Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Psychological Testing Free Essay Example, 1250 words

The executive director of the SAT test declared that the question is about pop culture and it was just a fair question to ask. People may have differing opinions on this matter. However, it sort of emphasizes the point that the scope of the exam is not widely discussed publicly, since topics such as this causes surprise from parents of test-takers (Steinberg, â€Å"For SAT Test-Takers†). Still, the presence or absence of the information is not the main topic of this paper. The issue on how necessary these tests are is the area that needs more attention. First, even though newspapers frequently quote the scores of the tests, and several experts believe that this is the best measurement for an individual’s progress, it is not the absolute standard for success (Ryan and Weinstein, 2009, p. 224). Students have endured more and more tests over time, yet discussion on new educational processes are not happening. The tests only force the institutions to push their students t o earn higher grades, but they do not result in providing solutions to the real problems that causes low marks (Harlen, 2002, p. 141). Second, Indian University Professor of Education Roger Farr states that â€Å"multiple-choice questions do not allow students to apply what they can do. † (Klees, 2008, p. 313) Multiple-choice questions usually entail memorization, but no one can actually say that students understand the STANDARDIZED TESTS 4 logic behind their answers. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychological Testing or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Even open-ended questions do not prove to be accurate in gauging the student’s knowledge (Klees, 2008, p. 317). According to one former scorer of SAT-tests, â€Å"reading a paper every few seconds may sound weird but it is easy to put marks even without fully reading the answers†¦there is a bonus once you go above the quota of marked papers. † (Harlen, 2002, p. 142) Here, it is easy to see that the test results may also be questionable, thus increasing the issues surrounding the tests as the basis of educational progress of an individual. Third, high stakes exams cause controversy due to accountability. Coercion and bribery may happen due to the aim to receive high marks for the institution. Teachers can even receive bonuses for good scores, and students may receive perks for acquiring excellent marks. Threats may range from schools losing accreditation or funding for schools, to students refused of diplomas. This is because of the widely-accepted notion that low grades reflect the quality of education a school provides (Carson-Meyers, Bryant, Thomas, and Brinson, 2005, p. 29-34).

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Millenial Generation and Technology - 1414 Words

