Concept of Cultural Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concept of Cultural Imperialism - Essay Example As connoted by Sarmela, â€Å"Cultural imperialism is the economic, technological and cultural hegemony of the industrialized nations, which determines the direction of both economic and social progress, defines cultural values, and standardizes the civilization and cultural environment throughout the world† (Sarmela 13). Hence, considering the instability and struggle of the various nations to understand and thereby react resourcefully towards the accreditations as well as criticisms made by foreign cultures, it can be affirmed that the aspect of cultural imperialism indeed plays a vital role. Contextually, it can also be regarded that forethought to the criticality of the concept (i.e. cultural imperialism), has been argued by various experts associated with different professional dimensions as a means to elaborate homogeny within humankind (Hawksley, â€Å"Conceptualising Imperialism in the 21st Century†). A philosophical explanation to the aspect also encourages the arguments on behalf of cultural imperialism, describing it as a fundamental aspect to energize human communication, harmony and socio-economic progress (Gilbert, â€Å"Cultural Imperialism Revisited: Counselling and Globalisation†). However, rather than being well thought-out in every industrialized nation, the concept of cultural imperialism has been mostly related with the philosophies considered by the United States of America in relation to its socio-economic progressive initiatives. ... itiative of ‘Americanization’, especially when relating to the socio-economic relationship between the US and the Middle Eastern Islamic countries. This particular concern can be critically analyzed with concern to the study conducted by Rauschenberger (1-35). According to Rauschenberger, many industrialized nations today have been inevitably influenced by the technological developments as well as the philosophical aspirations of America and other developed western countries, which are somewhat impulsively re-shaping the cultural rudiments of those developing nations. The examples include China, Saudi Arabia, France, Iran and Iraq among others. The rudiments of the alterations happening within the national contexts in effect of cultural imperialism, which is also referred as ‘Americanization’ can be identified with reference to the rapid progression of American retail chains, film industry as well as the channelization of societal paradigms in the internatio nal podium. It is worth mentioning in this regard that not all the nations have been convivial with such alterations, disregarding their ancient heritage and cultural rudiments for the sake of cultural imperialism (Rauschenberger, â€Å"It’s Only a Movie – Right? Deconstructing Cultural Imperialism Examining the Mechanisms Behind U.S. Domination of the Global Cultural Trade†). It is in this context that Islamic nations have often been disparaged in the international context as a major adversary of the US. Even a few of the terrorist attacks on America have been deliberated by the groups as fundamentally motivated by the â€Å"perceived American cultural imperialism† (Rauschenberger, â€Å"It’s Only a Movie – Right? Deconstructing Cultural Imperialism Examining the Mechanisms Behind U.S. Domination of the

Plato - Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Plato Philosophy Essay The Republic is one of Plato’s longer works (more than 450 pages in length). It is written in dialogue form (as are most of Plato’s books), it addresses major issues in almost all of the branches of philosophy. The central theme in the book seems to be the nature of justice, a topic in political philosophy, but Plato also has his characters explore issues in ? philosophical cosmology, ? philosophical theology, ? philosophical anthropology, ? ethics, ? aesthetics, and ? epistemology. The parts of the Republic that are contained in our text (pp. 107-123) focus on Plato’s idea (ideal?) of the Philosopher Ruler. According to Plato, ? the best possible political system (state) ? will be ruled (governed) ? by PHILOSOPHERS! (Is he kidding? ) Our reading selection contains the following themes/sections: ? ? Introduction on the unifying of philosophy politics (107) Why true philosophers would make the best rulers (108-12) †¢ What is true philosophy? (108-11) †¢ Love of wisdom (108) †¢ Knowledge of true reality (108-9) †¢ The distinctions between knowledge, ignorance and opinion (109-11) †¢ How is a true philosopher different from a lover of opinion? (111-12) †¢ Who is best suited to rule the state – lovers of opinion or true philosophers? (112) ? ? Political leadership and knowledge of the Good (112-13) The ascent of the mind to knowledge of the Good (113-123) †¢ The analogy between the Good and the sun (113-15) †¢ The image of the divided line (115-18) †¢ The allegory of the cave (118-123) The selection in the text begins at a point in the Republic after Socrates, Glaucon, other characters have been discussing the nature of justice and the marks of a just political system for some time. So we are coming into the middle of the conversation where Glaucon is pressing Socrates to state whether it is possible for a really just political system to come into existence. Before answering Glaucon’s question, Socrates wonders whether it is worthwhile to What does he say construct a theoretical model of a good political system even if such a system could about this? Do you agree? Why not actually exist. or why not? Back to Glaucon’s original question: Can a really just (or at least approximately just) political system exist? What would make it possible? (It is the separation of philosophy political power. ) And this leads to . . . . unless political power philosophy are brought together those who now pursue either the one or the other exclusively are prevented from doing so -neither our political problems nor our human troubles in general can be ended . . . . † (Text, pp. 108-111) True Philosophy True Philosophers What are the characteristics of a person who is naturally suited to practice philosophy? According to Socrates (Plato), a true philosopher ? loves the whole of wisdom