Scientific Method and Empiricism free essay sample

Empiricism is a philosophical doctrine that our knowledge only comes from experiences. It can be described as a central role of observation. Empiricism was eventually somewhat replaced around the 1970’s by Positivism, Humanism, Marxist, Feminism and Post-Colonialism. However it still plays an important role today’s society, for example in the cataloguing of species. There is about 1.7 million species are known to science, there is an estimated range of 4 to 20 million total species. 10,000 new invertebrates are found each year. There has been over 1000 new species discovered in the Mekong region alone in the last decade. Empiricism is based on a reliance of the senses; however there is a major emphasis on visual observation in particular. The mind is conveyed as a clean tablet (slate) or ‘tabula rasa’; it should not be subjected to any predisposition. This term was coined by Aristotle, what the mind thinks must be in it in the same sense as letters are on a tablet, which bears no actual writing; in the case of the mind this is what is believed to happen. We will write a custom essay sample on Scientific Method and Empiricism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Aristotle, On the Soul, 3.4.430a1). a blank mind with no influence of previous experiences can look at something with an open mind, how it really is, instead of how that person wants to see it. John Locke, who was a leading philosopher of British Empiricism, said that â€Å"there is nothing in the mind but what there is nothing in the mind but what entered it by way of the senses†. This perfectly conveys the concept of Empiricism. It is not performed for the sake of the collection for data; it is carried out with reference to theory and concepts. It is much more hands on experience than studying someone else’s hypothesis’ of a situation. The person carrying out the investigation as I have previously mentioned is not influenced by any other elements. Sauer stated that ‘geographical knowledge rests upon disciplined observation and it is a body of interferences drawn from classified and properly correlated observations†¦ we are concerned here simply with the relevance of the observations and the manner in which they are made. (1924:19) recc reading pg 11 cloke p Sidney Woolridge, a geographer also stated the necessity of observation in his writing, where he commemorates what he calls ‘an eye for country’, something which he feels that should be promoted in geographers from a young age: ‘The fundamental  principle is that the ground, not the map is the primary document†¦. From this first principle I pass to the second, that the essence of training in geographaphical fieldwork is the comprise of the ground with the map, recognising that the latter at its best is a very partial and imperfect picture of the ground, leaving it as our chief stimulus to observe the wide range of phenomena which the map ignores or at which it barely hints. (cloke pg 11/12) Empirical methods are still used to a certain extent today; Traditional information has been trusted for too long, they help integrating research and practice and because the Educational process or Instructional science needs to develop. The benefits of Empirical methods include the ability to comprehend and respond more accordingly to the ways of a situation, to give respect to relative contrasts, aid the building of knowledge and to give the chance to reach the professional level of research that has already been achieved. http://explorable.com/empirical-research The Empirical Cycle consists of the following stages: Observation- which involves gathering and organising of empirical data to for a Hypothesis. Induction- this is the way of creating a hypothesis  Deduction- these consequence with newly acquired empirical data Testing the hypothesis with new empirical data Evaluation of the outcome of testing . However Empiricism was criticized for not being very scientific and unreliable. That its methods has many limitations compared to other approaches i.e. Positivism. It is notably negligent of theory. The perception of something, which Empiricism relies on, is not universal. What one person sees as being correct can be incorrect for another. However, pure empiricism is not possible; one always enters the field of research with some preconceived ideas of what one is observing. In the absence of pure empiricism, one will alternate anything that would enable theory to emerge from data that has been acquired. Geography is concerned with spatial and temporal distribution of phenomena, processes and features. It is highly interdisciplinary. The concept of empiricism is indeed quite different to the methods of empiricism. The idea of empiricism is indeed quite an ideal concept where one would separate all thoughts and preconceptions from their  field of study; however in reality this is not fully possible. Although empiricism no longer plays such a dominant role in geography, induction is still used to generalise from our observations. It’s not as rigid as the ‘theory will emerge from data gathered’ belief as existed before. The falseness of hypotheses remains predominant to the question of science. It also enables the ability to separate science from non-science. It is what often separates science and non-science However, issues still arise today with this concept, such as when empirical data collection begins without proper knowledge of underlying theory. It also has the tendency to over-simplify often more complex questions. Overall empiricism has played a major role in the progress of research in Geography throughout the centuries, although problems arise in different circumstances such as what I have previously mentioned, it being not theoretical enough or providing simple answers for complex questions, if it is not fully relied on, instead used in conjunction with other concepts such as Marxist, Positivism or Humanism it can prove to be very useful in the further progression of the Geography today and in the future. Bibliography:

