Elder abuse and death claims Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Elder abuse and death claims - Assignment Example One of the most salient social themes that come out in the story is that of abuse and how extensive it can go without being disclosed or realised. Victims of abuse have, in many cases, been silenced or intimidated to silence especially if they are minors or physically challenged (Oliver and Charles, 2015: 135). Philips’ case is no exception as he received countless abuses but continued to be quiet for very many years. Impairment/disability according to Bennett (2012:194), are a risk factor that puts individuals at high chances of being abused. Individuals suffering from impairments and disabilities especially physical and mental paralysis are taken advantage of as they lack the capacity for self-dependence. Bonnano (2012: 738) argues that dependence on other people for social support is the reason that makes this group fall prey to abusers.Disabilities hinder one from acquiring skills that can help them to manage their lives especially in the financial aspect (Larkin, Shields and Anda, 2012: 267). They have to depend on family members and other people to help them sign or fill forms that relate to financial matters. It is at this time that the abusers take advantage to exploit and defraud the victims. Philips’s cerebral palsy situation does not just affect his physical well-being but also his physiological status. This has put him in a situation where he has to depend on them fully for all-around support. Physical as well as emotional abuse becomes almost inevitable (2012:194).

The primary signs of a great preschool Essay Example for Free

The primary signs of a great preschool Essay The use of Learning Center Approaches (LCA) in early education has for long been the subject of ardent debate. Teachers still lack unanimous agreement as for the relevance and usefulness of LCA’s in classroom. LCA’s have a number of advantages and are also characterized by a set of serious pitfalls; however, these types of learning activities can be rationally used to enhance the overall quality of the learning process at school, offering children a unique opportunity to integrate their personal experiences with the curriculum-based objectives. Statistical research suggests that â€Å"in 1965, just 5% of 3-year-olds attended preschool or nursery school. Today, 41% of 3-year-olds regularly attend a center-based program† (NAEYC, 1995). As a result, the process of developing more effective curriculum strategies becomes more responsible and requires teachers to satisfy individual needs of children. When dozens of children are divided into several learning groups, it is always difficult to organize the learning process in a way to account their individual peculiarities and needs; that is why teachers have come to realizing the importance of LCA’s as the effective tools of individual preschool and school learning. One of the primary signs of a great preschool is when children spend most of their time playing and interacting with other peers (NAEYC, 1995); furthermore, for a kindergarten and preschool to be an effective tool of learning, children need to have â€Å"access to various activities throughout the day such as block building, pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials, and table toys such as legos, pegboards, and puzzles† (NAEYC, 1996). In these difficult learning contexts, the LCA’s may supply teachers with an opportunity to develop an unlimited number of individual tasks and activities that will engage children into active learning. In general terms, â€Å"learning center refers to a place (usually a small area) within the classroom where children interact with materials and other children to develop learnings and skills† (Bickart Jablon, 1999). Thus, LCA’s facilitate the process of achieving the two basic goals of effective education: delivering knowledge to children and satisfying their individual learning needs. LCA’s allow teachers to organize the classroom space in a way that makes children interested in what they are doing, and integrates their personal experiences and talents with the need to achieve the basic curriculum objectives. An LCA classroom looks like a space divided into small areas defined by shelves and tables; materials are attractively displayed so that children are able to make a reasonable choice. Self-directing charts help children find the area of interest and decide where children would like to work. In these classrooms, children are usually divided into small groups, with each group focused on a particular activity and moving on to the next center as soon as the activity is finished. The use of LCA’s is advantageous in several ways: 1. LCA’s promote the sense of autonomy among children. Piaget states that autonomy is the ultimate goal of education (Bickart Jablon, 1999). â€Å"Autonomy is developed because children are active; they learn at their own pace; they make choices; they are self-directed rather than teacher-directed† (NAEYC, 1995). 2. In LCA’s, children learn by interacting with real objects; regardless whether the child participates in a table game, or chooses to be an actor in a dramatic play, all these activities move children closer to the real world, providing them with objective and truthful knowledge about reality. 3. In LCA’s, children are required to verbalize their oral experiences, to speak, to communicate, and to express their needs and concerns to teachers and other children. As a result, LCA’s become indispensable elements of effective reading, writing, and literacy education. The use of LCA’s is particularly important to enhance children’s reading and writing skills. NAYEC (1998b) suggest that â€Å"with the increasing variation among young children in our programs and schools, teaching today has become more challenging. [†¦] Classes include both children with identified disabilities and children with exceptional abilities†, and all groups of children should have equal access to the learning opportunities in class. LCA’s provide children and teachers with a chance to minimize literacy-related disparities in learning, and to guarantee that all children regardless the specific level of their reading and writing proficiency are able to achieve standard curriculum objectives. The use of LCA’s helps align the standard requirements to early childhood education programs with the benefits of the individualized learning process: LCA’s combine developmentally appropriate curriculum and instruction with responsiveness to cultural diversity and strong professional development opportunities (NAEYC, 1998a). Ultimately, LCA’s are extremely flexible in addressing the changing requirements to instruction and maintaining stable organizational relationships between teachers, families, and children. The problem is in that LCA’s may not always be easy to organize; teachers and education professionals require extensive knowledge and skills to guarantee that LCA’s address specific educational needs of children in class, and help them develop reliable communication linkages with teachers and other children. LCA’s represent a kind of education philosophy, with commitment to individualization and loyalty to constructed knowledge in its center. However, to turn this philosophy into a relevant tool of child’s education, teachers should be prepared to working with room arrangement and room organization, to monitoring center choices and governing children in the process of their interaction with LCA materials. While teacher roles in LCA’s are limited to those of facilitators, that does not mean that teachers are no longer responsible for the learning outcomes. On the contrary, assessment, planning, set-up, interaction, and arbitration turn into the five central teacher responsibilities while children are making their choices and are trying to integrate their personal experiences with the learning needs in class. LCA’s can promote effective learning through the variety of educational strategies, including art, blocks, discovery, dramatic play, library, muscle, music, and table games. Art centers help children express themselves; art centers teach children to evaluate their art skills and the art skills others. Art centers successfully combine cognitive skills with aesthetics and language, helping child develop several cognitive skills simultaneously. Blocks provide children with the constructive vision of reality; in blocks LCA’s, children are offered a chance to explore their experiences and perceptions about reality.. Discovery LCA’s are integrally linked to science: children make scientific solutions and have almost unlimited opportunities for exploring the major scientific discoveries. Dramatic play learning centers are the relevant tools teaching children to socialize and interact on the scene. In other words, dramatic play is an art of pretending. Pretending is the link between the abstract and real that further leads children to realizing the difference between their realities and their fantasies. Literacy LCA’s are the central elements of effective education. Literacy is the key to the child’s success in all major disciplines, and literacy LCA’s provide children with immediate access to reading, writing, communication, and discussion. Library centers are integrally linked to literacy circles: â€Å"many children are not exposed to literature in their homes, severely limiting their print knowledge. The library center provides these children with regular and active interactions with print† (Bickart Jablon, 1999). Muscle center helps children balance their physical and mental activities. Music centers organize children into small listening groups, where young learners are actively engaged into various types of group activities (e. g. , singing). Finally, table games teach children to follow the already established rules. Table games form a new vision of discipline and help children realize the importance of discipline in other subjects and centers. Table games are used to develop logical thinking and teach children to use their analytical skills. Objectively, LCA’s may become less effective due to the fact that teachers are not always able to evaluate their roles and potential in various group activities. While teachers are expected to facilitate the process of learning, children may not adequately react to independence and autonomy they have in LCA’s. The boundaries of autonomy may often be blurred, turning independence into chaos. Games should be reasonably combined with discipline; teachers should be able to monitor all learning centers at once; ultimately, the structure of LCA’s should be changed at least once in several weeks, to guarantee that children are able to reveal their full learning potential. Despite these difficulties, LCA’s remain an effective tool of learning, promoting autonomy of the child’s decision-making, and providing children with unlimited opportunities for applying their skills and knowledge in practice. LCA’s reflect the need for giving children sufficient freedom of choice, with this freedom being closely tied to and reasonably limited by a set of predetermined curriculum objectives. Conclusion The use of learning center environments is justified by the need to provide children with more autonomy during the class, and to help children use their talents in studies. The design and construction of LCA’s may be time consuming, and teachers require extensive knowledge and skills to promote continuous learning. Although public school teachers frequently lack sufficient space and are not always able to develop structured LCA’s, learning center approaches foster creativity and encourage the child to explore the hidden facets of knowledge in class. LCA’s promote unlimited opportunities for communication, socialization, and interaction between children; as a result, children become better prepared to applying new knowledge in various real-life contexts. References Bickart, T. Jablon, J. (1999). Building the primary classroom: a complete guide to teaching and learning. Teaching Strategies, Inc. NAEYC. (1995). 10 signs of a great preschool. Retrieved November 15, 2008 from http://www. naeyc. org/ece/1996/01. pdf NAEYC. (1996). Top 10 signs of a good kindergarten classroom. Retrieved November 15, 2008 from http://www. naeyc. org/ece/1996/12. pdf NAEYC. (1998a). Guidelines for developmentally appropriate practices. Retrieved November 15, 2008 from http://www. naeyc. org/ece/1998/05. pdf NAEYC. (1998b). Learning to read and write: developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Retrieved November 15, 2008 from http://www. naeyc. org/about/positions/pdf/PSREAD98. PDF