and is satisfied with nothing less; ? recognizes the difference between particular things and the essences (or forms) of which particular things are likenesses (e.g. , beautiful things vs. Beauty itself); and ? knows the differences between knowledge, ignorance, and opinion. Plato argues that someone who really loves something must love that thing as a whole and not just some aspects of it. On that basis, he concludes that a true philosopher (lover of wisdom) must desire wisdom as a whole and not be content with having just some wisdom. Do you agree with this? Do wine-lovers really love all wines? A true philosopher recognizes the difference between particular things and the essences (or forms) of which particular things are likenesses (e. g. , beautiful things vs.Beauty itself). One of Plato’s major metaphysical theories is known as the â€Å"Theory of Forms. † According to that theory, ultimate reality is a realm of forms (essences) not accessible to the senses but only to the mind (intellect). He calls that level of reality the â€Å"intelligible realm† (because it is accessible only to the intellect). The perceptible world (i. e. , the world we perceive through our senses) is a reflection or copy of that higher intelligible world. (The Greek word for â€Å"form† or â€Å"essence† is eidos. ) Do you think it is possible for one thing to be really more beautiful than another thing? Well, how is that possible if Absolute Beauty does not exist? How can â€Å"A† be more beautiful than â€Å"B†? Doesn’t â€Å"A† have to be closer to Absolute Beauty than â€Å"B† is? But how can â€Å"A† be closer to (or â€Å"B† be further away from) Absolute Beauty if Absolute Beauty does not exist? A true philosopher knows the differences between ? Knowledge, ? ignorance, ? opinion. Plato’s view of knowledge, ignorance, and opinion (Text, pp. 109-111) State of Mind Knowledge Opinion Ignorance Object What is (Being, Reality) What is is not (Becoming) What is not (Nothingness, Unreality) Access Intellect Perception ? (Do you agree with this setup/theory?) Is Plato right about knowledge, ignorance, and opinion? Here’s a different view†¦. What about knowledge? The three basic questions in epistemology ? ? What is knowledge? How does it differ from opinion? How do we acquire knowledge? What are its sources? Rationalism vs. Empiricism. (What about Intuitionism and Revelationism? ) ? What are the extent and limits of knowledge? What can be known, and what cannot be known? A (fairly) standard definition of knowledge (and opinion) ? Knowledge is justified (i. e. , verified) true belief. †¢ To know is to believe. †¢ The belief must, in fact, be true. †¢ The belief must be justified (i.e. , verified, proved) by some standard and generally recognized means. ? Opinion is belief that may be true or may be false but that has not been or cannot be justified (i. e. , verified, proved) by any standard and generally recognized means. Of course, some opinions that are rationally defensible in the weak sense are â€Å"justified† in a limited way. And what about ignorance? Isn’t ignorance basically an absence of knowledge? Of course, opinion is also an absence of knowledge. So perhaps ignorance is a certain or special kind of opinion that is in some sense groundless (in a way based on nothing, as Plato says). ? There seem to be various types of ignorance, including unintelligent ignorance, as when someone asserts dogmatically that a false proposition is true or that a true proposition is false. There is also intelligent ignorance, as when someone does not know X and acknowledges forthrightly that he does not know it, etc. More thought is needed on this matter†¦. ? However, Plato’s view of ignorance as having non-being (nothingness) as its object does not seem correct (or at least not completely correct). ? ? ? Lovers of wisdom (philosophers) they recognize the existence of absolute, transcendental essences such as Beauty Justice in themselves, and they seek knowledge of such absolutes. ? Lovers of opinion -they recognize only particular perceptible things do not believe in the existence of absolute essences such as Beauty itself. So what is the nature of the Absolute Good? (Text, p. 112-113) In approaching the problem of defining the nature of the Absolute Good, Socrates (Plato) sets forth three very famous illustrations of his overall perspective on knowledge reality. These are I The Good the Sun The Good is to the mind as the sun is to the eye, i.e. , just as the sun’s light enables the eye to see in the perceptible realm, so the Good illuminates the mind and enables it to â€Å"see† in the intelligible realm. (See text, pp. 113-115) 2 The divided line (Text, pp. 115-118) States of Consciousness Philosophical Wisdom E Objects of Consciousness The Good Other Forms Knowledge D Intelligible Realm Scientific Knowledge Informed Opinion Delusion C B Mathematical Scientific Objects Opinion Perceptible Objects Images Perceptible Realm A (Text, pp. 118-123) Can you link the images on the following slide to Plato’s depiction of the cave world on pp. 118-121 in the text? Now that the prisoner has â€Å"seen the light,† ? What might happen to him if he were to go back down into the cave-world? (pp. 119-121) ? How does he feel when he looks back down into the cave-world? (pp. 119) ? How does the allegory of the cave illustrate Plato’s overall view of knowledge and reality? (p. 121) More questions: ? What’s the philosophical difference between coming into the darkness from the light coming into the light from the darkness? (p. 121) ? What, according to Plato, does the allegory of the cave tell us about what the process of education should be? (pp. 121-122) there are the big questions: Why should we want philosophers to rule? How are we going to get them to rule? Since we are asking them to come back down into the cave-world, won’t we be doing them harm by making their lives worse rather than better? (Text, pp. 122-123) What do you think of the following statements by Plato (Socrates)? â€Å"The best rulers of the state are those who know the Good, who don’t look to politics for their happiness, who live a higher life than the political life. † â€Å"Political power should be held by those who do not want it. † The End (for now).

