Evolution Education in the American South (eBook)

Christopher D. Lynn, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of Evolutionary Studies at The University of Alabama, USA. He studies the diversity and evolution of non-conscious cognitive behaviors that underlie cooperation, ritual, and recreation.  Amanda L. Glaze, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Teaching and Learning at Georgia Southern University, USA. She studies the intersections of science and society, especially the acceptance and rejection of evolution in the Southeastern United States.  William A. Evans, Ph.D., is Professor of Journalism and Creative Media at The University of Alabama, USA. His research focuses on science communication and evolutionary perspectives in media.  Laura K. Reed, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at The University of Alabama, USA, with expertise in evolutionary genomics. 

ForwardPart I: History of Attitudes toward Evolution in the South1. Darwinism in the American South2. Race and Evolution in Antebellum Alabama: The Polygenist Prehistory We’d Rather Ignore3. “The Cadillac of Disclaimers”: Twenty Years of Official Antievolution in Alabama4. Deconstructing the Alabama Disclaimer with Students: A Powerful Lesson in Evolution, Politics, and PersuasionPart II: Culture and Education in the American South5. Evolution Acceptance among Preservice Science Teachers in the South6. Evolution Acceptance among Undergraduates in the South7. Religion, Politics, and Science for U.S. Southerners8. Sharing News and Views about Evolution in Social MediaPart III: Perspectives and Resources from the Natural Sciences9. Resources for Teaching Biological Evolution in the Deep South10. Teaching Louisiana Students about Evolution by Comparing the Anatomy of Fishes and Humans11. Teaching Evolution in Real Time12. Trace Fossils of Alabama: Life in the Coal AgePart IV: Perspectives and Resources from the Social Sciences13. What Can the Alabama Mississippians Teach Us about Human Evolution and Behavior?14. Tattooing Commitment, Quality, and Football in Southeastern North AmericaAPPENDIX: Additional Resources for Biological Evolution Education in AlabamaAfterward