There is a paradox when it comes to Darwinian ideas within the academy. On one hand, Darwin's theories have famously changed the foundational ideas related to the origins of life, shaping entire disciplines in the biological sciences. On the other hand, people in educated societies across the globe today are famously misinformed and uneducated about Darwinian principles and ideas. Applications of evolutionary theory outside the traditional areas of biology have been slow to progress, and scholars doing such work regularly run into all kinds of political backlash. However, a slow but steady push to advance the teaching of evolution across academic disciplines has been under way for more than a decade. This book serves to integrate the vast literature in the interdisciplinary field of Evolutionary Studies (EvoS), providing clear examples of how evolutionary concepts relate to all facets of life. Further, this book provides chapters dedicated to the processes associated with an EvoS education, including examples of how an interdisciplinary approach to evolutionary theory has been implemented successfully at various colleges, universities, and degree programs. This book also offers chapters outlining a variety of applications to an evolution education, including improved sustainable development, medical practices, and creative and critical thinking skills. Exploring controversies surrounding evolution education, this volume provides a roadmap to asking and answering Darwinian questions across all areas of intellectual inquiry.
Auteur
David Sloan Wilson is Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology at Binghamton University. He is one of the main architects of Multilevel Selection Theory, which explains how adaptations can evolve-or fail to evolve-at any level of a multi-tier hierarchy. He started the first program teaching evolution across the curriculum at Binghamton University. Glenn Geher is Professor of Psychology and Founding Director of Evolutionary Studies at the State University of New York at New Paltz. He has won numerous awards in the domains of teaching and research, including the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in both Teaching and Scholarship. An advocate of evolution education, Geher has published extensively on various topics related to evolution and human behavior. Hadassah Mativetsky is a software quality engineer. Prior to working as an engineer, Hadassah was the Evolutionary Studies Coordinator at Binghamton University under the direction of David Sloan Wilson. She has an MS in Systems Science with a focus on evolutionary approaches. She tweets about STEM at @Haddie. Andrew C. Gallup is Assistant Professor of Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the Adaptive Behavior and Cognition Lab at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. He has published over 75 journal articles and book chapters, and currently serves as an Associate Editor for Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, Frontiers in Evolutionary Psychology, Frontiers in Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience, and PLOS ONE.
Contenu
Foreword Contributor List SECTION 1 EVOLUTIONARY STUDIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION Chapter 1 Darwin-Inspired Curricula: The EvoS Revolution in Higher Education Glenn Geher, David Sloan Wilson, Andrew Gallup, Hadassah Mativetsky, and Richard H. Holler Chapter 2 Evolutionary Studies in Higher Education: Interdisciplinarity and Student Success Glenn Geher, Jennifer Waldo, David Sloan Wilson, and Hadassah Mativetsky Chapter 3 Building and Evolutionary Studies Program at a Small Liberal Arts College Susan M. Hughes Chapter 4 The Evolutionary Studies Program: Perspectives from Flies on the Wall Nicole Wedberg, Kian Betancourt, Richard H. Holler, and Vania Rolón SECTION 2 EVOLUTIONARY STUDIES EMBODIED WITHIN DISCIPLINES Chapter 5 Extraordinary Claims, Extraordinary Proof Thomas Nolen Chapter 6 Charles Darwin and Selection in Relation to Sex in the Color of Monkeys Sandra Winters, Megan Petersdorf, and James Higham Chapter 7 The New Human Science: Sound, New Evolutionary Theory Gives Us Ultimate Causal Understanding of Human Origins, Behavior, History, Politics and Economics Joanne Souza and Paul M. Bingham Chapter 8 Controversies Surrounding Evolutionary Psychology Glenn Geher and Vania Rolón Chapter 9 Evolution, Religion, and Other Meaning Systems David Sloan Wilson Chapter 10 From Physical Culture to Primal Life: Evolutionary Health Movements in Historical Context Hamilton M. Stapell Chapter 11 From Genetic Evolution to Engineering Optimization Yaser Khalifa SECTION 3 APPLIED EVOLUTIONARY STUDIES Chapter 12 The Role of Evolutionary Studies in Education for Sustainable Development Dustin Eirdosh and Susan Hanisch Chapter 13 Evolutionary Approaches to Health Issues and Behaviors Across the Life Course Daniel J. Kruger and Jessica S. Kruger Chapter 14 Integrating Evolutionary Thinking into Medical Education Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Daniel T. Blumstein Chapter 15 How Evolutionary Studies Allows People to Think Outside the Box Gordon G. Gallup, Jr., Jennifer A. Stolz, Rebecca L. Burch, Jennifer A. Bremser Chapter 16 The "EvoS Effect": The Influence of Evolutionary Training on Critical Thinking Skills Richard A. Kauffman, Jr., Ian F. MacDonald, and David Sloan Wilson Chapter 17 Our Evolutionary Underpinnings: The Past, Present and Future of Evolution Education in the United States Amanda L. Glaze Chapter 18 Reconciling Evolution with a Christian Identity: A Professional Development Workshop to Reduce Anxiety and Enhance Self-Efficacy for Science Teachers Patricia H. Hawley, Rachael K. Phillips, and Matthew S. Olson Chapter 19 The Evolutionary Studies Summer Institute at New Paltz: A High-Impact, Condensed Interdisciplinary Educational Experience for Teachers Glenn Geher, Aileen Toback, and Nicole Wedberg Chapter 20 Teaching Evolution across the Curriculum: Beyond Campus-Wide Programs David Sloan Wilson, Glenn Geher, Andrew Gallup, and Hadassah Mativetsky