The economic crisis which swept Asia caused a major review of the old system of government and business alliances, as well as public management of risk. In Korea this meant an evolution of the development paradigm.
In a controversial move, the South Korean government has requested textbooks publishers to ignore calls to remove examples of evolution from science texts for high school students. This includes the evidence for the evolution of horses as well as 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 Society for Textbook Revise, an independent offshoot from the Korea Association for Creation Research which aims to rid biology textbooks of "atheist materialism," was behind the move. The STR asserts that such materialism creates negative images to students, leading them to be skeptical.
When the STR's ad campaign made the news, scientists around the world reacted with worry. In a letter addressed 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 supported by colleagues around the country, who formed an organization called Evolution Korea to organize a petition against the textbook changes.
Some scientists are worried that the STR could be spread to other regions of the world, where creationism is increasing. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolutionist campaign putting pressure on textbook revisions, particularly in countries with large Christian and Muslim population.
South Korea has a particularly powerful cultural backdrop for the evolution debate. 26 percent of the country's citizens are members of one of the religious groups and the majority practice Christianity or Buddhism. In addition, a lot of Koreans adhere to Ch'ondogyo, a philosophy founded on Confucian principles that emphasizes social harmony and individual self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo is a way of teaching that the human being is one with Hanulnim, the God of Sun and that heavenly blessings can be achieved through good works.
All of this has created a fertile ground. Numerous studies have revealed that students who have religion-based backgrounds are more hesitant about learning about evolution than students who do not have a religious background. The underlying causes of this phenomenon are not clear. Students who are religious may not be as familiar with scientific theories, making them more susceptible to creationists' influence. Another factor could be that those with religious backgrounds might view evolution as a belief system that is atheistic, making them feel uncomfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, anti-evolution campaigns in schools have raised concern among the scientific community. A 2009 survey revealed nearly 40 percent of Americans believed that biological evolution was a myth and that it would be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Many scientists believe that, despite the popularity of creationism the best way to stop this movement is to educate the public on the evidence that supports evolution.
Scientists are accountable for teaching their students science that includes the theory of evolution. They also need to educate the public on the research process and how knowledge is verified. They must also explain that theories of science are frequently challenged and revised. However, misinformation about the nature and purpose of research can lead to anti-evolution beliefs.
Some people interpret the term "theory" as a hunch or guess. In the realm of science theories are rigorously tested and verified with empirical data. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed becomes a scientific principal.
The debate about evolutionary theory is a good opportunity to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is crucial to be aware that science does not answer questions about life's purpose or meaning, but rather allows living things to evolve and change.
A well-rounded education should include exposure to all the major scientific fields that include evolutionary biology. This is crucial because a lot of jobs and decisions require individuals understand how science operates.
The vast majority of scientists around world believe that humans have changed over time. In a recent study, which predicted the views of adults on the consensus on this topic people with higher levels of education and knowledge of science were found to be more likely to believe that there is wide consensus among scientists on the evolution of humans. People with more religious beliefs and less knowledge of science are more likely to disapprove. It is critical that educators emphasize the importance of understanding the consensus on this issue to ensure that individuals have a solid foundation for making informed decisions about their health care, energy usage, and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and 에볼루션 게이밍 Culture
Cultural evolution is a cousin of mainstream evolutionary theory. It focuses on the ways that humans and other species learn from each other. Researchers in this area use elaborate tools and investigative models derived from evolutionary theorists and go back to the prehistoric human to find the origins of culture.
This approach also acknowledges that there are differences between the characteristics of culture and biological. While biological traits are largely acquired in one go (in sexual species, after fertilization) but cultural traits can be acquired over a long period of time. The acquisition of one cultural characteristic can influence the development and growth of another.
In Korea the emergence of Western elements of style in the latter part of the nineteenth and early 20th century was the result of a complex sequence of events. One of the most important was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces, who introduced Western clothing and hairstyles.
Then, when Japan departed Korea in the 1930s, a few of these trends began to revert. At the close of World War II, Korea was once more united, this time under the Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is an economic and political power. Despite the current global financial crisis, the economy of Korea has grown steadily in the past decade and is poised to sustain its steady growth in the coming years.
The current government is confronted by a myriad of problems. One of the most serious is its inability to develop an effective strategy to address the economic crisis. The crisis has exposed weaknesses in the country's policies, especially its over-reliance on foreign investment and exports, which may not last.
The crisis has shaken confidence of investors. In the aftermath, the government needs to reconsider its approach and find other ways to boost the domestic demand. To ensure a stable financial climate the government needs to overhaul its incentive and monitoring systems, as well as discipline and monitoring. This chapter outlines several scenarios of how the Korean economy could develop in the post-crisis era.
4. Evolution and Education
The challenge for educators of evolution lies in how to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for various ages and stages of development. Teachers need to, for instance be aware of the religious diversity in their classrooms and create an environment where students with both religious and secular beliefs are at ease. Teachers should be able to recognize common misconceptions regarding evolution and be able to correct them in the classroom. Teachers must also have quick access to the various resources available to teach evolution.
In this context, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was a crucial step towards bringing evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of disciplines to discuss most effective methods of teaching evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies as well as educational research, government funding agency officials and curriculum designers. The convergence of these diverse parties led to the identification of a common set of recommendations that will form the basis for future actions.
It is essential to incorporate evolution in all science curricula, at every level. National Science Education Standards (NRC) which require the integration of evolution across all life sciences with the developmentally appropriate, are a method to achieve this goal. A new publication from the NRC provides guidance to schools about how to integrate evolution in the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have shown that a more thorough presentation of evolution leads to a greater understanding of students and belief in evolution. It is difficult to quantify the causal effects of evolution in the classroom because school curricula do not change on a regular basis and are affected by the timing of the state board of education and gubernatorial election. To overcome this issue, i use a longitudinal dataset that allows me to control the effects of years and states fixed as well as individual-level differences in teacher beliefs about evolutionary theory.
Another important result is that teachers who are more comfortable with teaching about evolution report having fewer intrapersonal barriers to doing so. This is in line with the idea that faculty who are more confident are less likely to avoid evolution-related topics in the classroom, and could be more inclined to employ strategies such as a reconciliatory approach which is used to increase the students' understanding of evolution.
