Silent Revolution Research Articles

The readability of contracts: Big data analysis

AbstractThe plain language movement waged a silent revolution in the last generation, passing nearly 800 laws nationwide with little public debate. The movement asserted that it could scientifically show that there is a widespread readability crisis in legal documents, particularly contracts, that are unreadable to most adults. This article presents the largest empirical analysis of these claims to date, utilizing a dataset of 2 million contracts spanning multiple decades and industries and applying machine learning techniques. The study challenges fundamental tenets of the plain language movement. Contrary to prevailing beliefs, consumer agreements have median reading scores almost indistinguishable from those of daily news articles. A critical evaluation further exposes that readability tools endorsed by the movement are shoddy and manipulable and can produce grade‐level differences of up to 4.6 years for identical texts. Moreover, the movement's core belief that Americans cannot read past the level of an eighth grader is exposed as an unsubstantiated myth. These findings fundamentally challenge the premises and effectiveness of one of the central consumer protection policies. These results call for a radical rethinking of legal access strategies, suggesting a shift from superficial readability metrics to addressing substantive issues in market dynamics and focusing on truly vulnerable populations. More broadly, this case study serves as a cautionary tale about the propagation of myths in legal scholarship and the potential for well‐intentioned reform movements to divert attention and resources from more effective interventions.

From Silent to Authoritarian Revolution: Modi, Hindu Rashtra and the Paradox of Indian Democracy

India is currently undergoing an authoritarian revolution. During the 10 years of Narendra Modi’s rule, liberal aspects of India’s democracy were attacked by malpractices and the institutionalization of illiberal laws under his government. Additionally, the freedom of the media has been seriously damaged by the arrests of journalists who have criticized Modi’s government, which was, in particular, enabled by the amendment of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019. The nation-wide anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was crushed by the sudden declaration of the All-India Lockdown under the guise of an anti-COVID-19 measure, which I have termed the practice of “Disaster Authoritarianism”. After the crackdown on the anti-CAA movement, its participants were arrested under the provisions of a renewed UAPA. These are representative examples of Modi’s authoritarian revolution. Before this authoritarian revolution, India had been a democratic country for 70 years, a rarity among the countries of the so-called Global South. Why and how is this authoritarian revolution happening? Indian democracy underwent democratization that empowered the lower sections of society in the 1990s in what has been called the “Silent Revolution”. I hypothesize that this “Silent Revolution” invited Modi’s Authoritarian Revolution, which would constitute the paradox of Indian democracy. In this article, I seek to analyze the political process that led to the current Authoritarian Revolution and how it could occur without formal regime change.

Literacy as an aesthetic of resistance: The silent revolution from the margins to the center

Literacy as an aesthetic of resistance: The silent revolution from the margins to the center

The British Conservative Party’s drift to the right: Taking on the “deep state”

The British Conservative Party has increasingly embraced a right-wing conspiracy theory according to which a host of unrelated actors are said to be working against the best interests of ordinary British people to advance a “woke” agenda that is left-wing, anti-Brexit, pro-immigration and unpatriotic. Some conservatives, namely former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have even gone so far as to suggest that these forces form part of a “deep state”, working in the shadows against the elected government and therefore against the people themselves. They purportedly do so by advancing “cultural Marxism” – pushing a silent revolution through, rather than against, the key institutions of the British State. Through an analysis of political speeches and of reports from right-wing think tanks close to the Conservative Party, this article seeks to analyse the British government’s recent attacks on those who it has designated as the principal enemies of the people: the universities, the BBC, the police and the judiciary. These attacks are not just rhetorical but have concrete effects on the ground which may seriously undermine their independence. Whilst there is scant evidence for the apparent left-wing bias of these institutions, painting them as “woke” serves primarily as a useful populist political strategy, placing the Conservative Party firmly on the side of “the people” in the context of the culture wars” and serving as a distraction from serious economic problems.

An Empirical Analysis of the Adoption of Hi-Tech Farming Techniques Among the Farmers of the Eastern Uttar Pradesh Belt

Like in every sector, the agriculture sector also shows numerous technological advancements every now and then and it is expected from farmers to incorporate the same and increase the crop yields and keep themselves up-to-date for meeting up any type of competitions & contingencies as well. A lot has been done in the agricultural sector to improve cultivation but Indian farmers still rely on the traditional practices. Farming is still not regarded as a secure source of income in India. For Indian agriculture to become more profitable and sustainable, smart farming is essential. The farmer breed will soon go extinct without getting into smart and high-tech farming. Though Agropreneurs have started taking baby steps in India with respect to smart farming, it is still a silent revolution in India as compared to other countries because of lack of awareness and confidence. In this paper a study has been conducted in order to identify the inclination of farmers towards new technologies when it comes to agriculture from the Eastern Uttar Pradesh belt. At the same time farmers have also been inquired about the limitations and the challenges faced by them in the traditional farming system. During the survey of this study farmers have also been made aware how innovative modern agricultural practices doubles the crop yield which is not only beneficial to meet the domestic needs but can also be exported worldwide adding to the GDP of the country which could be of economic importance to the nation.