Polymerisation of Light Cured Resin Cements

Polymerisation of Light Cured Resin Cements Discussion (3000-4000 words) Resin-based composite cements are widely and commonly utilised for the cementation of all-ceramic restorations to the prepared tooth structure because clinical studies have identified that using resin cements for this purpose enables the all-ceramic restorations to have an increased fracture resistance in service and thereby improved clinical performance (Kilinc and others). However, this purpose is only fulfilled optimally if the light-cured resin cement is adequately cured to achieve a sufficient degree of polymerisation. In order to initiate the curing reaction, light energy of an appropriate intensity and wavelength must activate and excite a sufficient number of photoinitiators in order to generate an adequate quantity of free radicals. The generated free radicals can then interact with the C=C bonds within the resin monomer and initiate the polymerisation reaction which results in the formation of a polymer (Dias et al, 2008). An adequate cure would consequently determine the s trength of the reinforcement that is achieved via the application of a resin cement to the ceramic specimens. Light transmission Talk about LT at different distances. Increasing the distance decreases both LT and DC. Lack of light can be overcome by increasing light intensity or increasing exposure time In this study, light-cured resin cement was utilised and adequate LT of restorations is even more pivotal for the for the polymerisation of these light cured resin cements because all these cements can utilise is the light that is transmitted through the restoration, or in the case of this study, the ceramic disc (Kilinc and others). The presence of a ceramic disc also restricts the transmission of light to the resin cement as according to Strang et al, a ceramic is capable of absorbing between 40-50% of the curing light (Passos et al, 2013). In this study, light cured resin cement The light transmission in this study was proved to be affected by the thickness and opacity of the ceramic disc as well as the distance from the curing tip. The translucency of a ceramic depends on its crystalline structure, light refractive indexes and the thickness of the ceramic (Kilinc and others). An opaque material may be ideal for aesthetically demanding clinical situations but opacity has been shown to affect light transmission as well as the polymerisation of the resin cement. It is clear from the results in this study that increasing the thickness or opacity of the ceramic disc decreases light penetration through the disc (Duran et al, 2012). A ceramic disc of increasing thickness or opacity would allow lower light energy to be transmitted through it and resultantly, lower LT. An opaque ceramic contains a higher percentage of chroma and this chroma pigment has the ability to absorb light, therefore less light is transmitted through the ceramic and consequently, negatively influencing the polymerisation of the resin cement (Passos et al, 2013). The results also highlighted the fact that the polymerisation was adversely affected with increasing thickness or opacity of ceramic specimens. The presence of a ceramic disc would influence light attenuation and therefore decrease the number of photoinitiators that are activated in the resin cement. The consequence is a lower DC (Filho et al, 2010). Most clinicians implement a curing regime of 400mW/cm2 for 40 seconds and this is thought to be generally enough for adequate polymerisation when applied directly on the ceramic restoration. The ISO recommend a curing light intensity of 300mW/cm2 and the depth of polymerisation should be no greater than 1.5mm. In this study, the curing time used was 30 seconds at an intensity of 800mW/cm2 (Akgungor et al, 2005). In the darker shades and thicker ceramic specimens, (give combos) had reduced light transmission as low as values†¦ therefore, the resin cement cured through these groups of ceramic discs were far from possibly achieving adequate polymerisation (Kilinc et al, 2011). Another option is to use dual-cured resin cements and dentists and clinicians tend to prefer to use dual-cured resin cement systems when cementing all-ceramic restorations because of the important of achieving adequate light transmission through the indirect restoration, which would consequently lead to an optimal degree of conversion of the cement layer, and the chemical reaction of dual-cured resin cements theoretically guarantees a satisfactory polymerisation of the cement as it could compensate for the lack of DC obtained via photo-activated means which would consequently improve clinical performance. The chemical polymerisation of dual cured resin cements is expected to guarantee the cure of the material even in the deeper regions where limited light reaches (Indian journal of dental research). The lower light transmission influences polymer development by primarily decreasing the C=C bond conversion since the polymerisation process is reliant on on