Free Essays on Advertising To Todays Customer

Advertising to Today’s Consumer There is no dispute over the power of advertising to inform consumers of the various available products. In today's economy effective advertising is essential to a company's survival. The purpose of advertising is to convince people that a particular company's product is better than their competitor's product. Advertisers must carefully aim the product to the appropriate audience, and this is often obtained many different techniques. One technique is sex or sexual innuendos. Unfortunately, this can be a double-edged sword. While sexual advertising is extremely powerful and effective when aimed at one gender, it is often done at the social expense of the other. Normally, the men and women we see in sexual advertisements do not actually depict the average person. Instead, advertisers create a stereotype that will appeal to the opposite gender's needs and desires. Sexual appeal is one of the strongest psychological appeals used in advertising. The first question that pops into the head is â€Å"Why?†, and the answer is simple, â€Å"because it works.† Sexual desire is instinctive and when an individual’s ideal mate is perceived with a product, it is obvious that the individual will be intrigued with the accompanying product. It is possible to find a connection between sex and a product for almost all products advertised. Often, if a connection can not be found, one will be invented. However, th is connection is much easier to be created with a much higher success rate for men because the basic element needed to create sexual desire for a man is simply a woman’s sexy body. As long as a women is young and healthy, she can be desirable. Unfortunately in advertising, it is quite simple to get a man’s attention. Use a woman’s body and associate the possibilities of getting that type woman if he has the product. In advertising for women, it is a much more difficult process to get her attention wi... Free Essays on Advertising To Today's Customer Free Essays on Advertising To Today's Customer Advertising to Today’s Consumer There is no dispute over the power of advertising to inform consumers of the various available products. In today's economy effective advertising is essential to a company's survival. The purpose of advertising is to convince people that a particular company's product is better than their competitor's product. Advertisers must carefully aim the product to the appropriate audience, and this is often obtained many different techniques. One technique is sex or sexual innuendos. Unfortunately, this can be a double-edged sword. While sexual advertising is extremely powerful and effective when aimed at one gender, it is often done at the social expense of the other. Normally, the men and women we see in sexual advertisements do not actually depict the average person. Instead, advertisers create a stereotype that will appeal to the opposite gender's needs and desires. Sexual appeal is one of the strongest psychological appeals used in advertising. The first question that pops into the head is â€Å"Why?†, and the answer is simple, â€Å"because it works.† Sexual desire is instinctive and when an individual’s ideal mate is perceived with a product, it is obvious that the individual will be intrigued with the accompanying product. It is possible to find a connection between sex and a product for almost all products advertised. Often, if a connection can not be found, one will be invented. However, t his connection is much easier to be created with a much higher success rate for men because the basic element needed to create sexual desire for a man is simply a woman’s sexy body. As long as a women is young and healthy, she can be desirable. Unfortunately in advertising, it is quite simple to get a man’s attention. Use a woman’s body and associate the possibilities of getting that type woman if he has the product. In advertising for women, it is a much more difficult process to get her attention wi...

Summarize the Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Summarize the Article - Essay Example The authors found that sleep difficulty are common in older individuals and are significantly associated with more severe and disseminated pain. This study rather did not find that pain severity was associated with age but recognized that more research is needed to develop effective interactions for these prevalent and co-occurring disabling conditions. Furthermore Dysfunction of the hypothalamic pituitary- adrenal axis was found to be associated with greater risk of developing chronic widespread pain (Qian, 2011). This study showed that, after adjustment for use of psychotherapeutic medications and the daily anesthetics, the connotation between pain and sleep difficulties decreased modestly A number of mechanisms like Chronic pain characteristics maybe an important factor contributing to the sleep difficulties amongst aged and may need to be added to pain assessment in older persons. The medications prescribed for chronic pain and promting sleep have analgesic and sedating effects. Chen, Qian, et al. "Characteristics of chronic pain associated with sleep difficulty in older adults: The Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly (MOBILIZE) Boston study." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 59.8 (2011):