“He Who Leaves the Old Way for the New, Knows What He Leaves, but Does Not Know What He Will Find”: Traditionalism, Zero-Sum Thinking, and Imagined Future

The radical rejection of the liberal political movements of the 1960s and 1970s by conservative politicians has been a core aspect of conservative politics. In fact, the youth movements of the 1960s broadened the goals of the labor and civil rights movement, also dealing with pacifism, ecologism, promotion of a new sexuality, new rights for women, and different sexual identities foreshadowing a revolutionary future for Western societies. It has been referred to as the silent revolution to define this movement of social change that began more than half a century ago. However, the reaction to the changes promoted by this movement since the 1980s has led to a cultural backlash. Fear of diversity, immigration, and economic and ecological crises has thus been the trigger for the new conservatism and populism. Everything produced by globalization has been considered decadent and immoral compared to a great and glorious past. The fortunes of the new populist parties in this sense are based on a traditionalist ideology that is not new at all, however. This article shows from a historical perspective how the idea of a threatening future found in the contemporary populist right is a radical conservative tendency that recurs throughout human history. In the article, an attempt will be made to define the culture and psychology of this conservative rejection of the future. Finally, possible solutions will be described in order to imagine a positive idea of the future.

SILENT REVOLUTION IN NORTHERN SONG: THE POWER LOGIC BEHIND ZUNWANG RANGYI

This article examines the formation logic behind the principle of Zunwang Rangyi in early Northern Song dynasty (960－1127) of China. A common interpreting mode for the formation of the theory of Zunwang Rangyi is the externality approach that it’s the threat of military lords and “barbarian” invasion that promoted the formation of the institutional devices based on the principles of Zunwang Rangyi in the Song dynasty. I propose another internality approach by studying how Zunwang Rangyi theory has been transformed in early Northern Song by internally driven factors caused by the Shidafu crisis and how its core principles were mirrored in early Northern Song’s institutional design and state building. With a historical and documentation methodology with a focus on the work of several thinkers of early Northern Song, this research would enrich the current scholarship on the formation and evolution of institutional and state building of early Northern Song and its intellectual background.

Older people as vulnerable persons in the perspective of law

In the era of the “silent revolution” of an unstoppable aging of the world’s population, there is a question regarding the appropriateness and desirability of establishing a legal category called “elderly individuals” to address the gradual decline in physical and mental abilities associated with aging. This essay explores the potential designation of older people as an independent category under the law, considering that linking changes in their socio-legal status solely to the passage of time has been viewed as a form of “subjective discrimination” by civil law scholars so far. While labor and social welfare laws have long recognized the “special status” of elderly individuals, and the EU has increasingly referred to them in recent consumer-focused legislation, the prevailing view in Italian civil doctrine opposes the creation of an “old subject” category, arguing that vulnerability cannot be considered an intrinsic and defining characteristic solely based on age. Notwithstanding that, the essay suggests that creating a group or category for vulnerable (elderly) individuals could have several advantages, including recognizing their rights, assigning obligations, implementing tailored procedures, and providing forms of protection. Moreover, it would offer an opportunity to reflect on the importance of empowering individuals and promoting their autonomy in using legal instruments to plan their future.

A recollections of granny, cousin Mealie, father Ronald, cousin daisy and the silent revolution: An Anguillian story

A recollections of granny, cousin Mealie, father Ronald, cousin daisy and the silent revolution: An Anguillian story

