Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that hit Asia caused a significant rethinking of the old system of government-business alliances and public management of private risks. In Korea this meant a shift in the development paradigm.
In a controversial decision, the South Korean government has requested publishers of textbooks to ignore calls to remove examples of evolution in high school science textbooks. 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 exclude evidence of evolution in high school science textbooks. This was the result of a campaign run by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), an independent branch of the Korea Association for Creation Research which aims to get rid of textbooks on biology of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that this kind of materialism paints an unhopeful picture for students and leads to their eventual loss of faith.
Scientists across the globe expressed worry when the STR campaign was featured in the news. In a letter to the editor of Nature, evolutionary biologist Jae Choe at Ewha Womans University in Seoul complained that South Korea had given in 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 against the textbook changes.
Some scientists are concerned that the STR campaign could spread to other regions of the world, where the prevalence of creationism is rising. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolution movement will increase pressure for textbook revisions in other countries, particularly those with strong Christian and Muslim populations.
The South Korean culture is particularly strong for the debate over evolution. 26 percent of South Koreans are part of a religious group and the majority of them practice Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, a lot of Koreans adhere to the Ch'ondogyo philosophy, which is founded on Confucian principles which emphasizes harmony in society and individual self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo teaches 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 fertile field. Numerous studies have revealed that students who have religion-based backgrounds tend to feel more uncomfortable when learning about evolution than those without religion. The reasons behind this aren't evident. Students who are religious may be less knowledgeable about scientific theories, making them more vulnerable to creationists' influence. Another reason could be that students with religious backgrounds may see evolution as a belief system that is atheistic, making them feel less comfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years scientists have been concerned about anti-evolution efforts in schools. A survey in 2009 revealed that 40% of Americans believed that biological evolution was not true and that it could conflict with their religious beliefs. Despite the fact that creationism has been a huge success in some states, a lot of scientists believe that the best way to combat this inclination is not to be actively involved in with it, but rather inform the public about the evidence for evolution.
Scientists are required to instruct their students in science, including the theory of evolution. They should also inform the public about the process of scientific research and the way in which knowledge is confirmed. They should explain how theories of science are often challenged and revised. However, misinformation about the nature and purpose of scientific research can lead to a negative view of evolution.
For 에볼루션 게이밍 , some people may confuse the word "theory" with the common meaning of the word - a hunch or guess. In the realm of science, a theory is rigorously tested and verified through evidence. A theory that is tested and observed repeatedly becomes a scientific principle.
The debate over evolution theory is an excellent occasion to discuss both the importance of scientific methodology and its limits. It is essential to realize that science cannot answer questions about the purpose or meaning of life it only serves as a mechanism that allows living things to evolve and change.
A well-rounded education should also include exposure to all major fields of science including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because the jobs people are employed in and the choices they make require understanding of how science functions.
The vast majority of scientists around the world accept that humans have changed over time. A recent study that predicted adults' views of the consensus around this issue found that those with higher education levels and knowledge of science were more likely to believe there is a broad agreement between scientists regarding human evolution. The people with more religious faith and less science-based knowledge are more likely to disapprove. It is essential that educators insist on the importance of knowing the consensus on this issue to ensure that people have a solid foundation for making informed choices about their health care, energy use and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
A close cousin to mainstream evolutionary theory, the concept of cultural evolution studies the numerous ways humans--and other organisms--learn from and interact with each other. Researchers in this area use explanation tools and models adapted from evolutionary theorists and go back to the prehistoric human to determine the origins of culture.
This approach also acknowledges that there are some differences between cultural and biological traits. Cultural traits can be acquired gradually while biological traits are typically acquired simultaneously (in sexual species, at fertilization). As a result, the acquisition of one trait can influence the development of another.
In Korea the introduction of Western style elements in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth century was the result of an elaborate sequence of events. One of the most important was the appearance in Korea of Japanese occupation forces who introduced Western hairstyles and clothing.
Then, when Japan departed Korea in the 1930s, a portion of these trends began to change. At the end of World War II, Korea was united once more, this time under the Choson dynasty rule.
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 anticipated to continue to grow in the future.
The current government is faced by a myriad of problems. The inability of the government to develop a coherent strategy to deal with the current economic crisis is one the biggest challenges. The crisis has exposed weaknesses of the country's economy policies, including its excessive dependence on exports and foreign investment which might not be sustainable in the long run.
The crisis has shaken confidence of investors. In the aftermath, the government has to reconsider its approach and find other ways to boost the domestic demand. To ensure a stable economic climate, the government will have reform its incentive and monitoring systems, as well as discipline and monitoring. This chapter provides a variety of scenarios of how the Korean economy could 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 instance, teachers need to be aware of the religious diversity of their classrooms and create a space where students with secular and religious views are comfortable with learning about evolution. Teachers must be able to recognize common misconceptions regarding evolution and be able to address them in the classroom. Teachers should also have quick access to the numerous resources to teach evolution.
In this context, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a range of sectors to discuss the best methods for teaching evolution. The participants included representatives from scientific societies as well as educational researchers, officials of government funding agencies as well as curriculum developers. The convergence of these diverse groups resulted in a consensus set of recommendations that will serve as the foundation for future actions.
One important recommendation is that the teaching 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 concepts that are developmental appropriate. A new publication from the NRC provides guidance for schools on how to integrate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have proven that a more comprehensive presentation of evolution leads to better understanding by students and belief in the concept of evolution. However, estimating the causal impact of teaching in the classroom is difficult due to the fact that school curriculums are not assigned randomly and evolve over time as a result of the predetermined timing of gubernatorial elections and state board of education appointments. To overcome this limitation I employ an ongoing dataset that gives me control for the effects of years and states fixed as well as individual-level differences in teacher beliefs about evolutionary theory.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution have less internal barriers. This is in line with the notion that a faculty with more confidence is less likely to avoid tackling evolution topics in the classroom. Additionally, they might be more likely use strategies such as a reconciliatory approach known to increase the acceptance of undergraduate students of evolution (Harms and Reiss 2019; Tolman et al. 2020).