Criminology Theories Strengths And Weaknesses

Criminology Theories Strengths And Weaknesses The classical school of criminology was developed in the eighteenth century, where classical thinking emerged in response to the cruel forms of punishment that dominated at the time. It is considered that writers such as Montesquieu and Voltaire encouraged perhaps the emergence of this new classical thinking, by becoming involved in campaigns for more enlightened approaches to be taken towards crime and the punishment given by the justice systems at the time. Also the development of society craved new forms of legal regulation due to the fact that there needed to be predictability in the system, as technology and properties in particular needed legal protection and workers needed to be disciplined in a consistent way. There were two main contributors to this theory of criminology and they were Jeremy Bentham and Cesare de Beccaria. They are seen as the most important enlightenment thinkers in the area of classical thinking and are considered the founding fathers of the classical school of criminology. They both sought to reduce the harshness of eighteenth century judicial systems, even though coming from different philosophical stances. Benthams contribution to classical theory is based on the fact that he was a utilitarian, interested in the happiness and well being of the population and therefore believing that punishment, in the form of the infliction of pain, should always be justified in terms of a greater good. At the heart of Benthams writing was the idea that human behaviour is directed at maximising pleasure and minimising pain, (the pleasure-pain principle). Bentham believed that crime was committed on the outset, by individuals who seek to gain excitement, money, sex or anything of value to the individual. Beccaria (1764/1963: 93) stated that; It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them. This is at the heart of the classical school of criminology. Beccaria believed that laws needed to be put into place in order to make punishments consistent and in line with the crime. He believed that crime prevention in its effectiveness is down to three main ideas, these being the certainty of the crime and how likely it is to happened, the celerity of the crime and how quickly the punishment is inflicted and also the severity of the crime, and how much pain is inflicted. Beccaria thought that the severity of the penalties given should be proportionate to the crime committed and no more than what is necessary in order to deter the offender and others from committing further crimes. Classical thinking says that criminals make a rational choice, and choose to do criminal acts due to maximum pleasure and minimum pain. The classical school says criminals are rational, they weigh up the costs and therefore we should create deterrents which slightly outweigh what would be gained from the crime. This is the reason behind the death penalty being viewed by classical thinkers such as Beccaria and Bentham as pointless, because there would be no deterrent. However when considering manslaughter, as Bentham also believes, if the severity of the punishment should slightly outweigh the crime then surely capital punishment should be used, there doesnt seem to be any stronger a deterrent to other criminals thinking of undertaking the same criminal behaviour, than seeing another eradicated due to their actions. Classical thinking has had a significant impact on criminological thinking in general and perhaps a greater impact on criminal justice practise. In Europe and America the idea of punishments being appropriate to the nature of the crime has become a foundation for modern criminal justice systems. Since the introduction of the classical school of criminology and classical thinking, the use of capital punishment, torture and corporal punishment has declined. Neither Beccaria nor Bentham believed in the death penalty, apart from, Bentham argued, in the case of murder. The second half of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries also saw the establishment and growth of the prison, as a major system of punishment, the idea and concept of prison was to take punishment away from the body and instead punish the mind and soul, and these are the keys to changing a persons outlook and views of their criminal behaviours. Many elements of classical ideas are very useful in modern society and these show the strengths that the theory does have. Deterrence continues to underlie all judicial systems and indeed underpinned the principles of the first commissioners of Sir Robert Peel, in the creation of the Metropolitan police. Prisons are also used as major deterrents and also to try and reduce rates of crime. However a great weakness of the classical school of criminology is, the idea stemming from classical thinking that all criminals are rational is not generalisable to the whole population nor is it entirely valid, due to the fact that there may be biological factors stopping an individual from being able to think and behave rationally. Therefore it may not be the particular choice of the individual as they may have been born that way; they may not have the ability to make a rational decision due to a mental illness such as schizophrenia. They may be disorientated or even drugged which affects the brain functioning and therefore any behaviours, resulting in an individual becoming irrational. Also, if people act due to principles of rationality and free will then why is it that the poor are predominating in the criminal justice system, classical thought doesnt include factors of necessity in order to survive. As Jeffrey Reiman (1979) said; the rich get richer and the poor get prison White and Haines (2004) said that the classical school of criminology has 3 main challenges to it. Firstly; how to make such ideas serve the interests of justice and equality when faced with a particular defendant in court. (Not all criminals appear to be acting rationally and of free will) Secondly; that for criminal justice bureaucracies such as the police, growing efficiency may not always be compatible with an emphasis on equal justice, as their gain is to decrease crime rates. Thirdly a power issue, the rationalisation of the legal system potentially means some reduction in their power, which may backfire in terms of being a deterrent. In late 19th century the classical school came under criticism by a form of scientific criminology which emerged due to Darwins great works being published between 1850 and 1870, this therefore had a profound effect on scientific thought and individuals views of human behaviour. Classicism defines the main object of study as the offence. The nature of the offender was defined as being free-willed, rational, calculating and normal. The classical thinking response to the crime was to give punishment that is proportionate to the offence. The Positivist school of criminology however opposes this classical school of thinking, positivism states that the object of study is the offender, and that the nature of the offender is driven by biological, psychological and pathological influences. Their response to the crime is that of giving a treatment of an indeterminate length, depending on individual circumstances. Unlike classicism, positivism views criminal behaviour as irrational and perhaps due to a problem (biological, physical or psychological) that an individual has, therefore they are partially relieved of the crime they committed. Cesare Lombroso is related to much positivist thinking, as a psychiatrist he looked at criminals as being throwbacks to a more primitive stage of human development, he compared physical features of criminals and related them to more primitive stages of mankind and formed a prediction based on measurements of skulls and main physical features, of how certain criminals look. Lombrosos thinking clashed with that of classical thinking, saying that criminals were born not made, and they are not rational as they reproduce thoughts similar to that of inferior humanity. The differences between the thinking behind both the classical school of criminology and the positivist school of criminology highlight the strengths and weaknesses that are associated with both. The classical school has much less biological fact and figures backing up its views, however it has proven successful in reducing crime rates and in providing a deterrent and a way in which to successfully contain individuals who rebel against the system. Unlike positivism which doesnt have any form of punishment, just a form of treatment, the classical school shows criminals that they cannot behave in certain ways in order to maximise their pleasure and minimise pain if it involves breaking the law, it does this successfully because the punishment that is given is more than that of the pleasure that they would receive. Therefore as rational thinkers, individuals contemplating criminal behaviours would not do so due to the laws set in place to deter the behaviour. However the main weakness of the classical school of criminological thinking is that it considers all criminals to be rational and make decisions by free will, but not all individuals are rational and not all their behaviours are free, as if an individual had a mental illness or a physical defect, this may totally change the way in which they act and think. The social construction of crime has changed over time; feudal and religious influences have changed, and affected the criminological theory used. When the Classical school developed it was in a time of major reform in penology, there were many legal reforms at the time due to the French revolution and the legal system was developed in the united states, which would have had an effect on the united kingdom making an increased effort to set laws on crime in stone. As modernity has progressed so has the development of the judicial systems, if positivism was used as the main criminological thinking then these systems wouldnt exist because positivism uses treatments to the criminal in order to solve crime. This could be why the classical school of criminology has been so influential and still is, because it protects various organisations set out to remove crime and it also provides a good theoretical basis on which more recent theories have been developed.

Charles Manson Essay -- essays research papers

Charles Manson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Manson has been named "the most dangerous man alive." Society referred to him as the devil. They believed he was the reason society was so bad in the 1960's. The 1950's to the 1960's was uncontrollably filled with violence. Our culture was shattered by the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. At the same time, body bags from Vietnam were building up from a war that was tearing our nation apart. Riots and antiwar protesters marched across America. Many people worried that the US was getting out of control. "The Sixties ended abruptly on August 9, 1969..." wrote Didon in The White Album. On August 8,1969, director Roman Polaski's housekeeper found five bodies, slashed and bloody. Manson was the metaphor of evil! To many, Charles Manson symbolized the end of civilized society and the dawn of a new age of terror. (Lagarde)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On November 12, 1934, Charles Milles Manson was brought into this world by Kathleen Maddox and Colonal Scott. At the time Kathleen was a 16 year old troublemaker. Charlie never knew his father and never really had a "father figure." His mother was the kind that children are taken away from and put in foster homes. Kathleen had the habit of disappearing for days and weeks at a time, leaving Charlie with his grandmother or aunt. Kathleen Maddox was sentenced to a penitentiary for armed robbery, Charlie was sent to live with his aunt and uncle; who were going to try to straighten him out. When Kathleen was released from jail she didn't want Charlie as her responsibility, preferring her life of drinking. At this point in time she was willing to trade Charlie for a glass of beer. Charlie was adapted to a life of violence and loneliness. He kept to himself and didn't have any friends. Charlie was an observer, he never got involved or talked to people. Soon Charlie was f ollowing in his mother's foot steps. He began stealing and causing trouble. By age nine he was sent to a reform school. In less than a year he ran away from his school. He tried to run to his mother but she wanted nothing to do with him. Charlie was in and out of reform schools, jails, and institutions. By 1958, Charles Manson was released on parole only to cause more chaos. (Newsweek,55)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the streets Manson chose pimping as his career. In 1959 he was arrested once again on two ... ...d impersonated all of Charles actions. To many, Charles Manson symbolized the end of civilized society and the dawn of a new age of terror. Book of Revelations.Online Available http://www.umkc.com,1 May.2000.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Buglioso, Vincent. Helter Skelter. New York: Bantam Books,1974.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charles Manson.Online Available http://www.crimelibrary.com, 1 May.2000.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Filmer, Deborah K. Forensic Science and Charles Manson Murders. Online Available  http://www.concentric.net, 2 May. 2000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galanter, Marc. Cults:Faith, Healing,and Coercion. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "In '69: Manson". Newsweeks. 3 July. 1989: 54-55.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lagarde, Deborah. The Manson Murders, 30 Years Later. Online Available  Ã‚  http://omegaserve.com, 30 April.2000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Porterfield, Kay Marie. Straight Talk About Cults. New York: Facts on File,1995.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sanders, Ed. The Family. New York: Avon, 1971.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Singer, Margaret.Cults and Our Midst. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,1995.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Plato and Aristotle Essay

