Evolution Korea
The economic crisis which swept Asia led to a major rethinking of the traditional system of government, business alliances, as well as public management of risks. In Korea this meant a shift in the model of development.
In a controversial move, South Korea's government has asked textbook publishers not to comply with calls to remove examples of evolution from science textbooks for high school students. This includes the evidence for the evolution of horses and the avian ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A creationist group from South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to omit evidence of evolution from science textbooks for high school students. The move was a result of a campaign led by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), an independent affiliate of the Korea Association for Creation Research which aims to get rid of biology books of "atheist materialism." The STR asserts that such materialism creates a negative image for students, making them lose faith.
Scientists around the globe expressed concerns when the STR campaign made headlines. In a letter addressed to the editor of Nature, evolutionary biologist Jae Choe of Ewha Womans University in Seoul complained that South Korea had given in to religious prejudice. He was supported by colleagues around the country, who set up an organization called Evolution Korea to organize a petition against the changes to the textbooks.
Some scientists are worried that the STR could spread to other parts around the world, where the belief in creationism has been growing. 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 strong cultural background for the debate on evolution. 26 percent of the country's residents belong to a religious denomination, and most practice Christianity or Buddhism. Many Koreans also adhere to Ch'ondogyo, an ideology based on Confucian principles, which emphasizes social harmony, individual self-cultivation, and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo teaches the human being is one with Hanulnim the God of Sun and that the heavenly blessings are achievable by doing good deeds.
All of this has provided an ideal environment for the spread of creationism. Multiple studies have shown students with religious backgrounds to be more uncomfortable learning about evolution than those who do not. However, the root causes of this phenomenon are unclear. One possible explanation is that students with religious backgrounds tend to be as knowledgeable about scientific concepts and theories, which makes them more vulnerable to the influence of creationists. Another reason could be that those with religious backgrounds might view evolution as a concept that is atheistic, making them feel less comfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent times the scientific community has been concerned about anti-evolution initiatives in schools. A 2009 survey revealed that more than 40 percent of Americans believe that biological evolution is wrong and that a belief in it could be in conflict with their faith-based beliefs. Many scientists believe that, despite the success of creationism, the best way to stop this movement is to educate the public on the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists are required to instruct their students in science, including the theory of evolution. They also need to educate the public on the process of scientific research and the way in which knowledge is verified. They must also explain that theories of science are frequently challenged and re-examined. However, misconceptions about nature and purpose of scientific research can lead to a negative view of evolution.
Some people interpret the term "theory" as a hunch or guess. However, in science the theory is thoroughly tested and verified using empirical data. A theory that is able to withstand repeated testing and observation becomes a scientific principle.
The debate over evolutionary theory is an excellent occasion to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is essential for people to recognize that science is unable to answer questions about the meaning or meaning of life it only serves as a mechanism through which living organisms can develop and adapt.
A well-rounded education should also include exposure to all major fields of science including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because a lot of jobs and choices require people know how science operates.
The majority of scientists around the world agree that humans have changed through time. A recent study predicting 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 that there is a general consensus between scientists regarding human evolution. People with a higher level of religious belief but less science knowledge tend to be more divided. It is critical that educators insist on knowing the general consensus on this issue, so that people are able to making informed choices about their health care, energy use, and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close cousin of the popular evolutionary theory. It examines the ways that humans and other species learn from each other. Researchers in this area use explanatory tools and investigative models derived from evolutionary theorists and reach back to the prehistoric human to find the origins of culture.
This method also acknowledges the difference between traits that are cultural and biological. While biological traits are largely acquired at once (in sexual species, after fertilization), cultural traits can be acquired over a protracted period of time. As a result, the emergence of one cultural trait can influence the development of another.
In Korea, for example the introduction of Western fashion elements in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century was the result of a complicated sequence of events. One of the most significant was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces that introduced Western hairstyles and clothing.
After that, when Japan departed Korea in the 1930s, some of these trends began reverse. 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 steadily over the past decade. It is anticipated to continue to grow in the future.
The current government is faced by a myriad of problems. The government's inability to formulate a coherent strategy to deal with the current economic crisis is one of the biggest challenges. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the country's economic policies, mainly its overreliance on foreign investment and exports which might not be sustainable in the long run.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. This means that the government has to rethink its strategy and find ways to increase domestic demand. To ensure a stable economic climate the government needs to reform its incentive, monitoring and discipline systems. This chapter provides a number of scenarios for how the Korean economy might grow in a post-crisis environment.
4. 에볼루션 바카라 무료체험 and Education
One of the biggest challenges for educators of evolution is how to present evolutionary concepts in ways that are appropriate for students of various levels of development and ages. Teachers need to, for instance, be sensitive to the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create an environment where students of both religious and secular perspectives feel comfortable. Teachers should also be able to identify common misconceptions about evolution and know how to correct them in the classroom. Finally, teachers must have access to a variety of resources available for teaching evolution and be able to find them quickly.
In this context the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of sectors to discuss the best practices for teaching evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies as well as educational research, government funding agency officials and curriculum developers. The convergence of these diverse stakeholders resulted in a consensus set of recommendations that will be the foundation for future actions.
One of the most important recommendations is that the subject of evolution should be incorporated in all science curricula at any level. To achieve this goal it is recommended that the National Science Education Standards (NRC) require that evolution be taught in a seamless manner across all sciences with a progression of ideas that are developmentally appropriate. A new publication from the NRC offers guidance for schools on how to integrate evolution into the science curriculum.
A number of studies have demonstrated that a more thorough teaching of evolution is associated with higher levels of student understanding and belief in evolution. It is difficult to estimate the causal effects of evolution in the classroom, since the curriculum for schools do not change randomly and are influenced by the timing of state boards of education and gubernatorial elections. To overcome this problem I utilize an ongoing data set that allows me to account for year and state fixed effects and individual-level variation in the beliefs of teachers about the evolution of their curriculum.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution have less internal barriers. This is in line with the notion that more confident faculty are less likely to be hesitant about teaching 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.