Evaluate Auditing Processes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluate Auditing Processes - Essay Example The essay will also evaluate the various accounting processes that are being adopted by the federal government in a succinct manner. It is evident that there lay certain specific criteria, which need to be adhered while complying with a standard auditing process. This aspect is also evident in the case of auditing a town or a city. The audit, which has been conducted for the Town of Maywood can be evaluated based on the requirements of GAAS. Theoretically, GAAS is a particular framework, which provides a set of guidelines to be followed by auditors for ensuring accuracy, reliability as well as fairness in the auditing process. The audit conducted for the Town of Maywood was executed with proper observations of the activities performed by the people who were involved with the preparation of its financial statements. It can be affirmed that this particular auditing procedure adhered to the guidelines of GAAS (Kinney Jr, 1986). Notably, the audit report also presented the reason for not considering the financial reports of other towns with which Maywood is associated. This particular aspect also shows compliance of the audit report with the GAAS framework (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 2014). Through analyzing the audit report, it can be determined that the audit conducted for the Town of Maywood is in alignment with most of the requirements of the GAAS framework and very little has been omitted or not complied with the same. Prior to the preparation of an audit report, individuals interested both in public administration as well as working as accountants for governmental units must possess an in-depth knowledge about the objectives along with the standards to be followed while preparing an audit report. This may be owing to the reason that the effectiveness of public administration is directly relevant with appropriate

Role of Teacher on Society Essay Example for Free

Role of Teacher on Society Essay Who are we? What are we? A lot of what we are was implanted in us as young children by teachers who cared enough to teach it to us. Throughout my life I was taught many of the values I have today by my educators. I was instilled with the skills of how to get along with my peers, knowing right from wrong, and realizing that the best way to get what I wanted was to respect others first. The teachers I’ve had along the way have inspired me to become a better person. They have made me recognize how I wish to be like them. I too want to help children realize their full potential. I want to be a person in their lives that they can look back on and say she helped me hope and strive for the best that I could be. In today’s society there are so many distractions in students’ lives. They have to deal with family traumas, drugs, extra-curricular activities, making their place in the world, peer pressure, jobs, etc.. When all these things are on someone’s mind it’s often hard to concentrate on school work and rules. I want the students to come to my class with the attitude that it is a place of refuge. I want them to forget about their fulfilled lives and see that learning can be fun and interesting. I want to make them realize that school isn’t just a boring place where the cafeteria food is bad. I want them to be interested by finding something they enjoy doing and maybe they’ll be able to find their places in this world a little better. It is so hard to make students understand how crucial education is. Especially in today’s society. I want to try and raise their self-esteem so they can become the people they want to be. I want to be involved in their lives so maybe if they are having problems at home they can feel like they can come to me for comfort or help. There are a few teachers who I could have gone to for assistance. I now appreciate them more than ever because they made me see hope in people. I want to be like them if not better. In order to be the teacher I would like to be I first want to challenge my students to be the best they can be. I agree with a Nation at Risk when it calls for greater academic rigor, and higher expectations for students. I want to enforce these values in my classroom as well. I’ve always been a fan of learning in groups. I found that a little assistance from fellow classmates always aided me further in my learning progress. That’s why cooperative learning will definitely be applied in my classroom. Since cooperative learning helps to amplify students interactions and processing skills it will assist children to strive for the higher expectations that society will put on them as they get older. Cooperative learning can improve on students grades, self-esteem, personal relationships, and understanding of others. Which I feel is a very good incentive to try and promote in my own curriculum. The groups should be small and circular to promote easy conversation. Within the group the assignment should be shared and the work load should be evened out between how many students there are. If the labor is shared then all students will feel like they have contributed in some way and might take it more seriously if a whole group is depending on them instead of just one person. If a student understands that he or she has a responsibility to do something within their group they will more than likely do it, because if they don’t then the individuals in the group might be upset with them and it would serve as an incentive for them to do well. Students often receive approval or rewards for a job well done in their overall performance. When I obtained praise for my accomplishments I usually always tried to repeat what I did well. I’m a firm believer in awarding children and reinforcing them when they behave and do a good job. In my classroom, I will try to make students feel like they are doing things right, and maybe they will try and achieve at everything they do. I like the idea of project-based instruction as well as cooperative learning. Trying to have children learn with real life situations is a very good concept. Asking the students higher level questions and having them involved in their own projects gives the students a taste of what â€Å"real life† has to offer. It also excites and motivates students to want to learn. If I combine cooperative learning and project-based instruction in my classroom I feel that it will be an effective way of approaching learning and getting the curriculum across to the students in a fun way. I’m aware of the different fundamental principles of teaching. Which include: essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, existentialism, reconstructionism, and behaviorism. Each have their own unique techniques of teaching, but I prefer progressivism. I’m ecstatic that there was a progressivist movement that stimulated schools to broaden their curricula, making education more relevant to the needs and interests of students. I feel that it was brilliant on John Dewey’s behalf when he states, â€Å"as we alter our relationship with our environment, we ourselves are made different by the experience. † I believe that we are changed everyday by encounters we have. Everything we do alters our lives in some way and that makes us who we are. I’m a fan of progressivism because it emphasizes the ability to have intelligent free-thinking citizens. I like the idea that progressivism is a hands on technique of teaching. John Dewey thought there should be more observing and experimenting withe the subjects. He proposed a five step methods for solving problems: (1) become aware of the problem, (2) define it, (3) propose various hypotheses to solve it. (4) examine the consequences of each hypothesis in light of previous experience, and (5) test the most likely solution. I want to apply this style of teaching in my classroom and hope that the students respond as well as I think they will. In conclusion, I want to state that I feel strongly about promoting students to excel. I feel it is essential that children are confident about themselves and what they achieve while they are attending school. I want to present to the students in my classroom that they can feel free to be themselves and try to have them interacting with others. In teaching there are teachers and then there are great teachers. I will prove to be a great teacher!