Plato and Aristotle both have been very influential as the ancient Greek philosophers. Aristotle was a student of Plato and there are many similarities between these intellectual giants of the ancient world but there are also many things that distinguish them from each other. Aristotle was far more empirical-minded than Plato. First, Plato’s philosophy relegated the material, physical world to a sort of metaphysical second class. His contention was that the abstract truths of the mind-mathematical truths, moral and normative truths about ideals-are what really matter in life and in philosophy, and that the empirical world around us consists of merely poor copies of these ideals. By contrast, Aristotle did as much or more work in what we would today call science (physics, biology, etc. ) as in what remains a part of philosophy. While Aristotle certainly did important work in ethics and related areas, he concentrated as much or more on examining the material world. Plato can be read at times as being quite disparaging of science. This is not true of Aristotle. Second, the difference in the approaches and values of these two philosophers resulted in very different political philosophies. Plato’s political philosophy, which can be found principally in the Republic. For him, the just state is one ruled by ascetic philosophers who have been raised from birth not to value material reward or exclusive human connections, even with their own kin. They are the ideal of wise, objective, fair-minded, ultra-rational beings. In contrast to Plato’s utopian political philosophy, Aristotle’s political philosophy, which can be found principally in the Politics, has a large component of descriptive political science. When he does argue for certain political schemes, they tend to be incremental improvements on existing systems. Like his teacher Plato, Aristotle’s philosophy aims at the universal. Aristotle, however, finds the universal in particular things, which he calls the essence of things, while Plato finds that the universal exists apart from particular things. Aristotle makes philosophy coextensive with reasoning, which he also would describe as â€Å"science†. Note, however, that his use of the term science carries a different meaning than that covered by the term â€Å"scientific method†. For Aristotle, â€Å"all science is practical, poetical or theoretical†. By practical science, he means ethics and politics; by poetical science, he means the study of poetry and the other fine arts; by theoretical science, he means physics, mathematics and metaphysics. In general, Plato is the more extravagant thinker, the â€Å"thinking outside the box type† who was equal parts brilliant and bizarre in his ideas. Aristotle is more the cool, logical, dry, systematic thinker whose works tend to read like encyclopedias.

Knowledge Management Practices as Found in Contemporary American Business and Management