the light exposure to both the ceramic but most importantly, the resin cement (Ilday et al, 2012). The lower the degree of light reaching the luting agent, the lower the degree of polymerisation and consequently, the lower the success and longevity of the resin-strengthening mechanism (Pazin et al, 2008). Light transmission through the ceramic and to the resin cement is vital because if the ceramic restoration/disc prevents polymerisation light from reaching the resin cement layer, causing inadequate polymerisation of the cement layer. This consequently affects the strength of the restoration and the risk of debonding is higher in poorly polymerised cement (Akgungor et al, 2005). During the process of light activation, the light passing through the ceramic is absorbed and scattered. Thereby, the light irradiance produced by the light source is attenuated and its effectiveness is reduced as the ceramic thickness increases (Filho et al, 2010). This was proven in a study by Meng et al, in which it was shown that a light intensity of 800mW/cm2 decreased significantly to 160mW/cm2 after light transmission through a 2mm thick ceramic specimen (Filho et al, 2010). The greater the LT through a ceramic material, the greater the irradiance reaching the resin cement surfaces and accordingly the greater the DC and mechanical properties (Pick et al, 2010). The light transmission through a ceramic restoration may affect the degree of polymerization of resin cements, because the amount of light that reaches the cement layer is decreased.10In general, the factors affecting light transmission through a ceramic material include the thickness and shade of the ceramic material, its microstructure, and the presence of defects and porosities. However, the thickness of indirect materials interposed during photo-activation is a key factor for light attenuation, and polymerization generally decreases as thickness increases.12 The physical and mechanical properties of resin cements may be affected by the thickness and microstructure of ceramic restorations. It is important to emphasize that light-cured resin cements should receive an adequate energy density to reach good polymerization and mechanical properties. Furthermore, only effective photo-activation may ensure clinically acceptable hardness levels of dual-cured resin cements, mainly in criti cal areas. Considering these issues, further studies are needed to find a way to compensate light attenuation aggravated by the interposition of indirect restorative materials. http://www.duhs.edu.pk/download/jduhs-vol.7-issue-2/9.pdf DC Increasing the distance, thickness or opacity of ceramic/resin cement layer would mean that the top few millimetres of the resin cement would adequately polymerise and the remaining material would poorly polymerise due to lack of light (Silva et al, 2009). Insufficient curing also enhances the solubility of the cement which is the common cause of debonding of the restoration (Dias et al, 2008). As the properties of the resin cements are directly related to the degree of polymerisation, the resin cement used for cementation was measured using FTIR. Favourable resin cement polymerisation is vital in order to obtain optimal properties of the cement in order to prolong the longevity and clinical performance of the overlying all-ceramic restoration (Ilday et al, 2012). Various studies have stated the importance of a high monomer-to-polymer conversion with a highly cross-linked polymeric network in order to obtain a clinically successful resin-based restoration. The presence of an increased amount of monomers decreases both DC and mechanical properties and the fracture resistance of the restoration (Francescantonio et al, 2013). The DC% of the resin cement was decreased under the darkest, thickest ceramic combination than under the thinnest, lightest ceramic. The clinical performance of both the resin cement and the ceramic restoration depends on many important factors, with one of these being the degree of polymerisation (journal of the Serbian chemical society). One way of assessing the DC of the resin cements is through the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) which detects the C=C stretching vibrations directly before and after curing of the resin cement material (Obradovic et al, 2011). Several factors have been shown to influence the polymerisation of resin-based cements such as the thickness of the resin cement layer, the intensity of the light source as well as the type of light source used, the distance from the curing tip and the duration of curing. The composition of the resin-cement can also affect the rate of polymerisation via factors like the polymer matrix, the filler particles and the coupling between matrix and filler (Obradovic et al, 2011). After a certain period of time, the DC graph appears to straighten off with no increase. This limited conversion is due to limited mobility of the radical chain ends and this limits the conversion of the pendant methacrylate groups from monomer to polymer (Obradovic et al, 