serve as the foundation for future actions.
It is essential to incorporate evolution in all science curricula, at every level. To accomplish this the National Science Education Standards (NRC) require that evolution be taught in a unified way across the life sciences, with a progression of ideas that are developmentally appropriate. A new publication from the NRC offers guidelines for schools on how to integrate evolution into the life science curriculum.
A number of studies have demonstrated that a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of evolution is linked to greater student knowledge and belief in evolution. It is difficult to estimate causal effects in the classroom because the curriculum for schools do not change on a regular basis and are dependent on the timing of the state board of education and gubernatorial election. To overcome this problem, I use a longitudinal data set which allows me to control for fixed state and year effects and the individual-level variation in teacher beliefs regarding changes in the curriculum.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution also have less internal barriers. This is in line with the hypothesis 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 use strategies such as the reconciliatory method that is known to boost the students' understanding of evolution.