Knowledge Management Practices as Found in Contemporary American Business and Management Introduction: Contemporary U.S. Management and Its Specifics The world of entrepreneurship is facing a new era, i.e., the epoch when the informational civilization is being born, with information quickly becoming the main and the most valuable article of trade, the necessity of being able to use this commodity the right way appears.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Knowledge Management: Practices as Found in Contemporary American Business and Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The vast amounts of information and the need to process them quickly have spawned the creation of a new type of management – knowledge management, with an appropriate theory to support it. However, even more striking changes have come, contributing to shaping the process of knowledge management. Because of the numerous factors that contribute to shaping the knowledge management system, as well as the availability of info rmation combined with the need to distribute it fast and evenly, the modern knowledge management is currently facing a number of challenges that an efficient system of knowledge sharing can possibly help deal with. Knowledge Management Definitions: What Lurks Behind the Term Knowledge management might seem a very straightforward process that cannot be possibly misinterpreted. Since the KM process involves dealing with knowledge, it must presuppose the strategy of information disposal. The latter, however, involves a plethora of elements and factors, which shape the knowledge management strategy, dictating specific steps to be undertaken. Hence, knowledge management as a phenomenon can be considered from different points of view. Depending on what the focus is, the definition of knowledge management may vary. When the Focus Is on Knowledge Putting the emphasis on the significance of knowledge acquisition, the first and the most comprehensive definition of knowledge management states the purpose of KM as the means to obtain information. However, the given approach towards understanding the principles of KM puts every single agent of the given process in its place, distributing responsibilities among the supposed staff of the supposed organization. KM can be defined as the process of organization management that is aimed at revealing the knowledge base of the given organization (Snyder Wilson, 2000, 527). Therefore, knowledge management can be considered as a means to promote a more efficient knowledge sharing system.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When People Are in the Spotlight Weirdly enough, the definition of knowledge management does not necessarily put information into the spotlight. In some of the definitions, not knowledge, but the knowledge sender and receiver are focused on, which is rather reasonable. Thus, the key functio n of knowledge management, which is the transfer of information, is stressed. With the help of such a definition, one can shed some light on the function of knowledge management as a means to establish trustworthy relationships between the employees instead of stating the obvious: â€Å"Knowledge management is about choosing the right practices or tools to efficiently enhance communications among the staff† (Batten, 2008, 86). Therefore, knowledge management can be understood as the set of rules on information sharing that will at the same time reflect the company hierarchy, organization ethics, and culture. Performing several additional functions, such as coordinating the relationships between employees, KM can also serve as a means to change the company’s climate. When the Process Is Important Apart from knowledge functions, the existing definitions of knowledge management also describe the specifics of the process itself. Therefore, KM can be viewed as a series of s teps that have to be undertaken in order to achieve the goal and distribute information efficiently. Therefore, the following definition can be provided: knowledge management is a process that consists of a set of activities that lead to discovering, capturing, sharing and applying knowledge, so that the goal achievement of the organization could be enhanced in the most efficient way possible (Becerra-Fernandez Gabherval, 2009, 56). That being said, knowledge management could be viewed as a range of actions that must be performed in order to reach a specific goal. When the Goals Are Addressed As it has been shown in the example above, another way to interpret KM is to view it as a tool for achieving specific goals, as well as establishing them. On a basic level, knowledge management serves a purpose of improving the information distribution across the company; therefore, it can be defined as the means to hit a specific target.Advertising We will write a custom research pape r sample on Knowledge Management: Practices as Found in Contemporary American Business and Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Though the definition provided by Fernandez and Gabherval does mention the existence of the target in question, they still stress that learning the succession of actions is the key to understanding the principles of knowledge management. Thierauf, however, offers a slightly different approach that shifts the emphasis precisely on the goal of the organization. As Thierauf (1999) explains, knowledge management is not a process, but a system that allows to â€Å"provide competitive advantage by giving decision makers (from the highest level to the lowest level) the necessary insights into patterns and trends that affect their domain† (Thierauf, 1999, 5). In fact, the given statement also correlates with the idea that KM can be used as a means to regulate the relationships between the staff members. To be more exact, the given definition suggests that KM can be used as a tool that introduces a specific hierarchy into the organization. Knowledge Management and Competitive Advantage Finally, the effects of efficient knowledge management should be considered as the basis for knowledge management definition. Thus, one will be able to obtain an objective definition of what knowledge management actually is. That being said, knowledge management could be viewed as not only a process, but also a practice and even a culture of creating or gathering, analyzing, distributing and sharing organizational knowledge. In other words, KM can be viewed as a means to enhance the company’s competitive advantage by using the provided information efficiently. According to what Wallace (2007) says, knowledge management can be identified as the process that allows to capture, process and transfer knowledge so that the organization could achieve a greater competitive advantage (Wallace, 2007, 3). There fore, it is clear that the definition of knowledge management in a particular case depends on the priorities that a company sets and the goals that it wants to achieve. Modern U.S. Business Sphere and Knowledge Management Practices: An Overview Grown into a massive set of theories with an even greater number of ideas concerning its practical applications, knowledge management seems to have become a cult principle in the present-day business world. Hence a plethora of various types of knowledge management practices, as well as the interpretation of their effects and the discussion of their impact on the organizational ensued.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Taking a closer look at how knowledge management practices are implemented nowadays, one can possibly evaluate their effect, consider their limitations and come up with the suggestions for their possible improvement. Types of Knowledge Management Practices Knowledge management comes in different variations depending on the type of an organization, the specifics of the chosen leadership strategy, the organizational culture, etc. Therefore, one can distinguish a large variety of knowledge management types. However, it is worth noting that of all the possible types, five key knowledge management practices for organizations can be distinguished. According to Gray and Chan, there are typically four types of knowledge management practices distinguished. It is worth noting, however, that the classification below is based on considering a knowledge management practice as a tool for a problem-solving process. Encouraging Serendipity Though the given practice should be viewed as a means of wo rking with individual employees instead of a tool for shaping the knowledge processing stage within the entire team, encouraging serendipity is a crucial element of the knowledge management process nowadays. While it is important to provide a solid basis for the assumptions so that the company could make the right step, it is also necessary to encourage serendipity among the organization members. Often based on a small detail that passed unnoticed yet left an impact on a person, serendipity allows to consider all the existing options and sometimes even provide the option that has never been noticed before. Creating Knowledge Opposed to the process of informing the members of an organization on a specific issue, the process of knowledge creation can also be considered one of the most popular modern business practices. Another important knowledge management practice, creating knowledge is often confused with acquiring knowledge, mostly due to the meaning of the word â€Å"creatingâ⠂¬  as a synonym to â€Å"making.† Knowledge creation, however, does not mean that knowledge is somehow produced; in fact, knowledge creation is the process of transforming tacit knowledge into explicit one, as Nakamori (2012) explains, the entire process presupposes the transformation of individual tacit knowledge into group tacit knowledge, which is then shaped into an individual explicit knowledge and finally becomes an individual tacit knowledge. Raising Awareness The given type of knowledge management practice can also be considered the approach suitable for individuals rather than for shaping the relationships among the entire staff. Aimed at helping every single member of the team recognize a specific problem, the given practice aims at capturing and retaining knowledge rather than sharing and distributing it. At present, such types of knowledge management practices include the creation of databases, analysis of reviews and the lessons learned, etc. Therefore, the giv en approach can be considered as the means to improve the organization memory rather than the method to share a specific bit of information with the rest of the company members. Quiet an efficient tool, though, it should be used along with the rest of the practices mentioned in the given paper. Along, however, the given approach is unlikely to lead a company anywhere. Acquiring Knowledge In contrast to the previous two practices, knowledge creation concerns every single member of the company staff. It is crucial to realize that knowledge must be accessible for every single member of an organization; otherwise, the lack of information will inevitably lead an organization to failure. Therefore, the most important stage in the given process is to provide the access to the information since the very moment the knowledge was acquired. Consequently, it is required that every member of an organization should participate in the process of knowledge acquisition. The given practice is usually used to make the members of an organization closer, as well as increase their awareness of a specific issue. As it has already been mentioned, it would be worn to assume that the types of knowledge management listed above are the only possible options. The choice of a particular type of knowledge management or a combination of types is predetermined by a large number of factors, both interior and exterior ones, which means that, at the end of the day, the right choice of knowledge management strategy depends on a careful evaluation of these factors, as well as the organization’s current goals. Effects of Knowledge Management Practices Knowledge management practices are nowadays considered the key to an organization’s success – or, on the contrary, its complete failure, depending on whether the choice of a specific knowledge management practice was justified by the organization’s goals and assets or not. Apart from the direct influence on the company†™s performance, knowledge management practice also affects the relationships between the members of the staff, shapes the company’s strategy and has a tangible impact on the corporate values. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the extent to which knowledge management influences an organization. KM Practices and Organizational Culture As it has been mentioned above, knowledge management practice is related directly to the organizational culture; moreover, these two elements seem to have an effect on each other, becoming, therefore, mutually dependent. A specific KM practice can affect the organizational culture; in its turn, organizational culture predetermines the choice of a knowledge management practice. KM Nomenclature in Modern U.S. Business Needless to say, since the idea of knowledge management was introduced into the U.S. business, much has been changed, including the manner of classifying the existing types of knowledge management. At present, the following type s of knowledge management can be found in contemporary American business: Internal Knowledge Management Used to improve the organizational performance of the staff, internal knowledge management presupposes the efficient distribution of the information concerning the organization among its members. Knowledge Dissemination Knowledge dissemination involves creating knowledge in order to represent an organization and make it competitive. With the help of the transformations described above, tacit knowledge possessed by a group of people is turned into a tacit knowledge that an individual has concerning a specific issue. As Dalkir (2005) says, â€Å"Dissemination works best when it is an organized activity† (93). Knowledge Brokering Knowledge brokering demands tracking the source of information, evaluating its veracity and value. Hence, the idea of knowledge brokering can be summarized by saying that it means tracing the origin and source of specific information. Thus, an organiz ation can have a better control over the available information, which is another upgrade in the knowledge management practice development. Building Knowledge Capacity Building knowledge capacity means raising the members’ ability to operate the information that is currently at their disposal. Indeed, sometimes searching for the necessary information and the ability to process it fast and efficiently is not enough. It is also required to use the knowledge appropriately, which building knowledge capacity teaches. Knowledge Management in the Global Environment: An Analysis When analyzing the process of knowledge management in an organization, one must keep in mind that modern companies work in the environment on which globalization has taken its toll and, therefore, shapes the process of knowledge management greatly. On the one hand, the fact that information can be accessed much faster and in a much easier way is doubtlessly a benefit. On the other hand, such openness leaves an organization extremely vulnerable towards the external factors, competitors and hackers. Hence, the entire palette of opportunities and threats must be viewed. Capturing Organizational Knowledge: The Threats There is no doubt that the key stage in gathering information is the very start. At this point, such crucial questions as what sources are the most trustworthy, what kind of information is necessary for the given project, where exactly the given information can be found, etc. are solved. Since globalization has shaped the existing information sources considerably, the process of capturing information has become both easier and at the same time more challenging. Retaining Organizational Knowledge: The Challenges What might seem the easiest task often presupposes dealing with the greatest amount of issues, a case in point being the task of retaining information. While keeping organizational knowledge does not presuppose carrying out any specific actions compared to the process of getting information, it is still very painstaking, mostly because of the necessity to have clear links between every bit of information. Accessing Organizational Knowledge: The Methods As soon as the necessary information has been located, obtained and arranged, it is essential to thin through the methods of accessing the given data sets. While in the global environment, accessibility has become the key asset of most information, it is still important to keep in mind that the required data must be secured properly. Using Organizational Knowledge: Winning the Competition The last, but definitely not the least, the stage of putting the stored information to practice has become quite complicated in the realm of global economics and business. Because of high competition rates, it is important to know exactly how, when and where to use the information in question appropriately. The Future of Knowledge Management Though at present, theory of knowledge management seems rather innovative a nd offering brand-new approach, it is quite predictable that the Theory of Knowledge as people know it today is going to be very dated in the next few years. According to the latest information concerning the possible changes that the knowledge management is going to face in the future, it can be assumed that three major innovations are going to be implemented. Anticipatory Delivery of Knowledge Globalization has set the entire world to a completely different pace. Every single process has become times faster, therefore, demanding that organizational operations should also consume as little time as possible. Therefore, it is essential that the members of an organization should be able to develop their anticipatory skills. Anticipating the on-coming information is especially important because of its availability. With the progress of the Internet, information can be obtained within milliseconds, which means that the perceptual speed becomes the decisive point in the competition. Conn ection between People In the world where globalization has taken its toll on the realm of business, it is necessary to understand that members of a specific organization can be miles apart from each other. Therefore, the need to introduce efficient connection between people arises. With the help of the latest technological innovations, the given goal becomes quite attainable. In the light of stiff competition, which most companies face nowadays, the ability to transfer information quickly is worth its weight in gold. Connected Knowledge Being able to gather information and process it quickly is important, yet there is one more crucial element of the process, i.e., putting the pieces of the information together. Facts rarely come in a full package – often one has to search for scraps of data and only then collect them into a whole. Hence the new trend in knowledge management, connected knowledge, comes. Aimed at keeping all the available bits of information so that they could be easily re-arranged if one more bit reinvents the entire perception of the issue in question, the principle of connected knowledge is definitely worth developing further on as a guiding principle of knowledge management in modern U.S. business. Research Findings Summary and Interpretation Judging by the above-mentioned evidence, the key problem of modern knowledge management stems from the total availability of information, which leads to complexities of filtering and evaluating it. In addition, the research has shown that knowledge management practice must be considered in the context of the factors surrounding it. While the modern idea of knowledge management practice can be referred to as a people-focused, it still revolves around a number of other aspects, such as the type of organization, the specifics of the organizational culture, the leadership style of the head of the company, the size of the organization, etc. However, the focus of the knowledge management practice still seems to be on people rather than on anything else. Because of the influence that globalization has on organizations nowadays, it is important to make sure that every single member of the organization or its affiliate, no matter in what remote corner of the Earth it might be located, should know about the latest changes in the company information to deliver adequate performance. Therefore, the focus on people, which most present-day organizations prefer to the rest of the approaches, seems more than reasonable. It is noteworthy, however, that the current knowledge management practices display two diametrically opposite tendencies, i.e., the tendency to focus on an individual as opposed to the focus on the team. Logically, for the successful implementation of the company goals, both techniques must be applied; the priority, however, depends on the specifics of information distribution within a company. Conclusion: Paving the Road to Better Knowledge Management Although the theory of knowledge management is relatively new, it has already grown into a huge set of concepts, building up to the introduction of the KM concept in the globalized environment and providing the foil for the development of new theories. Incorporating the previous experience with the new ideas, one can possibly come up with a perfect strategy for knowledge management; however, the problem is that the given suggestion will only last for as long as the environment in which it was created will. Therefore, the basic goal for the knowledge management theorists at present is not to suggest a perfect knowledge management strategy, but to make sure that the current strategy is being constantly updated according to the latest changes in the data. Thus, one can rest assured that the organization will keep running for quite a while. Reference List Becerra-Fernandez, I. Gabherval, R. (2009). Knowledge management: Systems and processes. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. Dalkir, K. (2005). Knowledge management in theory and practice. Burlington, MA: Elsevier Butterworth–Heinemann. Nakamori, Y. (2012). Knowledge science: Modeling the knowledge creation process. Broken Sound Parkway, NW: CRC Press. Snyder, C. A. Wilson, L. T. (2000). Implementing knowledge management: Issues for managers. In Information Resources Management Association International Conference (Ed.), Challenges of information technology management in the 21st century: [Proceedings of The] 2000 Information Resources Management Association – International Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, USA, May 21-24, 2000. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing. Thierauf, R. J. (1999). Knowledge management systems for business. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. Wallace, D. P. (2007). Knowledge management: Historical and cross-disciplinary themes. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Formula Mass (Weight) Versus Molecular Mass