2011). During the process of light activation, multiple growth centres are produced and the matrix transforms from a liquid to a viscous phase via the production of a polymer network from a monomer, i.e. the process of gelation. However, subsequently, the polymer network is highly cross-linked as most of the monomer is converted to polymer which results in the link between the monomers and the oligomers with the network being restricted due to limited diffusion (Filho et al, 2010). With light activation, there is a production of free radicals via the excitation of photoinitiators which enables the initiation step to occur instantaneously. As the propagation phase proceeds, the resin cement changes from a liquid to a viscous gel state, thereby making it increasingly difficult for monomers to diffuse to the polymeric growth centres. As a result, as the polymerisation reaction proceeds, less monomer is converted to polymer (Mendes et al, 2010). The rate of polymerisation reduces as the reaction proceeds due to the formation of fewer polymer growth centres. This promotes the formation of loosely cross-linked polymers and poorer mechanical properties (Silva et al, 2009). Adequate polymerisation of the resin cement is crucial for stability, optimal mechanical properties and the clinical performance of the indirect all-ceramic restoration. Furthermore, a greater degree of polymerisation would result in a greater bond between the resin-cement and the ceramic and consequently, maximum bond strength (Ilday et al, 2012). Along with using thinner or less opaque ceramic and resin cement layers, the cure depth of the resin cement, the degree of conversion and consequently the strength of the restoration can be increased by longer light exposure times or increasing the light intensity (Ilday et al, 2012). The latter two factors were not evaluated in this study. Insufficient polymerisation commonly causes early failure of the cemented all-ceramic restoration (Duran et al, 2012). BFS Flexural strength were found to show a relationship with conversion of double bonds with the resin cement (Ozturk et al, 2005). Ceramic specimens luted with a resin luting agent exhibited greater flexural strengths than the specimens without any form of luting agent (Pagniano et al, 2005). Look at pagniano journal for more info- if space left. The discs were left for 24 hours prior to BFS testing because the cement undergoes polymerisation for 24 hours after curing and if BFS was tested straight after curing, then the cement would not have reached the maximum polymerisation possible and therefore the risk of debonding and poor flexural strength is greater (Akgungor et al, 2005). The magnitude of strengthening is reliant on on the flexural modulus of the resin cement. This can also be known as the modulus of elasticity. (value of resin cement according to dr Addison journal). The modulus, in other studies, has been identified to be between 7 and 12 GPa. The elastic modulus of the cement is vital to study because it is related to how effectively stress can be transmitted between the all-ceramic restoration and the tooth structure. Moreover, it provides an indication as to how well the cement can resist elastic deformation which ultimate would endanger the integrity of the bonded interface between the ceramic and cement. Ideally, the resin cement should have an elastic modulus that is between that of dentine and the ceramic restorative material (Braga et al, 2002). Flexural strength of brittle materials is likely to be more affected by surface defects or imperfections such as porosity, cracks and other related flaws. Specimen failure is thought to initiate at the bottom surface of the specimen and all ceramic specimens were placed with the non-irradiated surface facing towards the load application and therefore a lower DC would lead to a reduced flexural strength (Pick et al, 2010). From BFS testing, it was evident that a decrease in BFS generated at the resin-ceramic interface when testing the ceramic specimen (A3.5 at 1.40mm) with the lowest DC. Resin coating significantly increased the mean BFS of the greatest conversion system but not as significantly in the other two groups of ceramic specimens tested. It should be noted that the system with the greatest DC had the greatest change in BFS which highlights the importance of DC on the magnitude of resin-reinforcement that is achieved (Fleming et al, 2012). Despite the resin-reinforcement, it is suggested by Yesil that failure still occurs and the mode of failure is caused by surface flaws or flaws within the ceramic material, the adhesive layer, or the bonded cement and flaws in the interface (Yesil, 2009). Furthermore, in a different study carried out by Thompson et al, the results demonstrated that when clinically failed glass-ceramic restorations were analysed, the majority of these restorations failed because of fractures and most of the fractures initiated from flaws and stresses originating from the adhesive resin cement interface and not from the restoration contact surface (Yenisey et al, 2009). Clinically, the thickness and opacity of the ceramic restoration acts as a barrier to light penetrating the methacrylate resin-based composite cements. Therefore, the durability of the bond produced between the ceramic restoration and the resin cement as well as the interface between the cement and the surrounding tooth structure will be compromised. For resin-based composites, a maximum value of DC is ideally wanted in which there is complete conversion of the monomer double bonds to network contributory single bonds. However, the conversion is normally between 45-70% because vitrification stops the reactions by inhibiting diffusion (Isgro et al, 2011). The strength values may be different due to the absence of polishing in the ceramic specimens that were tested for BFS. The discs used in LT testing were polished whereas the ceramic discs tested in BFS were not polished. Instead, the internal fit surfaces of the dental ceramics were roughened to promote adhesion. The strength values obtained may have been affected by the absence of polishing of dental ceramic specimens prior to mechanical testing. (see Isgro et al, 2011) for more info. Give values of % increase between cemented and uncemented samples and the mean values. Look at Pagniano et al, 2005 for information on how the interaction between cement and ceramic affects BFS. Add if word count available. Future work Look at effect with different light output- look at Duran et al, 2012 journal. If space left, look at Pazin et al journal for info on degree of cross-linking. Look at SEM images Look at Molin et al, 2006 and Isgro et al, 2011 for info on contraction stresses for BFS In conclusion, adequate polymerisation is desirable to reduce problems associated with post-operative sensitivity, microleakage, risk of recurrent caries, discolouration, in addition to decreased mechanical, chemical and physical properties of the resin cement. Furthermore, it will compromise the clinical success and longevity of the restoration. Sufficient DC would also improve the biocompatibility of the restoration and most importantly, the resin cement layer by reducing the number of residual monomers that are leached into the oral environment (Kim et al, 2009; Yan et al, 2010; Braga et al, 2002).

English Should Be the Official Language of the United States Essay

English as the official language of the United States could benefit the U.S. Government and America as a whole. America has long since been a multicultural nation and has been an English speaking nation since it was founded. The constitutional and federal documents are all in English, which furthers the American people, believing English should be our official language. The majority of states already have English as their official language, for English has always provided a much needed cohesion to our diverse citizens since it was founded. Being made of diverse peoples, and being able to continue to use your own language may seem preferable as we encourage individuality and do not want anyone to disappear into the soup. This stand, however, also means that more people are needed as interpreters and that more programs and information needs to be readily available to ensure understanding. More people would have jobs associated with interpretation, whether on paper or face-to-face, in order to deal with the transition. If English was the official language, instead of just having interpreters in public places, there would be opportunities to learn the language with classes, etc. Presently, immigrants expect to have to learn some of English to get by, while the children have to learn it on their own to survive in school. With English as an official language, we would feel compelled to offer help to those we expect to learn the language. In part of Canada, where there are two languages, children are taught both languages. If we had an official language we would be responsible for insuring that everyone gets a chance to learn the language. As seen in the statutes of Section 3-3-31 of the Mississippi code, â€Å"†¦the purpose (of the st... ...and/or immigrants, we would still be preserving the cultural heritage of early America. Works Cited Perea, Juan. Immigrants Out! The New Nativism and the Anti-Immigrant Impulse in the United States. New York or London: New York University Press, 1997. Print. Baron, Dennis. The English Language Amendment: Backgrounds And Prospects. 1988. ERIC. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Daniels, Harvey A., and Urbana, IL. National Council of Teachers of English. Not Only English: Affirming America's Multilingual Heritage. 1990. ERIC. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Lewelling, Vickie W., and Washington, DC. ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics. Official English And English Plus: An Update. ERIC Digest. 1997. ERIC. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Crawford, James. Effective Language Education Practices and Native Language Survival. Reyhner, Jon. Montana:8m (NALI) Institute, 1990. Print.

