Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that hit Asia forced a major reappraisal of the old system of government-business alliances and the public management of private risks. 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. These include the evidence for evolution of horses and the bird ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A South Korean creationist group has persuaded textbook publishers to eliminate evidence of evolution from high school science texts. The Society for Textbook Revise, an independent branch of the Korea Association for Creation Research which aims to rid biology textbooks of "atheist materialism," was behind the decision. The STR claims such materialism portrays a negative image for students, leading them to abandon their faith.
When the STR's campaign made the news, scientists around the world reacted with concern. In a letter to the editor of Nature the evolutionary biologist Jae Choe of Ewha Womans University in Seoul complained that South Korea had given in to religious prejudice. He was backed up by colleagues across the country, who formed a group called Evolution Korea to organize a petition against the changes to the textbooks.
Some scientists are worried that the STR could expand to other parts of the world, where creationism is on the rise. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolution campaign increasing pressure on textbook revisions, particularly in countries with large Christian and Muslim population.
South Korea's cultural background is particularly strong in the evolution debate. 26 percent of South Koreans are part 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 founded on Confucian principles which emphasizes harmony in society and personal self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo teaches that the human being is one with Hanulnim, the God of Sun, and that divine blessings are possible through the good works of one's.
All of this has made creationism a fertile field. Numerous studies have revealed that students who have religious backgrounds to be more reluctant to learn about evolution than those who don't. The reasons behind this aren't obvious. One reason is that students with religious backgrounds tend to be as knowledgeable about scientific theories and concepts which makes them more susceptible to the influence of creationists. Another reason could be that students with religious backgrounds might view evolution as a belief system that is not a religion, which makes them less comfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years the scientific community has been concerned about anti-evolution initiatives in schools. 에볼루션 슬롯 in 2009 revealed that 40% of Americans believed that biological evolution was a myth and that it would be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Despite the success of creationism in some states, a lot of scientists believe that the best strategy to combat this inclination is not to be actively involved in it, but to inform people about the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists have a duty to educate their students about science and the theory of evolution. They also need to inform people about the science process and how knowledge is gathered and confirmed. They must also explain that theories of science are often challenged and revised. However, misinformation about the nature and purpose of scientific research can fuel anti-evolution views.
For instance, many people are able to confuse the term "theory" with the everyday meaning of the word - a guess or a guess. However, in science the theory is rigorously tested and verified with empirical data. A theory that has survived repeated testing and observations becomes a scientific concept.
The debate over evolutionary theory is a good opportunity to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is essential to be aware that science does not answer questions about life's purpose or meaning, but allows living things to grow and change.
Furthermore, a comprehensive education must include exposure to all major fields of science including evolutionary biology. This is particularly important because the jobs that people hold and the decisions they make require a understanding of how science works.
The majority of scientists around the world agree that humans have changed through time. In a study that predicted the views of adults on the consensus around this issue, those with higher levels education and knowledge of science were found to be more likely to believe that there is wide consensus among scientists on the evolution of humans. People with more religious beliefs and less science knowledge are more likely to disapprove. It is important that educators insist on the importance of understanding this consensus so that people can make informed decisions regarding health care, energy usage and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
A close relative to the mainstream evolutionary theory, cultural evolution focuses on the various ways that organisms, including humans, learn from and with each other. Researchers in this field utilize elaborate models and tools that are adapted from the ones used by evolutionary theorists, and they look back to human prehistory to discover the origins of our capacity to learn about culture.
This approach also acknowledges that there are some differences between biological and cultural characteristics. While biological traits are typically acquired at once (in sexual species, after fertilization) but cultural traits can be acquired over a long period of time. The acquisition of one characteristic can influence the growth and development of a different.
In Korea For instance the introduction of Western fashion elements in the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries was the 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, 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 a vibrant economic and political power. Despite the current global financial crisis, the country's economy has grown consistently over the last decade and is poised to continue its healthy growth in the coming years.
However, the current government has many challenges to face. One of the most serious is the inability to come up with a coherent policy to deal with the economic crisis. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the country's policies particularly its dependence on foreign investment and exports that may not last.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. This means that the government needs to reconsider its strategy and come up with other ways to increase domestic demand. To ensure a stable economic climate, the government will have to reform its incentive, monitoring and discipline systems. This chapter offers a variety of scenarios on how the Korean economy could develop post-crisis.
4. Evolution and Education
A fundamental challenge for educators of evolution is how to teach evolutionary concepts in ways that are appropriate for students of various levels of development and ages. Teachers must, for example be aware of the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create an environment where students with both secular and religious beliefs are at ease. Moreover, teachers need to understand common misconceptions about evolution and how to address them in their classrooms. Teachers must also have easy access to the various resources that can be used to teach evolution.
In this regard, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation played a significant role in bringing evolutionary researchers and educators from a variety of sectors to discuss best methods of teaching Evolution. Attendees included representatives of scientific societies, educational researchers, officials of government funding agencies and curriculum designers. The convergence of these diverse stakeholders resulted in a consensus set of recommendations that will be the basis for future action.
It is essential to incorporate evolution in all science curricula, at every 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 accomplish this goal. Furthermore, a new publication from the NRC provides guidance to schools on how to integrate evolution into the science curriculum.
Multiple studies have proven that a more comprehensive explanation of evolution can lead to a greater understanding of students and belief in the concept of evolution. However, estimating the causal impact of teaching in the classroom is challenging given that school curricula are not randomly assigned and evolve over time because of the predetermined timeframe of gubernatorial elections as well as appointments to the state board of education. To overcome this limitation I employ a longitudinal data set which allows me to control for state and year fixed effects as well as individual-level variations in teacher beliefs regarding evolution.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution have fewer internal barriers. This is in line with the notion that a more confident faculty is less likely to avoid evolution topics in the classroom and might be more likely employ strategies like the reconciliatory approach that has been proven to increase the acceptance of undergraduate students of evolution (Harms and Reiss 2019; Tolman et al. 2020).