Formula Mass (Weight) Versus Molecular Mass Fomula mass and molecular mass are two values that express the size of a molecule. Do you know the difference between formula mass and molecular mass?The formula mass (formula weight) of a molecule is the sum of the atomic weights of the atoms in its empirical formula. The molecular mass (molecular weight) of a molecule is its average mass as calculated by adding together the atomic weights of the atoms in the molecular formula. So, since the definitions differ according to whether you are using the empirical formula or molecular formula for a molecule, its a good idea to understand the distinction between them. The molecular formula indicates the type and number of atoms in a molecule. The molecular formula of glucose is C6H12O6, which indicates that one molecule of glucose contains 6 atoms of carbon, 12 atoms of hydrogen, and 6 atoms of oxygen. The empirical formula is also known as the simplest formula. It is used to indicate the mole ratio of elements present in a compound. The empirical formula of glucose would be CH2O. The formula mass and molecular mass of water (H2O) are one and the same, while the formula and molecular mass of glucose are different from each other. The formula mass (formula weight) of glucose is 30 (either no units or else grams per mole), while the molecular mass (molecular weight) is 180.156 g/mol. Whenever you see a molecular formula where you can divide the subscripts by a whole number (usually 2 or 3), you know to expect the formula mass will be different.

laheys teaching technique essays

laheys teaching technique essays Essay on Lahey Introductory Notes After reading the introductory notes, I believe that the most important point that was presented in the notes was the definition of psychology. In order to understand the different causes and effects of psychology, you must first be able to know and understand the definition of it. Lahey defines psychology as the sciences of behavior and mental processes, and then he elaborates the meaning to make sure that we fully understand the definition of psychology. Unlike any other sciences, psychology is the only science where you use the mind to study the mind. I believe that the second most important point that Lahey presents in the introductory is the note on cognitive learning. Lahey understands that psychology is probably an unfamiliar subject to us, therefore, he gives us guidelines to help us better understand what we are reading. He states that we must apply what we already know with the information that we learn in the textbook. He also states that we must be able to apply, ask questions, and be able to clarify the new information that we read. I think that this section of the notes will be extremely helpful to me in the future. Another important piece of information that lahey gives us is the goals of psychology. This helps us to better understand the courses objectives. It also gives us a glimpse of what we are going to learn about in the near future. He states that we should be able to describe, understand, predict and influence behavior and mental process. Not only should you be able to know and comprehend what you read, but you should also be able to fully understand it. ...

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Literature of the african diaspora - Essay Example The story is narrated in the form of dialogues between the husband Ocol and his wife Lawino. The poem is categorized in different sections. Each section offers details of the social problem faced by the husband and wife, in the marriage hood along with their values and differences. Whereas the novel God’s Bits Of Woods by the author offers a strong description of the railway strike. That happened in the year of 1947-1948 in the region of French West Africa. It includes disputes of emotional, political and moral nature. Eventually, this novel by Sembene is one of entitlement. It fetches to illumination the anxiety between Africa community and colonial officials. It also shows the struggle of railway men and the efforts of the African community to set themselves free from the power of colonial authority. The God’s Bit of Woods of Ousmane brings to light the scenario in which these adversities advance the workers with their families till the strike is eventually resolute. Debatably the most momentous conversion that takes place is in the function of women inside these societies. There are problems in all the families of the world. These problems cannot be controlled by an individual. These problems may be related to the issues of health, death, job instability. The place of living or the some closer person can contribute to these problems. In the novel Brother, I’m Dying, which is written by the author Edwidge Danticat all these issues are highlighted. Throughout the novel, the factual time story of Edwidge Danticat is narrated and provides an insight at the efforts done by her family. In this the author has successfully his own experiences of life. The sufferings of her family and their efforts to overcome the issues of being. Beside these issues the family also suffered from the multiple deaths in their home, the major illness of the guardian and uncle. In this story Edwidge is shown struggling in the absence of her parents

Vocational Rehabilitation has a good effect on job placement for Research Proposal

Vocational Rehabilitation has a good effect on job placement for substance abuse people - Research Proposal Example It has been observed that the total number of vocational institutions currently prevailing in our society are comparatively insufficient as compared to the demand of the economy and the world’s population. Just focusing on enhancing the enrolment in technical institutes is not enough. It is very important to give them the jobs they deserve in order to earn their living. Presently, prevailing vocational centers have now started focusing on enhancing vocational competence of the population and workforce and providing them quality training which matches the needs of the economy and different firms operating in the economy. These vocational institutions provide degree for various subjects including computers, communication, business, art & design and many more. Establishment of these training institutions apart from providing advantages to substance abuse people, has also reduced poverty and street begging to some extent. Throughout the world it is extremely difficult to estimate the total number of street beggars including children, women, disabled people and others. Many of these people engage in other activities like collecting garbage from dumps etc. These people in society deserve some assistance which is being provided by such centers.

International Business Law Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Business Law Coursework - Essay Example In the current scenario, we are told that the agreed shipping documents were tendered, which would indicate a prima facie obligation of Sweet plc to make payment in respect of the August consignment. The contract between Sweet plc and the Seller is an international sale of goods contract and we are not told which law is applicable. Although the UK is not currently a signatory to the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), Poland is a signatory4 and as the seller is based in Poland, the parties may have adopted the CISG by agreement. However, this analysis will advise on the basis of English law being applicable, with comparisons with the CISG position where relevant. The fundamental feature of a CIF contract is that once a seller has shipped the goods, they have â€Å"performed† the contract by tendering conforming documents to the buyer5. Indeed, it was described in the case of Hindley v E India Produce Co. Limited6 as â€Å"a contract for sale of the goods performed by delivery of documents†7. As such, the CIF contract imposes duality of obligations on the seller to deliver the goods and deliver the documents. The documentary obligations require the seller to procure and submit to the buyer the exact documents stipulated in the contract8. Furthermore, in the case of The Julia9, Lord Porter asserted that in the absence of a provision in the contract to the contrary, the documents provided should include a bill of lading, an insurance policy and an invoice. Under English law, a CIF contract entitles buyers to reject a tender of shipping documents on grounds of the document being â€Å"defective† or alternatively, where they are tendered late10. With regard to the current scenario, the documents were not tendered late. With regard to the definition of â€Å"defective†, various scenarios have addressed this, including a non-genuine bill of lading11, a bill of lading failing to provide

Current Administrations Budget Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Current Administrations Budget - Essay Example a higher premium for Medicares prescription drug coverage, and increasing the amount of money drug manufacturers rebate to states for prescription drugs covered under Medicaid will comprise the proposal (â€Å"Obama 2010 budget highlights by agency,† 2009). Obamas budget indicated that the environment is a main concern by providing the largest increase for the Environmental Protection Agency in eight years. The proposal nearly triples — to $3.9 billion for funding states, local governments and tribes. They can use the money for the improvement of sewage treatment plants and drinking water systems and to protect drinking water sources. These programs already received $6 billion in the recently approved stimulus package. Starting in 2012, the budget proposes to invest $15 billion a year in clean energy — money created from auctioning permits to companies that emit the gases blamed for global warming. The rest of the climate cash will be returned to taxpayers. In another move that could increase energy prices, the EPA budget calls for reinstating taxes on petroleum products, chemical feedstocks and crude oil to pay for cleaning the countrys most harmful waste sites. These taxes expired in 1995. but would set up again in 2011 under Obamas budget (â€Å"Obama 2010 budget highlights by agency,† 2009). Proposed Budget on Energy and Climate Change: The Administration is extending a comprehensive energy and climate change plan to invest in safe and uncontaminated energy, terminate our addiction to oil, concentrate on the global climate crisis, and create new American jobs that cannot be outsourced. After enactment of the Budget, the Administration will work promptly with key stakeholders and the Congress will create an economy-wide emissions reduction program to lessen greenhouse gas emissions roughly 14 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and approximately 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. The cap-and-trade system program will be implemented. This program