cheese :: essays research papers

Rotten Cheese   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe Farmer and the Dell’ is a rhyme meant for children. I am the Cheese, by Robert Cormier, is a book meant for no one. The story begins with an odd child, Adam, riding his bike to Rutterburb, Vermont (1). Throughout the story, Adam tells his history and childhood to man called Brint in a small room like a psychiatrist’s office, which seems to be in the future compared to Adam’s bike-riding story. As Adam tells his story to Brint, he slowly remembers pieces of his earlier childhood that were unknown. The bike marathon part of the story ends up actually being part of Adam’s imagination. All of the people he meets are actually workers/patients at a mental institution where he is being interrogated by Brint. Cormier uses this confusing attempt at a story to develop Adam’s character and the style of the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the story, Adam develops in many ways. Cormier uses the ways Adam reacts to other people and situations to show how Adam develops. Indirectly, Cormier uses the dog attack on Adam to show Adam’s fear of dogs (35). Cormier also directly states that â€Å"the dog is ferocious and I am terrified,† (35). Adam was also a calm reclusive child until he met Amy (55). She helped to bring out Adam and helped him to share his feelings ( ).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cormier uses the time and place to show the passage of time between storylines and the background of the story. The setting changes when the storylines change, such as when Adam is taking his trip to when he is telling Brint his story. The point of view of the story also changes. When Adam is riding his bike, the point of view is from Adam. This is used effectively to show Adam’s feelings and reactions. The point of view then changes, while Adam is talking to Brint, to third person. This is also effective by allowing the reader to ‘witness’ Adam’s thoughts. Events that occur are told in third person to help the reader understand how Adam is feeling even without telling the story from his point of view.

