The economic crisis that swept across Asia caused a major review of the traditional system of government, business alliances, as well as public management of risks. In Korea, that required a change in the development model.
In a controversial move South Korea's government has asked textbook publishers not to comply with calls to remove examples of evolution from high school science books. This includes the evidence for the evolution of horses and the bird ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A creationist group from South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to omit evidence of evolution in high school science textbooks. The Society for Textbook Revise, an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research that wants to rid biology textbooks of "atheist materialism," was behind the move. The STR claims that this kind of materialism paints an unhopeful picture for students, and could lead to their eventual denial of faith.
Scientists from all over the world expressed concerns when the STR campaign gained attention. 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 set up an organization called Evolution Korea to organize a petition against the changes to the textbooks.
Some researchers are concerned that the STR could expand to other parts of the globe, where creationism has been increasing. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolutionist campaign putting pressure on textbook revisions, particularly in countries with large Christian and Muslim populations.
South Korea has a particularly powerful cultural backdrop for the evolution debate. 26 percent of South Koreans belong to of a religion with the majority of them practicing Christianity or Buddhism. Many Koreans also adhere to Ch'ondogyo - a philosophy based upon Confucian principles, which emphasizes harmony in the social, personal self-cultivation and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo is a belief system that teaches that humans are one with Hanulnim the God of the Sun, and that heaven-bound blessings can be derived by doing good deeds.All of this has created a fertile field. Numerous studies have revealed that students with religion-based backgrounds are more hesitant when learning about evolution than those who are not religious. The causes behind this are not clear. One possible explanation is that students who have religious backgrounds tend to be as familiar with scientific theories and concepts, which makes them more susceptible to the influence of creationists. Another reason could be that those with religious backgrounds may see evolution as a belief system that is not a religion, which makes them feel uncomfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, anti-evolution programs in schools have raised concern in the scientific community. A 2009 survey revealed nearly 40% of Americans believed that biological evolution was wrong and that it would conflict their religious beliefs. Despite the success of creationism in some states, many scientists feel that the best way to counter this movement is not to engage it, but to inform people about the evidence supporting evolution.
Scientists are accountable to instruct their students in science that includes the theory of evolution. They must also inform the public about the scientific process, and how scientific knowledge is collected and verified. They should also explain that scientific theories are often challenged and revised. However, misinformation about the nature and purpose of research can lead to a negative view of evolution.
For example, some people are able to confuse the term "theory" with the everyday meaning of the word, which is a hunch or a guess. In the field of science, however, the hypothesis is tested thoroughly and empirical evidence is used to prove it. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed becomes a scientific principal.
The debate over evolutionary theory is an excellent occasion to discuss the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is crucial that people understand that science cannot answer questions about the purpose of life or meaning, but offers a way for living things to develop and evolve.
A well-rounded education should also include exposure to the major fields of science including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because a lot of jobs and decisions require that individuals understand how science works.
The majority of scientists across the world agree that humans have evolved over time. In a recent study, which predicted the views of adults on the consensus on this topic those with higher levels of education and science knowledge were found to be more likely to believe that there is a broad agreement among scientists regarding the evolution of humans. People with more religious faith and less science knowledge are more likely to disapprove. It is crucial that educators emphasize the importance of gaining an understanding of this consensus to enable people to make informed choices about health care, energy usage and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close cousin of the popular evolutionary theory. It focuses on how humans and other organisms learn from one another. Researchers in this area use explanation tools and models that are adapted from evolutionary theorists and reach back to human prehistory to discover the origins of culture.
This approach also acknowledges the difference between cultural and biological traits. Cultural traits can be acquired slowly while biological traits are typically acquired at the same time (in sexual species at fertilization). This means that the emergence of one cultural trait can influence the development of another.
In Korea the emergence of Western styles in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the result a complex sequence of events. One of the most significant was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces who introduced Western clothing and hairstyles.
When Japan left Korea in the 1930s, a few of these changes began to reverse. At the end of World War II, Korea was once again united but this time under Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is a vibrant political and economic 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 near future.
However, the current administration is facing a variety of challenges. The inability of the government to come up with a coherent strategy to deal with the current economic crisis is among the most significant challenges. The crisis has exposed shortcomings in the policies of the country particularly its dependence on foreign investment and exports, which may not last.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. In the aftermath, the government needs to reconsider its approach and find other ways to increase domestic demand. To ensure a stable and stable financial environment, the government will have to overhaul its incentive and monitoring systems, as well as discipline and monitoring. This chapter offers a variety of scenarios for how the Korean economy could develop in a post-crisis world.
4. Evolution and Education
One of the biggest challenges for evolution educators is how to present evolutionary concepts in ways that are appropriate for students of various levels of development and ages. For instance, teachers need to be aware of the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a setting that students who have religious and secular beliefs feel comfortable in learning about evolution. Teachers must also be aware of the most common misconceptions about evolution and how to confront these in their classrooms. Teachers must also have quick access to the numerous resources to teach evolution.
In this regard the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was a crucial step in bringing evolutionary scientists and educators from a variety of sectors to discuss the most effective methods of teaching evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies, educational researchers, officials from government funding agencies, and curriculum developers. The convergence of various stakeholders led to the development of the common recommendations which will serve as the basis for any future actions.
It is essential to incorporate 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 the developmentally appropriate, are a good way to achieve this goal. A new publication from the NRC provides guidance to schools about how to incorporate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that a more complete presentation of evolution leads to greater student understanding and belief in the existence of evolution. However the estimation of causal effects in the classroom is a challenge because school curriculums are not randomly assigned and evolve over time because of the predetermined dates of gubernatorial election and appointments to the state board of education. To overcome this problem I employ a longitudinal data set which lets me control for year and state fixed effects and individual-level variation in teacher beliefs about the evolution of their curriculum.Another important result is that teachers who feel more comfortable teaching about evolution report having fewer intrapersonal barriers to doing so. This is in line with the hypothesis 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 that is known to boost undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.