Gerrymanderinf Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gerrymanderinf Reflection - Essay Example As long as they remain there, the practice continues. Gerrymandering causes political, racial and class tension in a country. Actions that can be taken to reduce the effects of this practice include redistricting based on neutral or cross-party agencies. Rectifying the voting systems, resizing large districts, regulating transparency in elections and having to use fixed districts in elections. Redistricting, however, faces major challenges in implementation. The challenges are related to the negative influence of the top leadership most of whom are the direct or indirect beneficiaries of the practice (Esman & Herring, 2003). In the process, taking a partisan level of approach is relatively easier and is faced with fewer challenges as compared to a bipartisan level approach. This is because with a partisan level, the decisions and explanations made are retained throughout the process. This game specifically relates to challenges the lawmakers often face as they try to change the wrong strategies that brought most of them to the office. There are three predominant types of gerrymandering. Cracking is a gerrymandering approach that spreads out a particular group of voters among a large number of districts thus denying them a majority vote in one area. For instance, most urban areas are even today divided into several districts voting independently to ensure that they do not have a majority advantage. Stacking is another strategy that packs the particular type of voters in a single district and thus significantly reduces their influence in other districts. This is still used today for instance in selecting districts based on racial divides. Mutually positive gerrymandering redraws districts such that two persons of the same group run against one another and hence they both are eliminated in the election that someone else wins (Nivola & Brady, 2006). Nivola, P. S., & Brady, D. W. (2006). Red and blue nation?: Characteristics and causes of

Fast Imaging Techniques (MRI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fast Imaging Techniques (MRI) - Essay Example Consequently, the shortened duration of flat top reduces both ESP and the geometric distortion of the image (Jezzard and Balaban, 1995, p.71). Another consequence of increasing the receiver bandwidth is faster imaging. Although increasing the receiver bandwidth allows faster imaging, it may also significantly reduce the SNR, and this often leads to more noise outside the spectrum (Parrish, 2000, p.927). For example, as the bandwidth range is gradually increased, the system may begin to sample more inherent noise together with the generated echo signal, thereby resulting in the fall of SNR. There are a number of ways that can generally be used to help recover the signals lost as a result of a wider bandwidth during the optimization of image. Some of the choices include acquisition of more signal averages and improving the receiver coil technology. The first option is, however, counter-productive because it may increase the amount of time needed to perform the overall scan while the se cond option if often preferred because it helps maintain the original objective of choosing EPI. Lastly, with regard to the required T2 weighted image, increasing the receiver bandwidth may reduce the effects of chemical shift artefacts on the image. According to Ra and Rim (1993, p.145), this is because higher receiver bandwidth results in a wide range of resonant frequencies on which the distortion is spread in order to cover a smaller pixel range and minimize the geometric distortion. 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using segmentation in EPI. Segmentation is a new concept that has significantly made it possible to use EPI on most of the conventional imaging systems where constraints related to signal to noise would have otherwise prevented EPI. Segmenting EPI is increasingly becoming more important to a number of its properties that ensure improved image quality as compared to the conventional single shot EPI. For example, one of the potential benefits of segmentat ion is that it allows EPI to be able to effectively run on the conventional systems where single short EPI can not be used. This is because segmentation ensures less stress is placed on the gradients as opposed to single short EPI and is therefore critically important in situations where by the available SNR and hardware makes it difficult to acquire all the necessary k-space data before the elimination of the MR signal by the traverse relaxation (McRobbie et al., 2003, p.75). Another important advantage of segmented EPI is that it helps reduce the magnetic susceptibility of various artefacts. This is because phase errors often have less time to build up when segmented EPI as compared to single shot EPI. The shortening of echo train length also allows segmented EPI to be less prone to the effects of artefact variations. Segmentation can also be used to help reduce imaging distortion and enable higher image resolution as compared to single shot EPI. The other key benefit of segmentat ion of EPI is the fact that it can be used to increase resolution. This is particularly attributed to the fact that segmented EPI have relatively short echo train length, thereby leading to increased spatial resolution. On the other hand, normal single shot EPI usually have lower spatial

Current Administrations Budget Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Current Administrations Budget - Essay Example a higher premium for Medicares prescription drug coverage, and increasing the amount of money drug manufacturers rebate to states for prescription drugs covered under Medicaid will comprise the proposal (â€Å"Obama 2010 budget highlights by agency,† 2009). Obamas budget indicated that the environment is a main concern by providing the largest increase for the Environmental Protection Agency in eight years. The proposal nearly triples — to $3.9 billion for funding states, local governments and tribes. They can use the money for the improvement of sewage treatment plants and drinking water systems and to protect drinking water sources. These programs already received $6 billion in the recently approved stimulus package. Starting in 2012, the budget proposes to invest $15 billion a year in clean energy — money created from auctioning permits to companies that emit the gases blamed for global warming. The rest of the climate cash will be returned to taxpayers. In another move that could increase energy prices, the EPA budget calls for reinstating taxes on petroleum products, chemical feedstocks and crude oil to pay for cleaning the countrys most harmful waste sites. These taxes expired in 1995. but would set up again in 2011 under Obamas budget (â€Å"Obama 2010 budget highlights by agency,† 2009). Proposed Budget on Energy and Climate Change: The Administration is extending a comprehensive energy and climate change plan to invest in safe and uncontaminated energy, terminate our addiction to oil, concentrate on the global climate crisis, and create new American jobs that cannot be outsourced. After enactment of the Budget, the Administration will work promptly with key stakeholders and the Congress will create an economy-wide emissions reduction program to lessen greenhouse gas emissions roughly 14 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and approximately 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. The cap-and-trade system program will be implemented. This program

Fast Imaging Techniques (MRI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fast Imaging Techniques (MRI) - Essay Example Consequently, the shortened duration of flat top reduces both ESP and the geometric distortion of the image (Jezzard and Balaban, 1995, p.71). Another consequence of increasing the receiver bandwidth is faster imaging. Although increasing the receiver bandwidth allows faster imaging, it may also significantly reduce the SNR, and this often leads to more noise outside the spectrum (Parrish, 2000, p.927). For example, as the bandwidth range is gradually increased, the system may begin to sample more inherent noise together with the generated echo signal, thereby resulting in the fall of SNR. There are a number of ways that can generally be used to help recover the signals lost as a result of a wider bandwidth during the optimization of image. Some of the choices include acquisition of more signal averages and improving the receiver coil technology. The first option is, however, counter-productive because it may increase the amount of time needed to perform the overall scan while the se cond option if often preferred because it helps maintain the original objective of choosing EPI. Lastly, with regard to the required T2 weighted image, increasing the receiver bandwidth may reduce the effects of chemical shift artefacts on the image. According to Ra and Rim (1993, p.145), this is because higher receiver bandwidth results in a wide range of resonant frequencies on which the distortion is spread in order to cover a smaller pixel range and minimize the geometric distortion. 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using segmentation in EPI. Segmentation is a new concept that has significantly made it possible to use EPI on most of the conventional imaging systems where constraints related to signal to noise would have otherwise prevented EPI. Segmenting EPI is increasingly becoming more important to a number of its properties that ensure improved image quality as compared to the conventional single shot EPI. For example, one of the potential benefits of segmentat ion is that it allows EPI to be able to effectively run on the conventional systems where single short EPI can not be used. This is because segmentation ensures less stress is placed on the gradients as opposed to single short EPI and is therefore critically important in situations where by the available SNR and hardware makes it difficult to acquire all the necessary k-space data before the elimination of the MR signal by the traverse relaxation (McRobbie et al., 2003, p.75). Another important advantage of segmented EPI is that it helps reduce the magnetic susceptibility of various artefacts. This is because phase errors often have less time to build up when segmented EPI as compared to single shot EPI. The shortening of echo train length also allows segmented EPI to be less prone to the effects of artefact variations. Segmentation can also be used to help reduce imaging distortion and enable higher image resolution as compared to single shot EPI. The other key benefit of segmentat ion of EPI is the fact that it can be used to increase resolution. This is particularly attributed to the fact that segmented EPI have relatively short echo train length, thereby leading to increased spatial resolution. On the other hand, normal single shot EPI usually have lower spatial

