From 662d4da65cbe4545bc441592875e810e14fee74e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: evolution2935 Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 01:59:56 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Add 10 Things That Your Family Taught You About Evolution Korea --- ...Family-Taught-You-About-Evolution-Korea.md | 59 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 59 insertions(+) create mode 100644 10-Things-That-Your-Family-Taught-You-About-Evolution-Korea.md diff --git a/10-Things-That-Your-Family-Taught-You-About-Evolution-Korea.md b/10-Things-That-Your-Family-Taught-You-About-Evolution-Korea.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..966c62d --- /dev/null +++ b/10-Things-That-Your-Family-Taught-You-About-Evolution-Korea.md @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@ +[Evolution Korea](https://evolutionkr.kr/) + +The financial crisis that struck Asia required a major review of the old system of government-business alliances and the public management of private risks. In Korea, that meant a shift in the development paradigm. + +In a controversial decision the South Korean government has asked textbooks publishers to ignore calls for the removal of examples of evolution in science texts for high school students. This includes the evidence of the evolution of horses as well as the avian ancestor Archaeopteryx. + +1. Evolution and Religion + +A creationist group in South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to omit evidence of evolution from science textbooks for high school students. The decision was the result of a campaign by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), an independent branch of the Korea Association for Creation Research that aims to clear textbooks on biology of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that such materialistic views create a negative image for students and leads to their eventual denial of faith. + +Scientists around the globe expressed concern when the STR campaign gained attention. 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 by colleagues across the country, who formed a group called Evolution Korea to organize a petition to protest the changes to the textbooks. + +Some researchers are concerned that the STR will be spread to other regions of the globe, including areas where the belief in creationism has been growing. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolution movement putting more pressure on textbook revisions, especially in countries with large Christian and Muslim populations. + +South Korea has a particularly powerful cultural backdrop for the debate about evolution. Twenty-six percent of the country's citizens are members of an organized religion and the majority of them adhere to Christianity or Buddhism. Many Koreans also follow Ch'ondogyo, the philosophy based on Confucian principles that emphasizes harmony in the social, personal self-cultivation and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo teaches that human beings are in a relationship with Hanulnim, the God of the Sun, and that the heavenly blessings are possible through good works. + +All of this has created fertile ground for the spread of creationism. Multiple studies have shown students with religious backgrounds to be more uncomfortable learning about evolution as compared to those who do not. The underlying causes are not obvious. Students with a religious background may not be as experienced with scientific theories, making them more vulnerable to creationists influence. Another possibility is that students who have a religious background are more likely to see evolution as an atheistic concept, which may make them less comfortable with the idea. + +2. Evolution and Science + +In recent years, campaigns against evolution in schools have raised concerns in the scientific community. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that nearly 40 percent of Americans believed that biological evolution was wrong and that it would be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Many scientists believe that, despite the fact that creationism has been successful, the best way to stop this movement is to educate the public about the evidence that supports evolution. + +Scientists have a duty to instruct their students in science including the theory of evolution. They should also inform the public about the science process and how knowledge from science is gathered and verified. They should also clarify that scientific theories are frequently challenged and reformulated. However, misconceptions about nature and purpose of scientific research can lead to anti-evolution beliefs. + +Many people mistake the term "theory" as a hunch or a guess. In science, however, a hypothesis is rigorously tested, and empirical data is used to confirm it. A theory that is tested and observed repeatedly becomes a scientific principal. + +The debate over the evolutionary theory provides a great opportunity to discuss the significance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is important to be aware that science is not able to provide answers to questions about life's purpose or meaning, but instead allows living things to evolve and adapt. + +Moreover, a well-rounded education must include exposure to the vast majority of scientific fields including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because a lot of jobs and decisions require people know the way science operates. + +The vast majority of scientists around the world agree that humans have changed over time. In a recent study that predicted the views of adults on the consensus around this issue people with higher levels of education and science knowledge were found to be more likely believe that there is a broad consensus among scientists on the evolution of humans. The people with more religious faith and less science knowledge tend to be more skeptical. It is critical that educators insist on knowing the consensus on this issue to ensure that people have a solid basis for making informed choices about their health care, energy usage, and other policy issues. + +3. Evolution and Culture + +A close relative to mainstream evolutionary theory, cultural evolution explores the many ways humans--and other organisms--learn from and with each other. Researchers in this field employ elaborate tools and investigative models adapted from evolutionary theorists. They also go back to the prehistoric human to find the origins of culture. + +This method also acknowledges the difference between biological and cultural traits. Cultural traits can be acquired slowly, whereas biological traits are usually acquired at the same time (in sexual species at fertilization). In the end, the emergence of one cultural trait can influence the development of another. + +In Korea, the adoption of Western styles in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was the result of an intricate sequence of events. One of the most important was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces, who introduced Western hairstyles and clothing. + +When Japan left Korea in the 1930s, a few of these trends began to change. At the close of World War II, Korea was once again united and was again under the rule of the Choson dynasty. + +Today, Korea is a vibrant economic and political power. Despite the financial crisis of recent the economy of Korea has been growing at a steady pace over the past decade. It is expected to keep this trend going in the future. + +The current government faces numerous challenges. The government's inability to formulate an effective strategy to address the current economic crisis is one of the biggest challenges. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses in the country's policies, especially its over-reliance on foreign investment and exports, which may not last. + +The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors, the government must rethink its economic strategy and come up with alternatives to increase domestic demand. It must also reform the incentive monitoring, monitoring, and discipline systems currently in place to create an environment that is stable for the financial sector. This chapter offers a variety of scenarios for how the Korean economy could grow in a post-crisis environment. + +4. Evolution and Education + +The challenge for evolution educators lies in how to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for different stages of development and ages. Teachers need to, for instance be aware of the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a welcoming environment where students from both secular and religious beliefs are comfortable. Moreover, teachers need to understand common misconceptions about evolution, and how to deal with them in their classrooms. 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 in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a range of fields to discuss best methods for teaching evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies, educational research, officials from government funding agencies and curriculum designers. The convergence of different participants helped to identify a set of shared recommendations that will form the foundation for future actions. + +One important recommendation is that the teaching of evolution should be included in every science curriculum at every level. National Science Education Standards (NRC) which require the integration of evolution across all life sciences with a progression that is developmentally appropriate, are a way to achieve this goal. A new publication from the NRC offers guidelines to schools on how they can integrate evolution into the life science curriculum. + +Several studies have found that a more thorough teaching of evolution is linked to higher levels of student understanding and belief in the existence of evolution. It is difficult to determine causal effects in the classroom, since the curriculum for schools do not change randomly and are influenced by the timing of the state board of education and gubernatorial elections. To overcome this limitation I employ a longitudinal data set that gives me to control state and years fixed effects and individual-level variations in the beliefs of teachers about evolutionary theory. + +Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution have fewer internal barriers. This is in line with the notion that more experienced faculty are less likely to be hesitant about questions about evolution in the classroom, and may be more inclined to employ strategies like a reconciliatory method known to increase the acceptance of undergraduate students of evolution. \ No newline at end of file