Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Forward
Part I: History of Attitudes toward Evolution in the South1. Darwinism in the American South
2. Race and Evolution in Antebellum Alabama: The Polygenist Prehistory We'd Rather Ignore
3. "The Cadillac of Disclaimers" Twenty Years of Official Antievolution in Alabama4. Deconstructing the Alabama Disclaimer with Students: A Powerful Lesson in Evolution, Politics, and Persuasion
Part II: Culture and Education in the American South5. Evolution Acceptance among Preservice Science Teachers in the South6. Evolution Acceptance among Undergraduates in the South
7. Religion, Politics, and Science for U.S. Southerners
8. Sharing News and Views about Evolution in Social Media
Part III: Perspectives and Resources from the Natural Sciences
9. Resources for Teaching Biological Evolution in the Deep South
10. Teaching Louisiana Students about Evolution by Comparing the Anatomy of Fishes and Humans
11. Teaching Evolution in Real Time
12. Trace Fossils of Alabama: Life in the Coal Age
Part IV: Perspectives and Resources from the Social Sciences
13. What Can the Alabama Mississippians Teach Us about Human Evolution and Behavior?14. Tattooing Commitment, Quality, and Football in Southeastern North America
APPENDIX: Additional Resources for Biological Evolution Education in Alabama
Afterward
Synopsis
This volume reaches beyond the controversy surrounding the teaching and learning of evolution in the United States, specifically in regard to the culture, politics, and beliefs found in the Southeast. The editors argue that despite a deep history of conflict in the region surrounding evolution, there is a wealth of evolution research taking place-from biodiversity in species to cultural evolution and human development. In fact, scientists, educators, and researchers from around the United States have found their niche in the South, where biodiversity is high, culture runs deep, and the pace is just a little bit slower.