An Archipelago of Aid

Community pantries proliferated in the Philippines to address the corporeal hungers debilitating Filipino bodies and the Philippine body politic at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. These initiatives saw Filipinos contributing their physical labour, material resources and cultural capital to the widely celebrated cause and demonstrating expanded notions of compassion and community spirit in the face of bureaucratic mismanagement and government neglect. Many have since lauded this socio-civic phenomenon, calling it ‘a silent revolution’, ‘a ray of sunshine amidst the stories of gloom’ and an indicator of the Filipino people’s generous ‘will to give’. Examining an array of materials such as interviews, photographs, news features, video recordings and other online resources that lay bare the bodily, visual, and discursive components of these civic engagements, I show in this article how community pantries constituted a scattered and spontaneous yet coordinated network of action that mirrored the archipelagic formation of the Philippines. This ‘archipelagic effect’ involved differently stationed Filipinos who formed autonomous or interconnected collectives and engaged in improvised and shape-shifting mechanisms with the view of not only extending immediate aid to the hungry, the homeless, and the unemployed but also reworking existing socio-political structures. Such an effect also included an unprecedented convergence and circulation of goods, bodies, talents, ideas, images, creative and critical initiatives, cultural practices, and ideological commitments from across the country. I argue that this mode of doing politics, activism, and social work deviated from the ‘patronizing logics of philanthropy’, countered statist efforts of controlling the Filipino people, and accentuated a type of expressive resilience and embodied resistance that was, indeed, central to a vernacular formulation of action hunger. I conclude the article with reflections on the importance of performative solidarities – how people come together, share their resources and provide nourishment to others – in foregrounding the usefulness of the arts and other embodied acts in establishing a liveable life for precarious populations caught up in tense political climates.

Analisis Egalitarianisme Asma Barlas dalam Konsep “Sakinah” Alimatul Qibtiyah

The discourse on contemporary gender equality is an interesting study to discuss, especially more specifically in the family area. Alimatul Qibtiyah presents the direction of the Muslim feminism movement in Indonesia with a silent revolution approach, which is subtle, avoiding conflict and not frontal, of course starting from the family area. Alim's moderate-progressive style of feminist thought is to dissect the concept of sakinah so that it can be relevant in this contemporary era so that it has the value of equality, justice and equality. This research aims to describe the concept of sakinah according to Alimatul Qibtiyah who is influenced by Asma Barlas' egalitarianism. In this research, using qualitative methods and descriptive-analytical approach. The results of this study show that the three values of a sakinah family, namely kesalingan, justice and mashalah put forward by Alim become an upgraded area or development of Barlas' thinking even though in a specific area, namely contemporary family issues.

A post-mortem assessment of the #EndSARS protest and police brutality in Nigeria

In October 2020 many Nigerians took to the streets to protest against the illicit and inhumane activities and brazen brutality of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a special unit of the Nigerian police force renowned for the most unethical, illegal, corrupt and dehumanising practices. With significant global reach and support, the protesters demanded, among others, the disbandment of the police unit and justice for all deceased victims of police brutality. These and other demands, which were all geared towards ending police brutality, were well received by the federal government, with promises of full compliance. A first step was the actual disbandment of SARS. With successive demands tilting towards a silent revolution, the protest was truncated by military repression, leaving many in doubt as to whether or not the government would fulfil its promises in respect of the demands. This article undertakes an assessment of the protest in its context in a bid to ascertain whether or not the post-protest period has witnessed an end to or reduction in the level of police brutality. It examines the culture of police brutality, precursors to the protest, the demands by protesters as well as the responses and promises by government, and appraises the extent to which such promises and proposed policy reforms by the federal government have translated into significant and sustainable changes in policing.

The origins of Italian human capital divides: new evidence from marriage signatures, ca. 1815

This paper provides new evidence on the geography of literacy rates in pre-unitary Italy. I provide direct estimates based on a novel and balanced random sample of marriage certificates in 1815. The new figures are disaggregated by gender, area, and skill levels, and are compared to the relevant alternative estimates available. Literacy rates are generally low, and North versus South difference in 1815 literacy was as low as 13.7 percentage points, with the Southern literacy rate of about 50% that of Northern Italy. The North–South gap is much smaller for women than for men, and the average female literacy rate across Italy is a lower 9%. Literacy rates in Central Italy were almost identical to that of Southern Italy, arguably because the schooling systems of Central and Southern Italy were more elitist than the Northern Italian one. This evidence suggests that, although partially present also before 1815, the wide magnitude of North–South gaps in literacy which characterized the country on the eve of the political unification (1861) originated after the Napoleonic period. Primary school centralization reforms might have helped women to rapidly improve literacy rates, leading to a first, regionally unequal, ‘Silent Revolution’ (Cappelli and Vasta in Cliometrica 15:1–27, 2020a).

Diagnosing Systemic Disorders with AI Algorithms Based on Ocular Images.

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), especially the state-of-the-art deep learning frameworks, has begun a silent revolution in all medical subfields, including ophthalmology. Due to their specific microvascular and neural structures, the eyes are anatomically associated with the rest of the body. Hence, ocular image-based AI technology may be a useful alternative or additional screening strategy for systemic diseases, especially where resources are scarce. This review summarizes the current applications of AI related to the prediction of systemic diseases from multimodal ocular images, including cardiovascular diseases, dementia, chronic kidney diseases, and anemia. Finally, we also discuss the current predicaments and future directions of these applications.