Effect of Parenting Styles and Culture on Children Essay

A newborn child is like a blank paper, whatever you write on it or whatever he sees and learns in his youth will reflect in his personality. How a child interacts with his surrounding and environment in the future is greatly dependent upon the parenting style. Darling and Steinberg define parenting style as â€Å"a constellation of attitudes toward the child that are communicated to the child and create an emotional climate in which the parent’s behaviors are expressed† (Paul et.al, 2009, p.280). Parenting style is the primary factor in devising child’s personality and attitude towards his environment. It is very important that parents create productive and caring atmosphere for a child. This will support his overall personality and behavior. Cultural background, religion, and environment are secondary factors that are equally important in affecting the child in the long run. Many parents face cultural and religious limitations and forced to follow or undertake certain parenting style that is common to their culture and country. Today, such views are changing, and parents are more willing and open minded towards their child’s brought up. They want to give him the best, may it be values, education or environment. Socioeconomic factor does have an effect on a child’s personality, but parenting style is the main driving force behind any child’s attitude and behavior. Discussion Dimensions to Parenting Different views and opinions exist in different countries, on which parenting style is best for building distinct personalities. People belonging to different countries have their own beliefs and preferences that again depend upon their cultural background. To remove confusion about which parenting style is the best, psychologist Diana Baumrind believes that parenting styles consist of following key dimensions (Janette, 2009). Disciplinary strategies Disciplinary strategies entail different types of disciplinary methods and rules. Parents follow this strategy to make children obey instructions in their daily routine. It can be related to their daily task like eating and sleeping habits or education. Warmth and nurturance All emotions and feelings of love and care come under this dimension that will help them through their tough times. It is very important that we discipline them by giving confidence and attention. Punishing is not the solution, instead it makes them more rebellious. It is always better to explain so that next time they behave more responsibly. Communication How we communicate with them is very important as that will have a deep impact on their understanding, attitude and interpersonal skills. Some parents feel that they do not need to explain things and their orders need to be followed without any excuse. Others believe in reasoning and explanation which is definitely a better approach than pointing out a child’s mistakes in a harsh manner. Parents, who are willing to go down to a child’s level of communication to make him understand, have better relationships with them in the long run. Expectations of maturity and control Parents demand a certain level of maturity and expect the child to behave in a positive manner under unusual circumstances. For instance, most parents expect children to display best manners and follow instructions in public places. Putting them under stress and pressure from every young age further aggravates things. The child is unable to understand and accept things in a difficult situation. After identifying the above mentioned important aspects of parent’s behavior, Diana Baumrind concluded that parents fall into parenting styles when analyzed on the basis of above mentioned dimensions (Janette, 2009). Parenting styles in general Baumrind came up with three basic parenting styles, however, with passing time and debate over the issue, a fourth parenting style was also identified by Maccoby and Martin (Kim, 2008). Currently there are four parenting styles in total. They are considered to be universal and common to parents all over the world regardless of their cultural background or country. Authoritarian Parenting As the name suggests, parents falling under this category want children to follow their instructions without questioning. They believe that the only solution to discipline the child is punishing them so that they remain scared and never repeat the same mistake. The child apparently follows the order but fails to understand the reason; therefore, acceptance level is naturally low. (Parentingstyles.org, 2012) Authoritative Parenting Parents belonging to this type are strict about rules and disciplinary issues as well as open to children’s issue and questions. They are willing to listen and understand if any problem exists. They want to explain why they are expected to act in a positive manner and how will it benefit them in the long run. As a result, there is maximum control and high acceptance. Permissive Parenting Such parents are passive and ignorant toward children’s attitude. They are too lenient and flexible. They do not set any rules or limitations and are more responsive towards their needs. Expectations and demands are very low, and the child is allowed to do most of the things without any checks and control. Such parents want to build friendly relationship with the child but avoid confronting him if something goes wrong. They are passive and believe that the child will learn on trial and error basis. Uninvolved Parenting Uninvolved parents believe that their job is limited to fulfilling the child’s basic needs and demands. They have no interest in the child’s life and activities as such. Children of such parents are on their own. In some situations, parents coming under this category may even ignore and overlook their basic duties toward the child. Both acceptance level and control is at the lowest level in this parenting style. Parenting Styles in Different Cultures Analysis of different literature and data regarding which parenting style is suitable in a particular culture shows that some parenting styles are not universal and may have different effects on different cultures. Authoritative parenting style is considered to be the best practice during a child’s upbringing. Even this faultless style has varied levels of positive effects when applied in different countries and cultures. Steinberg suggests that there are few basic similarities between African-American parents and Asian-American parents due to their socioeconomic values and situation. Both are conservative and protective towards their children, therefore, mostly end up undertaking authoritarian parenting behavior that does help in improving their education and academics but fail in saving children from indulging in disturbing activities and deviating attitude. In general, it has not proved very effective for an overall positive upbringing. In depth analysis of Steinberg research shows that authoritative style has an overall positive effect especially if we talk about the