Evolution Korea
The financial crisis that hit Asia caused a major review of the old system of government and business alliances, as well as public management of risks. In Korea this meant a change in the model of development.
In a controversial decision the South Korean government has asked textbook publishers to ignore requests to remove examples of evolution from high school science textbooks. This includes evidence for the evolution of horses and the avian an ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A creationist group in South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution in high school science textbooks. The move was a result of a campaign run 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 claims that this kind of materialistic thinking creates a negative picture for students and leads to their eventual denial of faith.
Scientists from all over the world expressed concerns when the STR campaign was featured in the news. Jae Choe, evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul wrote in an open letter to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. He was backed up by colleagues across the country, who formed an organization called Evolution Korea to organize a petition against the textbook changes.
Some scientists are also worried about the possibility that the STR campaign could spread to other parts of the world where the belief in creationism is on the rise. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolutionist movement will intensify pressure for revisions to textbooks in other countries, particularly those with strong Christian and Muslim population.
The South Korean culture is particularly strong in the debate over evolution. 26 percent of the country's citizens belong to one of the religious groups and the majority practice Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, many Koreans adhere to the philosophy of Ch'ondogyo. It is that is based on Confucian principles that emphasizes harmony among people and individual self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo teaches that human beings are one with Hanulnim the God of the Sun, and that heavenly blessings are possible through good works.
All of this has provided an ideal environment for the spread of creationism. A number of studies have demonstrated that students who have religion-based backgrounds tend to be more uncomfortable about learning evolution than those who do not have a religious background. The causes behind this are not obvious. Students who have a religious background might be less knowledgeable about the theories of science, making them more susceptible to creationists and their influence. Another reason could be that those with religious backgrounds may see evolution as a belief system that is not a religion, which makes them less comfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, anti-evolution programs in schools have raised concerns within the scientific community. A survey in 2009 revealed that 40% of Americans believed that biological evolution was wrong and that it would be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Despite the success of creationism in certain states, many scientists believe that the best strategy to combat this inclination is not to engage with it, but rather inform the public on the evidence supporting evolution.
Scientists have a responsibility to teach their students about science including the theory of evolution. They also need to educate the public on the process of scientific research and how knowledge is validated. They must explain how scientific theories are often challenged and revised. However, misperceptions about the nature of research conducted by scientists often fuel anti-evolution beliefs.
For instance, many people confuse the term "theory" with the everyday meaning of the word - a hunch or guess. In the realm of science, a theory is rigorously tested and verified with empirical data. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed becomes a scientific principal.
The debate on evolution theory is an excellent chance to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limits. It is crucial for people to understand that science is unable to answer questions regarding the purpose or meaning of life, it only serves as a mechanism that allows living things to evolve and change.
Furthermore, a comprehensive education must include exposure to all the major scientific fields, including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because a lot of jobs and decisions require that individuals understand the way science operates.
The vast majority of scientists around the world agree that humans have evolved over time. In a study that predicted the opinions of adults about the consensus around this issue, those with higher levels education and scientific knowledge were found to be more likely to believe that there is wide agreement among scientists about the evolution of humans. Those with more religious faith but less scientific knowledge tend to be more divided. It is crucial that teachers emphasize the importance of understanding the general consensus on this issue to ensure that people have a solid foundation for making informed choices about their health care, energy usage, and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a cousin of the mainstream evolutionary theory. It explores how organisms like humans learn from one another. Researchers in this field employ explanatory models and investigative tools that are adapted from those employed by evolutionary theorists, and they look back to human prehistory to determine the origins of our capacity for cultural understanding.
This approach also recognizes the difference between cultural and biological traits. Cultural traits are acquired slowly while biological traits are typically acquired simultaneously (in sexual species, at fertilization). As a result, the emergence of one cultural trait can influence the development of another.
In Korea for instance the introduction of Western fashion elements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the result of a complex series 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 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 an economic and political power. Despite the current global financial crisis, the country's economy has grown steadily in the past decade and is poised to sustain its steady growth in the future.
The current administration is faced with a variety of challenges. One of the most significant is the inability to come up with a coherent policy to address the economic crisis. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the country's economy policies, mainly its overreliance on exports and foreign investment, which may not be sustainable in the long run.
에볼루션 룰렛 has shaken the confidence of investors. In the aftermath, the government has to reconsider its approach and find other ways to boost the domestic demand. It must also revamp the incentive monitoring, control, and discipline systems that are in place to guarantee an environment that is stable for the financial sector. This chapter provides a number of scenarios for how the Korean economy could develop in a post-crisis world.
4. Evolution and Education
The challenge for evolution educators lies in how to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for different levels of development and ages. For example, teachers must be aware of the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create an environment that students who have religious and secular views are comfortable with learning about evolution. Teachers must also be able to identify common misconceptions about evolution and know how to address them in the classroom. Finally, teachers must have access to a variety of resources available to teach evolution and be able to find them quickly.
In this context, Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation played a significant role in bringing evolutionary researchers and educators from various sectors to discuss the best practices for teaching Evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies, educational research, officials of government funding agencies as well as curriculum developers. The convergence of various stakeholders led to the development of a set of shared recommendations that will form the basis for any future actions.
It is crucial to include evolution in all science curricula, at every 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 a good way to achieve this goal. Additionally, a new publication from the NRC provides guidance to schools on how they can integrate evolution into the science curriculum.
A number of studies have demonstrated that a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of evolution is associated with more knowledge and belief in evolution. However it is difficult to determine the causal effect of evolution in the classroom is difficult due to the fact that school curriculums are not assigned randomly and change over time as a result of the predetermined timeframe of gubernatorial elections as well as state board of education appointments. To overcome this limitation I employ a longitudinal dataset that allows me control for the effects of years and states fixed and individual-level variations in the beliefs of teachers about evolutionary theory.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution also have less internal barriers. This is in line with the idea that a faculty with more confidence is less likely to avoid evolution subjects in the classroom. They also 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).