Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that hit Asia required a major review of the old system of government-business alliances and public management of private risks. In Korea, that meant an evolution of the development paradigm.
In a controversial move South Korea's government has requested textbook publishers not to comply with calls to remove examples of evolution in science books for high school students. These include the evidence for the evolution of horses and of the Avian ancestral Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A South Korean creationist group has pushed textbook publishers to eliminate 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 aims to get rid of biology textbooks of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that such materialistic views create a negative image for students and can lead to their eventual loss of faith.
Scientists around the globe expressed concern when the STR campaign made headlines. Jae Choe, evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul wrote in a letter to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. He was backed up by colleagues from across the country, who set up a group called Evolution Korea to organize a petition to protest the changes to the textbooks.
Some scientists are worried that the STR will be spread to other regions of the world, where creationism is on the rise. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolutionist campaign putting pressure on textbook revisions, specifically in countries with large Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea has a particularly powerful cultural backdrop for the debate on evolution. Twenty-six percent of the country's citizens belong to one of the religious groups and the majority of them practice Christianity or Buddhism. Many Koreans also adhere to Ch'ondogyo, a philosophy based upon Confucian principles that emphasizes harmony in the social, personal self-cultivation and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo teaches that human beings are in a relationship with Hanulnim, the God of the Sun, and that heaven-bound blessings can be derived by doing good deeds.
All of this has created fertile ground for the spread of creationism. A number of studies have demonstrated that students who have religious backgrounds tend to be more uncomfortable about learning about evolution than students without religion. The reasons behind this aren't evident. Students who have a religious background might be less familiar with scientific theories, which makes them more vulnerable to creationists and their influence. Another reason could be that students with a religious background are more likely to view evolution as an atheistic concept and therefore less comfortable with it.
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 over 40 percent of Americans believe that biological evolution is a lie and that a belief in it could be in conflict with their convictions about religion. Despite the success of creationism in certain states, many scientists believe that the best method to combat this inclination is not to actively engage in with it, but rather educate the public about the evidence for evolution.
Scientists have a duty to instruct their students in science, including the theory of evolution. They also need to educate the public on the research process and the way in which knowledge is confirmed. They must also clarify that scientific theories are frequently challenged and reformulated. However, misconceptions regarding the nature of scientific research often cause people to believe that evolution is not real.
Some people interpret the term "theory" as a guess, or a guess. In science, however, a hypothesis is rigorously tested and empirical evidence is used to prove it. A theory that is tested and observed repeatedly becomes a scientific principle.
The debate over evolutionary theory is an excellent occasion to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. 에볼루션 바카라 무료 is important that people understand that science is not able to answer questions about life's purpose or meaning, but instead offers a way for living things to develop and evolve.
A well-rounded education should also include exposure to all major scientific fields including evolutionary biology. This is especially important since the jobs that people have and the decisions they make require understanding of how science functions.
The vast majority of scientists around world agree that humans have evolved over time. A recent study that predicted the adults' opinions of the consensus on this issue found that those with higher levels of education and science knowledge were more likely to believe there is a consensus between scientists regarding human evolution. Those with more religious faith but less scientific knowledge tend to be more divided. It is essential that teachers emphasize the importance of understanding this consensus so that people can make informed decisions regarding energy use, health care, and other policy matters.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a cousin of the mainstream evolutionary theory. It focuses on how humans and other organisms learn from one another. Researchers in this area use explanation tools and models adapted from evolutionary theorists. They also go back to prehistoric times to find the origins of culture.
This method also acknowledges the differences between the characteristics of culture and biological. While biological traits are typically acquired in one go (in sexual species, after fertilization) but cultural traits can be acquired over a long period of time. This means that the emergence of one cultural characteristic can affect the development of another.
In Korea, the adoption of Western style elements in the late nineteenth and early 20th century was the result of an intricate 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 left Korea in the 1930s some of these changes began to reverse. By the end 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 been growing steadily over the last decade and is poised to sustain its steady growth in the coming years.
The current government is faced with many challenges. The government's inability to formulate an effective strategy to tackle the current economic crisis is one the biggest challenges. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses in the country's policies and its reliance on exports and foreign investment that may not last.
Since the financial crisis has destroyed the confidence of investors, the government has to reconsider its economic strategy and find alternative ways to boost domestic demand. To ensure a stable and stable financial environment the government will need reform its incentive system, monitoring and discipline. This chapter provides a variety of scenarios of how the Korean economy could grow in the post-crisis era.
4. Evolution and Education
One of the biggest challenges for evolution educators is how to teach evolutionary concepts in a manner that is appropriate for students at various ages and developmental stages. For instance, teachers need to be aware of the religious diversity of their classrooms and create a space where students with secular and religious views feel comfortable in learning about evolution. Teachers should also be able recognize common misconceptions about evolution and be able to correct them in the classroom. Additionally, teachers should have access to a range of resources available to teach evolution and be able to locate them quickly.
In this context, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of fields to discuss most effective methods of teaching about evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies and educational research organizations, as well as government funding agency officials and curriculum developers. The convergence of diverse stakeholders led to the development of the common recommendations that will serve as the basis for any future actions.
It is crucial to include evolution in all science curricula, at every level. To accomplish this it is recommended that the National Science Education Standards (NRC) call for evolution to be taught in a unified manner across all sciences using a sequence of concepts that are developmental appropriate. A new publication from the NRC offers guidance to schools about how to integrate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have proven that a more comprehensive presentation of evolution is linked to better understanding by students and belief in the concept of evolution. However it is difficult to determine the causal effect of evolution in the classroom is challenging given that school curricula are not randomly assigned and change over time as a result of the predetermined timing of gubernatorial elections and state board of education appointments. To overcome this issue I utilize a longitudinal data set which allows me to account for state and year fixed effects and the individual-level variation in teacher beliefs regarding evolution.
Another significant finding is that teachers who are more comfortable teaching about evolution report having fewer personal barriers to teaching it. This is in line with the hypothesis that more experienced faculty are less likely to be hesitant about questions about evolution in the classroom. They may also be more inclined to use strategies such as a reconciliatory approach known to increase undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.