From the Silent Revolution to Sexual Abuse Scandals The Question of ‘Women’s Place’ in French Catholicism

In reviewing the way in which the question of ‘women’s place’ has been handled in French Catholicism since the 1980s, the article unveils three configurations, which, from a chronological point of view, partly overlap. First, during the silent revolution, the existence of a stained-glass ceiling was little decried. This has not, however, prevented women from assuming a wide range of positions and responsibilities in the Church. The second moment focused on the liturgy. It was not until the third moment, when sexual abuse scandals shook the Church’s reputation and influence, that the stained-glass ceiling was openly impugned in French Catholicism. Thus, this article, which constitutes the first existing synthesis on the place of women within this context, endeavors to account for the absence of mobilization in favor of women even though this French specificity definitely erodes at the end of the period under scrutiny.

Improvement on End-to-End Encryption May Lead to Silent Revolution

Privacy is an increasing concern, whether you are texting with a business associate or transmitting volumes of data over the Internet. Over the past few decades, cryptographic techniques have enabled privacy improvements in chat apps and other electronic forms of communication. Now researchers are on the brink of what could be the next big improvement in communication privacy: E2EEEE (End-to-End Encryption with Endpoint Elimination). This article is based on interviews with researchers who plan on presenting at a symposium on the topic scheduled for April 1, 2023.

Recommendations for the measurement of sexual steroids. A step forward in the silent revolution of mass spectrometry.

Article Recommendations for the measurement of sexual steroids. A step forward in the silent revolution of mass spectrometry was published on March 10, 2023 in the journal Advances in Laboratory Medicine / Avances en Medicina de Laboratorio (volume 0, issue 0).

ПОКОЛЕНЧЕСКИЕ ЦЕННОСТИ И РОСТ ПОПУЛИЗМА (Рецензия на книгу: Pippa Norris, Ronald Inglehart Cultural Backlash. Trump, Brexit, and Authoritarian Populism. Cambridge University Press. 2019)

The article reviews a widely cited book “Cultural Backlash” by Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart, focused on the recent rise of populism all over the world. According to the authors, the generation is the strongest predictor of authoritarian-populist values and voting for the ones. They understand populism as a rhetoric style, based on two main features: challenging the established power and proclaiming that people are the only source of legitimate power in a society. Old generational cohorts, tend to have more populist attitudes and vote for populist parties, while young cohorts have more libertarian values and less likely to vote for populists. Majoritarian institutional design, such as indirect presidential elections in the USA or plural electoral system in Great Britain exacerbate the rise of populism in these countries. Other contributors to this trend are so called “silent revolution”, a massive change of cultural and societal environment in many countries (access to higher education, women emancipation, migration, etc.), which old cohorts tend to oppose, and economic crises, which make people feel more vulnerable and provoke even the young cohort to incline to authoritarian-populist values. The book under review is a crucial paper for understanding massive success of populism in different countries for the last twenty years.

A study on weather forecasting by using nano-space craft

In this paper, the study on weather forecasting by using nano space craft is presented. In the past two decades, a silent revolution has taken place in the space domain, leading to what today is known as “New Space.” We have passed from a selected group of countries, space agencies, and big industries building, launching, and operating satellites and other spacecrafts, of a scenario in which many universities and research institutes can do it. The key of this was the definition of the “CubeSat” standard, back to 1999. In 2013, it all took off on the commercial Earth Observation sector with the first launches from two companies that are now running 100+ CubeSat constellations for optical imaging or weather prediction, with very low revisit times. Today, the same revolution is taking place in the fields of Telecommunications, and Astronomical Scientific missions. In this chapter, the evolution of the space sector is briefly revised until the arrival of the CubeSats. Then, the CubeSat intrinsic limitations are discussed as they are key to understand the development and current situation of the CubeSat sector. NASA and ESA strategies are also presented. The chapter concludes with a summary of the technology roadmap to enable the next generation of CubeSat-based missions, including satellite constellations or federations, formation flying, synthetic apertures… The work done & presented in this paper is the result of the mini-project work that has been done by the first sem engineering students of the college and as such there is little novelty in it and the references are being taken from various sources from the internet, the paper is being written by the students to test their writing skills in the starting of their engineering career and also to test the presentation skills during their mini-project presentation. The work done & presented in this paper is the report of the assignment / alternate assessment tool as a part and parcel of the academic assignment of the first year subject on nanotechnology & IoT.

Turkey’s State Crisis: Institutions, Reform and Conflict

Turkey’s State Crisis: Institutions, Reform and Conflict