Heritage Project Essay

To me heritage is something that should be of vital of importance, something that has played a part in history and contributed to why I am where I am today. For heritage to be important to me, it must have had an impact on the lives of my ancestors and the choices they made as well as the things which they fought to uphold. Heritage defines who we are, with the different types of foods, buildings and ways of life between the different cultures that bring us together. The stories and memories passed on from generation to generation, bringing us together and giving us a sense of direction. It is the foundation that we are built upon and allows us to lay new grounds for the future. Debate around the public representation of Juma Masjid. Juma Masjid represents the Muslim community, being one of the most glamorous and extravagant mosques in the country people tend to take it for granted and not take into account its unique architecture and design. With the Muslim population annually increasing, space is not a problem as Juma Masjid is the most spacious Mosque in the southern hemisphere. It represents the Muslim community as it is greeted with great numbers of Muslims on the days of Eid as well as a number of tourists who make the trip into town to marvel at its beauty. Although Indian and Muslim people always having a strong bond and togetherness, they aren’t allowed into the Masjid. This is for any non- Muslim for that matter. In Islam, which has strict rules that one has to abide by and comply too. When you are a Muslim, you believe in the One and Only Allah, all other heritage and cultures are of no effect and are said to be false. There is no place for other religions in Islam, a Muslim should not become derailed from Islam and weaken his faith by giving into the western temptations and ways of life. Juma Masjid has never caused uproar or been part of anything controversial regarding its structure. Muslim people should be grateful as South African is a very understanding and accommodating place, with the government allowing Minarets to be built on Mosques. Muslims in Switzerland aren’t so lucky however, as existing Minarets stand and new ones cannot be built, the Muslim people came out saying that instead of trying to make life hard for them and drive them out of the country the Swiss government should rather ‘integrate rather than exclude†. Throughout history people have been oppressed upon, some more than others of course. Because of this people would always remember the past and the way that they were treated and try to turn the oppression around. Our divided past still has an impact on the lives we live today, with sport for instance. White people are highly regarded as cricket and rugby players while Black African people are associated with Soccer and form most part of the support system in the sport locally. We should ask ourselves, how do we sort this out? One should remember that common interests bring people together, so instead of carrying on with the old bring in the new and expose people to different environments, taking them out their comfort zones and creating a better future for our country moving forward. As much as we can say that apartheid is over, there is still the lingering after effects of stereotypes and racism in different aspects of life. Therefore, we cannot just forget about it and move on, we should learn from it and educate about it, so it does not deter this country again. The Juma Masjid. The first bit of history surrounding Juma Masjid may be only from the early 1880’s but for Islam, it was introduced a lot earlier in South Africa, most people believe it to be brought into the country in around 1667 by the Cape Malays. It wasn’t until 1863 though when Aboobaker Amod Jhaveri and Hajee Mahomed Hajee Dada arrived in Durban did Islam really take off and open up to them; the people at the time. It is accepted that they were aboard the SS Truro, one of the passenger liners that brought down labourers from India and other areas. Aboobaker Amod Jhaveri together with Hajee Mahomed Hajee Dada then purchased a plot of land in 1881 from K. Moonsamy for a sum of ? 115 with the intention of building a Masjid for the Muslim people of the Durban area. There was not much of a structure on the site, but none the less they turned this small piece into what would become the largest and most visited Masjid in the southern hemisphere in the century to come. This however still wasn’t the Masjid to be; rather it was a Jamaat Khana. A Jamaat Khana is simple structure in which people could go into and perform their daily prayers. A Jamaat Khana is not even nearly big enough to accommodate the number of Musallees that a Masjid can. A Masjid is much more elaborate in terms of the architecture and minarets, domes and craftsmanship’s. It wasn’t until 1884 when the two founders had the structure rebuilt to make room for the ever growing numbers of Muslim people in the area. This was now the first Masjid ever to be built in the Natal region. This Masjid could now capacitate up to 200 Muslims. Aboobaker being a businessman and knowing the trade, went ahead and purchased land surrounding the Mosque. This proved a smart and important buy as in the following years he would pass away in India from cholera while on a business. This land that had been bought paid dividend as it was used to expand the Masjid even more. As the last surviving trustee and care taker of the Masjid, Hajee Mahomed had to take action as again space for worshippers was becoming an issue because of the influence of Aboobaker’s business transactions and dealings. It is said that he was an honest and fair man, who attracted many non-Muslims to the path of Islam by the way he went about with his dealings and mannerisms. Hajee Mahomed then acquired more land from John Stanger for a sum of ? 