A Preprocessing Framework for Underwater Image Denoising Essay Example for Free

A Preprocessing Framework for Underwater Image Denoising Essay Abstract A major obstacle to underwater operations using cameras comes from the light absorption and scattering by the marine environment, which limits the visibility distance up to a few meters in coastal waters. The preprocessing methods concentrate on contrast equalization to deal with nonuniform lighting caused by the back scattering. Some adaptive smoothing methods like anisotropic filtering as a lengthy computation time and the fact that diffusion constants must be manually tuned, wavelet filtering is faster and automatic. An adaptive smoothing method helps to address the remaining sources of noise and can significantly improve edge detection. In the proposed approach, wavelet filtering method is used in which the diffusion constant is tuned automatically. Keywords: underwater image, preprocessing, edge detection, wavelet filtering, denoising. I. INTRODUCTION The underwater images usually suffers from non-uniform lighting, low contrast, blur and diminished colors. A few problems pertaining to underwater images are light absorption and the inherent structure of the sea, and also the effects of colour in underwater images. Reflection of the light varies greatly depending on the structure of the sea. Another main concern is related to the water that bends the light either to make crinkle patterns or to diffuse it. Most importantly, the quality of the water controls and influences the filtering properties of the water such as sprinkle of the dust in water. The reflected amount of light  is partly polarised horizontally and partly enters the water vertically. Light attenuation limits the visibility distance at about twenty meters in clear water and five meters or less in turbid water. Forward scattering generally leads to blur of the image features, backscattering generally limits the contrast of the images. The amount of light is reduced wh en we go deeper, colors drop off depending on their wavelengths. The blue color travels across the longest in the water due to its shortest  wavelength. Current preprocessing methods typically only concentrate on local contrast equalization in order to deal with the nonuniform lighting caused by the back scattering. II. UNDERWATER DEGRADATION A major difficulty to process underwater images comes from light attenuation. Light attenuation limits the visibility distance, at about twenty meters in clear water and five meters or less in turbid water. The light attenuation process is caused by the absorption (which removes light energy) and scattering (which changes the direction of light path). Absorption and scattering effects are due to the water itself and to other components such as dissolved organic matter or small observable floating particles. Dealing with this difficulty, underwater imaging faces to many problems: first the rapid attenuation of light requires attaching a light source to the vehicle providing the necessary lighting. Unfortunately, artificial lights tend to illuminate the scene in a non uniform fashion producing a bright spot in the center of the image and poorly illuminated area surrounding. Then the distance between the camera and the scene usually induced prominent blue or green color (the wavelength corresponding to the red color disappears in only few meters). Then, the floating particles highly variable in kind and concentration, increase absorption and scattering effects: they blur image features (forward scattering), modify colors and produce bright artifacts known as â€Å"marine snow†. At last the non stability of the  underwater vehicle affects once again image  contrast. To test the accuracy of the preprocessing algorithms, three steps are followed. 1) First an original image is converted into grayscale image. 2)  Second salt and pepper noise added to the grayscale image. 3) Third wavelet filtering is applied to denoise the image. Grayscale images are distinct from one-bit bi-tonal black-and-white images, which in the context of computer imaging are images with only the two colors, black, and white. Grayscale images have many shades of gray in between. Grayscale images are also called monochromatic, denoting the presence of only one (mono) color (chrome). Grayscale images are often the result of measuring the intensity of light at each pixel in a single band of the electromagnetic spectrum and in such cases they are monochromatic proper when only a given frequency is captured. Salt and pepper noise is a form of noise typically seen on images. It represents itself as randomly occurring white and black  pixels. An image containing salt-and-pepper noise will have dark pixels in bright regions and bright pixels in dark regions. This type of noise can be caused by analog-to-digital converter errors, bit errors in transmission. Wavelet filtering gives very good results compared to other denoising methods because, unlike other methods, it does not assume that the coefficients are independent. III. A PREPROCESSING ALGORITHM The algorithm proposed corrects each underwater perturbations sequentially.  addressed in the algorithm. However, contrast equalization also corrects the effect of the exponential light attenuation with distance. B. Bilateral Filtering Bilateral filtering smooth the images while preserving edges by means of a nonlinear combination of nearby image values. The idea underlying bilateral filtering is to do in the range of an image what traditional filters do in its domain. Two pixels can close to one another, occupy nearby spatial location (i.e) have nearby values. Closeness refers to vicinity in the domain, similarity to vicinity in the range. Traditional filtering is a domain filtering, and enforces closeness by weighing pixel values with coefficients that fall off with distance. The range filtering, this averages image values with weights that decay with dissimilarity. Range filters are nonlinear because their weights depend on image intensity or color. Computationally, they are no more complex than standard nonseparable  filters. So the combination of both domain and range filtering is known as bilateral filtering. A. Contrast equalization Contrast stretching often called normalization is a simple image enhancement technique that attempts to improve the contrast in an image by ‘stretching’ the range of intensity values. Many well-known techniques are known to help correcting the lighting disparities in underwater images. As the contrast is non uniform, a global color histogram equalization of the image will not suffice and local methods must be considered. Among all the methods they reviewed, Garcia, Nicosevici and Cufi [2] constated the empirical best results of the illuminationreflectance model on underwater images. The low-pass version of the image is typically computed with a Gaussian filter having a large standard deviation. This method is theoretically relevant backscattering, which is responsible for most of the contrast disparities, is indeed a slowly varying spatial function. Backscattering is the predominant noise, hence it is sensible for it to be the first noise Anisotropic filtering Anisotropic filter is used to smoothing the image. Anisotropic filtering allows us to simplify image features to improve image segmentation. This filter smooths the image in homogeneous area but preserves edges and enhance them. It is used to smooth textures and reduce artifacts by deleting small edges amplified by homomorphic filtering. This filter removes or attenuates unwanted artifacts and  remaining noise. The anisotropic diffusion algorithm is used to reduce noise and prepare the segmentation step. It allows to smooth image in homogeneous areas but it preserves and even enhances the edges in the image. Here the algorithm follow which is proposed by Perona and Malik [5]. This algorithm is automatic so it uses constant parameters selected manually. The previous step of wavelet filtering is very important to obtain good results with anisotropic filtering. It is the association of wavelet filtering and anisotropic filtering which gives such results. Anisotropic algorithm is  usually used as long as result is not satisfactory. In our case few times only loop set to constant value, to preserve a short computation time. For this denoising filter choose a nearly symmetric orthogonal wavelet bases with a bivariate shrinkage exploiting interscale dependency. Wavelet filtering gives very good results compared to other denoising methods because, unlike other methods, it does not assume that the coefficients are independent. Indeed wavelet coefficients in natural image have significant dependencies. Moreover the computation time is very short. IV. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND EVALUATION To estimate the quality of reconstructed image, Mean Squared Error and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio are calculated for the original and the reconstructed images. Performance of different filters are tested by calculating the PSNR and MSE values. The size of the images taken is 256256 pixels. The Mean Square Error (MSE) and the Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) are the two error metrics used to compare image compression quality. The MSE represents the cumulative squared error between the compressed and the original image, whereas PSNR represents a measure of the peak error. The lower the value of MSE, the lower the error. In Table 1, the original and reconstructed images are shown. In table 2, PSNR and MSE values are calculated for all underwater images. PSNR value obtained for denoised images is higher, when compare with salt and pepper noise added images. MSE value obtained for the denoised images has lower the error when compared with salt and pepper noise added images. e D. Wavelet filtering Thresholding is a simple non-linear technique, which operates on one wavelet coefficient at a time. In its most basic form, each coefficient is thresholded by comparing against threshold, if the coefficient is smaller than threshold, set to zero; otherwise it is kept or modified. Replacing the small noisy coefficients by zero and inverse wavelet transform on the result may lead to reconstruction with the essential signal characteristics and with the less noise. A simple denoising algorithm that uses the wavelet transform consist of the following three steps, (1) calculate the wavelet  transform of the noisy image (2) Modify the noisy detail wavelet coefficients according to some rule (3) compute the inverse transform using the modified coefficients. Multiresolution decompositions have shown significant advantages in image denoising. best denoised image. In clearly, the comparisons of PSNR and MSE values are shown in Fig -1a and Fig -1b. V. CONCLUSION In this paper a novel underwater preprocessing algorithm is present. This algorithm is automatic, requires no  parameter adjustment and no a priori knowledge of the acquisition conditions. This is because functions evaluate their parameters or use pre-adjusted defaults values. This algorithm is fast. Many adjustments can still be done to improve the whole pre-processing algorithms. Inverse filtering gives good results but generally requires a priori knowledge on the environment. Filtering used in this paper needs no parameters adjustment so it can be used systematically on underwater images before every pre-processing algorithms. REFERENCES [1] Arnold-Bos, J. P. Malkasse and Gilles Kervern,(2005) â€Å"Towards a model-free denoising of underwater optical image,† IEEE OCEANS 05 EUROPE,Vol.1, pp.234256. [2] Caefer, Charlene E.; Silverman, Jerry. Mooney,JonathanM,(2000) â€Å"Optimisation of point target tracking filters†. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., pages 15-25. [3] R. Garcia, T. Nicosevici, and X. Cufi. (2002) â€Å"On the way to solve lighting problems in underwater imaging†. In Proceedings of the IEEE Oceans 2002, pages 1018–1024. [4] James C. Church, Yixin Chen, and Stephen V., (2008) â€Å"A Spatial Median Filter for Noise Removal in Digital Images†, page(s):618 – 623. [45 Jenny Rajan and M.R Kaimal., (2006) â€Å"Image Denoising Using Wavelet Embedded anisotropic Diffusion†, Appeared in the Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Visual Information Engineering, page(s): 589 – 593. [6] Z. Liu, Y. Yu, K. Zhang, and H. Huang.,(2001) â€Å"Underwater image transmission and blurred image restoration†. SPIE Journal of Optical Engineering, 40(6):1125–1131. [7] P. Perona and J.Malik, (1990) â€Å"Scale space and edge detection using anisotropic diffusion,† IEEE Trans on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, pp.629-639. [8] Schechner, Y and Karpel, N., (2004) â€Å"Clear Underwater Vision†. Proceedings of the IEEE CVPR, Vol. 1, pp. 536-543. [9] Stephane Bazeille, Isabelle, Luc jaulin and Jean-Phillipe Malkasse, (2006) â€Å"Automatic Underwater image PreProcessing†, cmm’06 characterisation du milieu marine page(s): 16-19. [10] Yongjian Yu and Scott T. Acton, (2002) Speckle Reducing Anisotropic Diffusion, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, page(s): 1260-1270, No. 11, Vol.11.