child’s personality development and attitude. In contrast to Asian-American and African-American parents, European and American parents mostly undertake an authoritative parenting style supported by their cultural background and living style. Even some of the American families belonging to the Catholic group follow authoritarian parenting style so that the child conforms to expected manners and behaviors without questioning them. (Masumoto and Juang, 2012) Chinese culture is also very conservative and strict when it comes to children as explained by Ruth Chao (Matsumoto and Juang, 2012). They believe in a terminology â€Å"chiao shun† which means maintaining control and strictness in training. Parent’s strict attitude towards children is normal in Japanese culture. The child must obey the rules or he may have to face punishment or penalty of some kind. Many people belonging to the Asian culture share similar beliefs. Authoritarian parenting style does have some positive effects on Chinese and Asian children in relation to academic achievement and mannerism. This style is compatible with their cultural beliefs and is easier to follow. North American culture supports both authoritarian parenting and authoritative parenting to some extent. Their emphasis is on raising children with strong personality traits and characteristics who know their family values and culture. Effects of Parenting Styles in young age and later Baumrind conducted a research study on 100 preschoolers. It clearly showed the early years of a child are very crucial for his positive upbringing and nurturing. Personality development starts from a very young age, and it depends on parents how they transfer and instill values and positive traits in them through supporting their emotional, physical and interpersonal skills. Things learned at this stage become a permanent part of their personality and cannot be undone in most of the cases. According to research by Maccoby and Baumrind, authoritative parenting style resulted in children that were happy and successful in their academics and practical life while authoritarian style produced children that were obedient and capable but weak emotionally. They lacked a sense of happiness and confidence during social interaction and in relationships. Unengaged parenting style resulted in children with the lowest rank on all scales, may it be success, emotion, happiness or relationships. Permissive parent’s children were also observed very closely. They showed problems in discipline and confidence levels. Parenting style used in adolescence and early stages of a child’s life has lasting effects and make them who they are as an adult. How they manage relationships, work, family, problems are to a large extent dependent upon how they were raised. Emotionally healthy children might not be as successful, but will always be more happy and content with what they have. They will have enough capability to achieve what he wants from life. Conclusion It is apparent from the above mentioned data analysis and researches that parenting styles have a lot to do with child’s personality and development. How parents deal with them at an adolescent age, is very crucial for positive development as a person. Emotional and social values are more important and need to be instilled in the very beginning of a child’s development. They will naturally support other traits and abilities that need to be developed later on in life. The relationship between a child and their parents is a global phenomenon. Societal limitation must not hinder the upbringing and development, if it is for good and betterment of their future. Parenting styles in different cultures do need more research and analysis. This will develop better understanding of which type of parenting is best. Parents can always alter certain parenting style in terms of the four dimensions as and when required. Parents should become a role model for their child through demonstrating positive values. Give them love, respect so they learn to do the same towards others. Developing sense of trust in children towards parents is extremely important and effective in building a strong bond.

Facts about the ACT Test and Reasons to Take It

Facts about the ACT Test and Reasons to Take It What Is the ACT Test? The ACT test, started by the American College Testing Program (hence the acronym), is a standardized pencil-and-paper test used as a college entrance exam. Colleges and universities use your ACT score, along with your GPA, extracurricular activities, and high school involvement to determine if they’d like you to grace their campus as a freshman. You cannot take the test more than twelve times, although there are exceptions to this rule.   Why Take the ACT Test? Money, money, money. Broke as a joke? The ACT test can garner you some serious coin for the college of your choice if you can earn an impressive score. And by impressive, I do not mean a 21.Your scores follow you around. I’m not kidding. When you apply for your first entry-level job, your ACT score is going to be on your resume, because truthfully, your pizza delivery gig can’t showcase your reasoning ability like a 33 on the ACT can.It can help balance a low GPA. So maybe you hated World History, flunked it on purpose, and ruined that 4.0. That doesn’t mean you dont have the ability to do well in college. Scoring high on the ACT can show you off when your GPA doesn’t.  Its often preferred over the SAT: Since the ACT is a college entrance test like the SAT, it can be used in its place. Which should you take? What’s On the ACT Test? Never fear. You’ll not be required to rewrite the entire periodic table of elements, although Science is one of the subjects you’ll see. This test, although long, (3 hours and 45 minutes) basically measures reasoning and the stuff you learned in high school. Here’s the breakdown: ACT Test Sections How Does the ACT Test Scoring Work? You may have heard previous students from your school bragging about their 34s on the ACT. And if you did, then you should definitely be impressed with their test-taking skills because that is a high score! Your overall score and each individual multiple-choice test score (English, Mathematics, Reading, Science) range from 1 (low) to 36 (high). The overall score is the average of your four test scores, rounded to the nearest number. Fractions less than one-half are rounded down; fractions one-half or higher are rounded up. So, if you get a 23 in English, a 32 in Math, a 21 in Reading, and a 25 in Science, your overall score would be a 25. That’s pretty good, considering the national average is right around a 20. The Enhanced ACT Essay, which is optional, is scored separately and much differently.   How Can You Prepare For This ACT Test? Don’t panic. That was a lot of information to digest all at once. You can actually prepare for the ACT and get a brag-worthy score if you choose one of the options mentioned the following link (or all of them if you’re the go-getter type). 5 Ways to Prepare for the ACT Test