300 in 1889 for the Masjid to expand a little more and comfort the Muslims from. Then in 1893 the British Empire abolished slavery and the Indian population wasting no time formed the Natal Indian Congress. With the freedom now granted to people, the first minaret was built on the extensions of the Masjid; this caused a chain reaction as in the same year two shops were built alongside the Masjid providing some money for the caretaking and maintenance of the Masjid. Then in 1905 during the time in which the Masjid was in full flow, the second minaret was built together with a number of rooms, it also facilitated visitors and travellers by establishing toilets and showers for the people at the back of the Masjid. A living area was also built for the Muazzin; the Muazzin is someone who gives the call to prayer for Muslims all around, the call for prayer is called the Azaan. With the Muazzin now in place, it was about time a group of trustees took control of the Masjid and in 1916; which proved a rather important and significant time in this Masjids history. A board of trustees were elected; they included. Hajee Mahomed Dada, Moosa Hajee Cassim, Abdoola Hajee Cassim, Omar Amod, Joosab Jan Mahomed Tayob Hajee Khan Mahomed. These Muslim men made up the first batch that took the realms and pressure off Hajee Mahomed as they worked with him on continuously allowing this Masjid to flourish. These two minarets were the tallest structures in the area of Durban at the time. In 1927 it was decided that it was time to expand and rebuild Juma Masjid, this contract was given to Payne and Payne architectures. A great part of the Masjid was demolished as the second minaret was brought down as construction was completed in 1928; it was also planned that the minaret would be rebuilt. Many parts and mediums of the Masjid changed then after but the greatest and most significant took place 15 years later when the Masjid went under construction again. This time in 1943, the entire building rather than just part of it that was demolished; everything was brought to the ground except the first minaret. Everything else was rebuilt with the exception of the first minaret as the rest of the Masjid was built and fitted into the Masjid. Juma Masjid is not only a place of worship but also a place of education and learning for people. A school for young Muslim girls was also established in 1957, this school has a roll of approximately 400 learners and 300 Madressah students. A Madressah is an institute put in place for children to learn about their religion of Islam and become law abiding citizens, teaching their students morals, values and etiquette. Being in the heart of the bustling Durban central it is convenient for people working in the area. Established as a girl’s school it is now a co-ed school. The Masjid itself is very beautiful Juma Masjid is of major importance in the Muslim community of Durban, as it is occupied daily by hundreds of Muslim men who attend prayers daily. On Fridays in particular, Grey Street will always be busier than usual as all roads lead to Juma Masjid. Friday is the day of most important after Eid prayers in a Muslims life. Thousands of Muslim men close their shops, leave work early and make their way to Juma Masjid in prayer. Women at home prepare lunch as they get ready for their prayers as well. Two other days are also busier than usual; the days of Eid. As thousands of Muslims take the day off from work as everything apart from religion comes to a stop. Everyone in the household is awake early as they ready themselves for the day that lies ahead. Muslim men all flock to Eid Prayers early in the morning as there are large gatherings all around the city. The day is then spent with family, great functions are held as people come together to celebrate this auspicious day of Eid. Juma Masjid has a distinct Islamic architecture style to, with its golden minaret which glistens in the rays of the sun many people often forget it’s majestic and eye popping beauty. I for one am yet to come across a Masjid that has shops, offices, a school and still a beautifully designed Masjid; all in one structure. When you enter this Masjid you are greeted with an archway, which is just underneath one of the golden minarets. Leaving your shoes outside your feet are met by the soft and warm red cushioning carpet as they sink into the carpeted floor as you enter this century old marvel. Once inside, it is realised Juma Masjid is amazing inside as well, built in a baronial style. Juma Masjid is truly something to be admired. With a Corinthian type walls on each of its high rise levels. Being Muslim I have visited many different Masjids around the country but not once have I ever come across another Masjid that has a pond in its Wudhu area. Wudhu being commonly known as ablution, simply cleansing oneself of impurities and keeping yourself clean and respectable as you prepare to stand before Allah in prayer. With the Wudhu area being a square with ablution stations all around it, all comes together with a pond in the middle and topping it off fish swimming inside is just the wonders of this spiritual sanctuary.