Does The Modernization Theories Mean Westernization Politics Essay

Does The Modernization Theories Mean Westernization Politics Essay The battle between the east and the west still continues as each try to preserve its culture and assert its powers. Just as the fight to be superpowers continues, the west and east continue to outdo each other in other aspects. The concept of modernization means an evolution from traditional society practices to modern social status  [1]  . Modernization has brought about transformation of societies which has been experienced since time in history. The term modernization however, has been mistakably been taken to mean the adoption of policies that favor other societies. The changes have been witnessed in the political, economic production and social systems. In addition, it has also been reflected in the way of thinking and behavior of the people  [2]  . In the twentieth century many transformations continues to change especially the most controversial issue of culture. Societies have remained attached to their practices and beliefs and any attempt to change them. This has remained a contentious issue when the east is approached to adopt policies from the west  [3]  . They view this as colonization from the west which is blocked in every possible way. This paper tackles the question: Does modernization mean Westernization? It seeks to find out whether there are ways of becoming modern that are informed by different civilization logic. In answering this question it visits the issue of modernization in China in the twentieth century. Civilization brings about modernization; and civilization has historic start in Europe. The different civilizations such as the one rising from Tigris-Euphrates and Nile river valleys contributed a lot to the modern man  [4]  . The Middle East in the 4000 B.C.E. also experienced civilization revolutions through agrarian revolutions  [5]  . Technological innovations also characterized this period which contributed to better economic, political and social development. Consequently the changes contributed to the present day modernization. The Chinese Situation In China, modernization came into light during the new culture movement. In this period other terms were associated with modernization; they include westernization, electrification, mechanization, fashionable, and modern  [6]  . Nevertheless, it was until the 1950s and 60s that the concept of modernization became accepted and used. During this period two western centric ideas were accepted which were; the impact à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ response approach and the tradition à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ modernity approach that contributed to the Chinese transformation. The tradition à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ modernity approach had a direct influence to the modernization which was more known in the American society  [7]  . Modernization had two practical purposes in the 1950s and 60s; they include to analyse the academic program so as to bring to an end to communism and secondly to give third world nations with a plan to achieve development of a stable, free and content world through the use of science, rationality, enlightenment, capitalist democracy and capitalistic free market  [8]  . The modernization was characterized in the 1950s and 60s by the split in the development in the modern and tradition period. The traditional period was described as stagnant and static while the modern period was described as rational, fast moving and dynamic. For that reason, modernization was viewed as the elimination of tradition  [9]  . In those who supported modernization they saw China as incapable of transforming itself to be modern; it required an external shock which should be strong enough to initiate a modern revolution; the west had the chance to provide the enlightenment required for the transformation; and the effects of modernization in China would be to copy the west which was regarded as modern  [10]  . Modernization Modernization can be traced to the historical development in Europe, since the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries there were major transformational changes. They included renaissance, scientific revolution, the age of great discovery, agrarian and industrial revolution, and enlightenment. In order to be modernized there are two preconditions involved; they are secularization and innovation  [11]  . In secularization, man is required to have human value that means the satisfaction of practical needs and not accepting idealistic ideas. In adopting secularization man has stronger sense of reality, rationality, and active in social matters. Innovation on the other hand, requires casting away traditional ideologies  [12]  . In real meaning, modernization moves man from a spiritual or god centered society to a man centered one  [13]  . It turns out to be rational and scientific. Modernization also brings the issue of enlightenment which brings about a political and social rearrangement that is based on rationality, science and development. For example, the capitalistic system, a liberal democratic system and sovereignty need to be involved. Modernization means industrialization that is built on science and technological revolutions. Science makes man understand the world while technology gives the tools to have a better world. This means that the quality of life is improved contributing to a modern society  [14]  . Western form of modernization is measured with mechanization regarding to production modes, urbanization, mass participation in public issues, affirmative action, education popularization, expansion of infrastructure i.e. transport and communication, bureaucracy and international relationships enhancement  [15]  . In this view modernization is gauged with the amenities and provisions in the country. For modern transformation the country must therefore undergo economic, political, and cultural transformation. Economically, the country needs to transform from traditional agriculture practices to modern industrial practices  [16]  . Politically, the country must move from dictatorial and feudal autocratic practices to free and fair democratic society. Culturally, the society needs to move from uncivilized groups into conscious individualism so as to have independence. The democratic view of modernization is the ability to restrict power by use of law, having multi-party rule, having security forces to protect the state, democratic elections, accountability of the government, decentralizing the functions and having participants of the people  [17]  . The traditional Chinese culture had entrenched three bonds which were (between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife), and five relationships between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, older brother and younger brother, and friends  [18]  . The society had focus on family, male domination, patriarchy, agriculture and household industry. Changing this would need great and strong force of modernization. Does modernization mean Westernization? Separating modernization from westernization is the issue that lies in the mind; whichever side of the debate one is then he or she can give contradicting statements to prove a point. Many will debate on the loss of culture and the imitation of the western culture as modernization while others will base their argument on the adoption of democracy and a free society  [19]  . The modern societies have a great deal of common aspects however they never merge into homogeneity. Some have the assumption that the modern civilization is the same as the western civilization and consequently western civilizations is the same as modern civilization. This conversely, is not true. This is due to the fact that the western has always been even before modernization  [20]  . The western culture has been seen to be based on philosophy and rationalism of the Greek, the law of the Romans, natural law, the Latin language the rift between Catholics and Protestants and social pluralism  [21]  . The cultures of the west have not been well accepted in the east in areas like China, Russia, and the Middle East, where centralized bureaucracy and absolutism exists  [22]  . To the east the adoption of such culture and values would be colonization and modern day slavery. The social and political values depicted as western civilization are therefore rebelled against. The values view as western modernization include liberty, individualism, equality, free markets, capitalism, constitutionalism, separation of the church and state, the rule of law, human rights and democracy  [23]  . This creates a democracy paradox; where the Islamic world and the east in general oppose westernization. The question at hand (i.e. Does modernization mean Westernization?) will help to separate modernization from westernization. Depending on which perspective it is either west or east the argument may last forever but to draw a line and separate the real ideologies can help solve the dilemma of whether the glass is half full or half empty. Can one modernize without being western? As the time passes on the differences between the cultures become less and less; the gap therefore closes. But in the modern society many may resist this change seeing it as colonization. Nevertheless, change is inevitable and as technological and industrial revolutions are adopted the enlightenment period get closer with people demanding their rights  [24]  . This means that the society will crave for change. However the adoption does not mean a complete merger of the cultures to one global culture. There will always be real and significant differences in the modernization. For example, the democracy, communism, and fascism were modern political systems and since democracy has been adopted by the west does not mean it is westernization  [25]  . There is therefore need to differentiate the western influence from the modernization in the west. Though modernization may seen by the east as aping the west; the critical part is the difference between the two areas. There are still differences even after modernization since the family values; the social obligations and the meaning of life remain different from the west. Their cultures have the various differences which are always unique to the areas and the people practicing them. This brings the cultural identity which is always maintained even after modernization. Modernization and westernization Societies have defied all odds to modernize despite the negative notion brought by those who oppose change. Westernizing and modernizing have already been differentiated by a clear line. While modernizing is the adoption of technology and industrial revolutions; westernization on the other hand is the adoption of the western culture and ideas. Therefore for those who modernize does not have to adopt the western cultures  [26]  . They just need to maintain their own culture but retain the ideologies of the modern world. The revolutionizing of people and societies is normally seen as the western culture where governments in the east want to retain the status quo and remain dictatorial  [27]  . For modernization to take place there must be minimum requirements which include; industrialization, urbanization, occupational social structures that are complex and diverse, rational, effective and efficient economic groups, revolutionary decisions, education of the masses, efficient communication systems, centralization and global economic participation. Above all there must be social and political will; which might incorporate western values such as liberty, human rights, constitutionalism, secularization, democracy, equality and free markets  [28]  . Citizens from the oppressed nations must therefore be able to distinguish the lies from the truth. Modern day civilization is not just a matter of aping what people want and fighting freedom; it is all about adopting the values that revolutionize society and give them a chance to discover themselves  [29]  . The East especially the Islamic nations has particularly remained cold in adopting the western values more specifically due to the religion factor which is seen as an overtaking of the Muslim religion and culture by the Christian practices and norms  [30]  . For a global village to be achieved there is need for most nations to adopt modernization and play away all difference. On the other hand, it does not mean forgetting their culture but it means retaining it and preserving what is beneficial to the society. Every person needs to given the right to decide his or her own destiny while the state controls the nation in a democratic way. The people should have the freedom to decide in fair elections and be able to exercise their democratic rights  [31]  . It also tends to abolish communism and assert democracy in a society that is oppressed. Conclusion Modernization does not mean aping the law, politics, lifestyles, language, religion, and education systems. But, it entails empowering the societies to decide what they need and want at all times. It involves making their lives easier through revolutions such as industrialization which will make them change from the traditional practices to modern concepts. The west has been viewed as very revolutionary and dynamic in the adoption of new ideas; the east on the other hand has been seen to oppose change. In view of the fact that modernization started in the west does not mean that the east should ape them. The clear separation of modernization from westernization is the only factor that will ensure the societies in the east are not lied to by their leaders. The east can experience better economic, political and social benefits if only they embrace modernization. They should use modernization to ensure the cultural and social values are always preserved within the society. This is the unique character of modernization; it does not strive to change the individual but the means of the individual to live. It is also good since it allows individuals to discover themselves, their strengths and weaknesses which will contribute to better control of the system. The east does not have to worry on adopting the western culture rather what the modernization does to the economic, social and political norms.