Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that swept Asia forced a major reappraisal of the old system of business-government alliances and public management of private risks. In Korea, that meant an evolution of the development model.
In a controversial decision the South Korean government has asked textbook publishers to ignore requests for removing examples of evolution from high school science texts. This includes the evidence for the evolution of horses as well as the bird an 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 that aims to cleanse biology textbooks of "atheist materialism," was behind the decision. The STR claims such materialism portrays negative images to students, causing them to lose faith.
When the STR's campaign hit the news, scientists around the globe expressed alarm. 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. His colleagues backed him from all over the country, who formed an organization called Evolution Korea to organize an anti-textbook petition.
Some scientists are worried about the possibility that the STR campaign will spread to other parts of the globe where the belief in the spread of creationism is increasing. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolution movement putting more pressure on textbook revisions, specifically in countries with large Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea's culture is especially strong in the evolution debate. 26 percent of South Koreans are members of a religious community with the majority of them practicing Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, many Koreans adhere to Ch'ondogyo, a philosophy based on Confucian principles that emphasizes social harmony and personal self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo teaches that human beings are one with Hanulnim the God of the Sun, and that heaven-bound blessings are possible through good works.
All of this has created a fertile field. Numerous studies have found that students who have religious backgrounds to be more reluctant to learn about evolution as compared to those who do not. The causes behind this are not evident. One explanation is that students who have religious backgrounds tend to be as knowledgeable about scientific concepts and theories, which makes them more vulnerable to the influence of creationists. Another possible factor is that students with a religious background tend to view evolution as an atheistic concept which could make them less at ease with it.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, anti-evolution campaigns in schools have raised concerns among the scientific community. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that nearly 40 percent of Americans believe that biological evolution is not true and that a belief in it would be contrary to their convictions about religion. Despite the fact that creationism has been a huge success in certain states, many scientists feel that the best way to stop this trend is not to actively engage in with it, but rather inform the public on the evidence supporting evolution.
Scientists are responsible for teaching their students science that includes the theory of evolution. They must also inform the public about the scientific process and how knowledge is collected and verified. They must also explain how scientific theories are frequently challenged and modified. However, misconceptions about the nature and purpose of scientific research can fuel anti-evolution views.
Some people interpret the term "theory" as a hunch, or a guess. In the realm of science, a theory is thoroughly tested and verified using empirical data. A theory that survives repeated testing and observations becomes a scientific principle.
The debate over the theory of evolution is a wonderful occasion to discuss both the importance of scientific method and its limitations. It is essential to understand that science does not provide answers to questions about life's purpose or meaning, but instead allows living things to grow and adapt.
A well-rounded education must include exposure to the major fields of science including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because the jobs that people hold and the decisions they make require understanding of how science functions.
The vast majority of scientists around the world accept that humans have changed over time. In a study that predicted the opinions of adults about the consensus around this issue people with higher levels of education and knowledge of science were found to be more likely believe there is a wide agreement among scientists about the evolution of humans. The people who have more religious beliefs but less knowledge of science tend to be more divided. It is essential that educators insist on understanding the consensus on this issue, so that people have a solid basis for making informed decisions about 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 examines how organisms like humans learn from each other. 에볼루션 바카라 무료체험 in this field utilize explanatory models and investigative tools that are adapted from those employed by evolutionary theorists, and they reach back into human prehistory to discover the genesis of our capacity for culture.
This approach also acknowledges the difference between traits that are cultural and biological. Cultural traits are acquired slowly while biological traits are mostly inherited at the same time (in sexual species, at fertilization). This means that the acquisition of one trait may affect the development of another.
In Korea, for example the introduction of Western fashion elements in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries was the result of a complex series of events. One of the most important was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces who introduced Western clothing and hairstyles.
After that, when Japan left Korea in the 1930s, some of those trends began to revert. By the end of World War II, Korea was once more united, 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 at a steady pace over the past decade. It is expected to continue this growth in the near future.
The current administration is faced with a variety of challenges. The inability of the government to come up with an effective strategy to address the current economic crisis is one the biggest obstacles. The crisis has exposed shortcomings of the country's economic policies, including its excessive dependence on foreign investment and exports, which may not be sustainable in the long run.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. This means that the government needs to rethink its strategy and find 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 challenge for educators of evolution is to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for different stages of development and ages. For example, teachers must be aware of the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a setting that students who have religious and secular views are comfortable with learning about evolution. Teachers must also understand common misconceptions about evolution, and how to deal with them in their classrooms. Teachers must also have easy access to the many resources available to teach evolution.
In this context, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing evolutionary scientists and educators from a range of sectors to discuss the most effective methods of teaching evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies and educational research organizations, as well as officials of government funding agencies as well as curriculum developers. The convergence of diverse participants helped to identify some common guidelines that will serve as the foundation for future actions.
One important recommendation is that the subject of evolution should be incorporated in all science curricula at any level. National Science Education Standards (NRC), which call for the integration of evolution across all life sciences with a progression that is developmentally appropriate, are one method to achieve this goal. Additionally, a new publication from the NRC offers guidance to schools on how they can integrate evolution into the science curriculum.
Numerous studies have shown that a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of evolution is associated with higher levels of student understanding and belief in the concept of evolution. However it is difficult to determine causal effects in the classroom is a challenge given that school curricula are not assigned randomly and change over time because of the predetermined timing of gubernatorial elections and appointments to the state board of education. To overcome this issue I utilize an ongoing data set that allows me to account for state and year fixed effects and individual-level variation in teacher beliefs about the evolution of their curriculum.
Another significant finding is that teachers who are more comfortable teaching about evolution report having fewer personal barriers to doing so. This is in line with the hypothesis that more confident faculty are less likely to avoid teaching about evolution in the classroom, and may be more inclined to employ strategies such as the reconciliatory method that is known to boost undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.