The recession has caused every one-in-eight older Millennials to return back home to their parents† (3). It is not because they want to, but because it is their only option. According to Richard Fry, a Senior Research Associate at Pews Research Center, the total number of older Millennials living at home is a record 21 million in 2012. There are several factors that cause them to return back to their parents, such as a declining employment rate and rising college enrollment fees. Fry additionally states that the unemployed Millennials were more inclined to be existing with their guardians, (45%) contrasted with utilized Millennials( 29%) (A Rising Share of Young Adults). Helicopter parents also influence Millennials to be dependant.†¦show more content†¦The Millennial generation has a strong connection to technology. Kathryn Tyler also described Millennials as â€Å"the first generation to use e-mail, instant messaging (IM) and cell phones since childhood and adolesce nce†. This means that it has been available since they were young, and contributed to their lifestyle. Because Millennials had such early exposure to technology, it is easier for them to adapt and learn how to operate it. Alison Gopnik explains that it is easier for them to learn because of the â€Å"cultural ratchet effect† which allows children to learn skills unconsciously and effortlessly. It is beneficial that Millennials can easily handle technology, but it also resulted in a strong dependency on it. Millennials use technology in different forms as a source of communication. Examples of communication through technology are texting, calling, voice mails, social media, and email. According to a graph provided by Pew Research Center, about 80% of Millennials use cell phones or have a social networking profile (25). The use of cellphones and social media give Millennials and easier way to communicate with people and has become a necessity to them. I use my cellphone every day of the week, whether it is to contact people or just use apps. In less than a minute, it allows me to communicate with my girlfriend, friends, and lovedShow MoreRelatedHow Millennials Are Redefining the American Dream Essay1502 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"We need to teach the next generation of children from day one that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind’s greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear.† -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Nearly 3.7 million American babies born in 1982 were the first members of the new Generation Y, or more affectionately known as millenials (Thompson, par. 1). Many things play into whether a generation is considered to be faring ‘better’Read MoreThe Impact Of Media On The Media913 Words   |  4 Pagespreference to the increasing diversity of race and sexual orientation in each generation has an effect on the values portrayed in media. The value of each new generation effects how the media shapes itself to market to that general public. In order to understand the fluidity of the media, it is important to examine the change in the landscape of media, and how it has adapted to meet each generations needs. Though many generations feel that the developments of social media has caused a sort of â€Å"digitalRead MoreThe Generation Of Our Society1170 Words   |  5 PagesEvery generation thinks the next generation has it easier than they did and worse than they are. The â€Å"Millennials† (Generation Y) are no different. As a member of Generation X, I see the next generation as intelligent, well educated, and for the most part well informed; but I also see them as entitled, lacking focus, and emotionally soft. Like it or not, this generation is here to stay, and everyone will have to adjust and learn to interact with them to be successful. There are numerous causesRead MoreBaby Boomers And Baby Boomers1257 Words   |  6 Pagesfactors that have influenced and molded each of these two generations such as technology, trends, debt and economy. Who exactly are millennials and baby boomers? What I know emphatically is that they both have strong opinions of one another. The Ba by Boomers were promised the American Dream; they worked hard and are perceived as greedy and ambitious. Baby Boomers are â€Å"Perhaps the most influential generation in history, this â€Å"flower power† generation is known for their pivotal roles in the civil rightsRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Campaign Plan776 Words   |  4 PagesCommunications (IMC) campaign plan to a targeted market: Millennial’s (aka Generation Y), the timeline for campaign: April 2014 – March 2015, with a budget of $15 million for a national campaign. Research objective: One research objective has set the foundation for our company to communicate to Chipotle customers about the sustainable packaging through social media and in store promotions Target Market Analysis Generation Y are also termed Millennial’s Millennial’s to be those with birthdayRead MorePersuasive Speech About Younger Generation840 Words   |  4 PagesYounger Generation Purpose: To give a persuasive speech on whats wrong with the younger generation. Thesis: The younger generation is a product of a highly technological environment. I. Introduction A. Hello Im Phillip Nettles. Today Im here to discuss whats the problem with the young generation todayRead MoreManaging A Multigenerational Workforce : An Organization1589 Words   |  7 Pageshave four generations, each with their own unique perspectives, strengths, and needs, at work in the same office. This presents many new challenges that must be faced; specifically, how to best communicate with your workforce in the most effective manner that reaches all generations, and how to create a cohesive and successful team that embraces the differences in the team members yet draws them together. This paper will be focused on a few key points: an explanation of each generation and whatRead MoreGenerational Differences Of The Workplace Today1034 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Workplace Today Todays workplace consists of Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and Millenials. An individual’s generations is determined by the era the individual was born. Each generation possess certain values and characteristics. At times these differences can cause issues in the work place. I will discuss the concept of Generational Differences in the workplace today. Managing Multiple Generations Managing multiple generations can pose a challenge for employers. Managers have to find a balanceRead MoreInformation Behaviour of Middle School Students Essays1585 Words   |  7 Pagescurrent generation of students who have been â€Å"raised with easy familiarity with video games, email, instant messaging†¦Web 2.0 social networking habits, they have developed patterns of engagement that are different from those of earlier generations.† (Godwin, 2008, p. 52). School librarians must create information literacy programs to include Web 2.0 tools to effectively engage this generation. (Carroll, 2011, p. 27). The Millennium Generation or Digital Natives are the first generation to have grownRead MoreUnderstanding and Managing Generational Differences Essay790 Words   |  4 Pagesconsist of the four generations which are Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millenials Generations Birth Years Corevalue Prefered Communication Style Traditionalists 1925 to 1945 Clear Direction, Loyal and discipline Memos, Letters, Personal notes Baby Boomers 1946 to 1964 Idealist, Optimistic ,Respect to Authority. Phone calls, Face to Face Gen X 1965 to 1980 Self Reliant ,Work Independently, skeptical to authority Voicemail, Email. Millenials 1980 to 1999 Confident

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Kindred Free Essays

As the book entails more of African-American history rather than just a pure literature of science fiction since it deals slavery in the nineteenth century Antebellum South which unleashes the issue of slavery, its causes, effects and its evidences on a more modernized method and language to capture the interest of the reader particularly to the young adults whom the book has marketed, readers would see it as a reliable historical reference. Every detail written on it illustrates manifestation of the tragic truth on how white people consider their supremacy over the blacks.   This include horrible dilemma such as beatings, rape, forced labor, murderous acts, and any form of abuses whether physical, psychological or emotional which the protagonist Dana has experienced as a result of her permission to be transported in the past several times in search of a missing piece, though the epiphany was only after the first and second glimpses from the past via time travel on which the revelation involving her antecedent has occurred. We will write a custom essay sample on Kindred or any similar topic only for you Order Now To dare oneself to involve in the not-so-good incidents and allow himself being hurt by anyone or anything could be a brave action if not heroic.   However, Dana here is just a victim of unexplainable intervention which urges her to accept her ethnicity.   Knowing that both the blood of the slave-owner rapist Rufus and the slave Alice runs through her blood, and with marriage with Kevin, another white man like his grandfather Rufus, Dana courageously surpass it in the end. Readers of Kindred might see little of himself in Dana’s terrible experiences and would help him realize the message that everyone is related with one another irregardless of color differences and norms.   Time heals all wounds but never the lesson it imparted and the history out of it, with or without science intervention. R E F E R E N C E Butler, Octavia. Kindred. New York: Doubleday, 1979. How to cite Kindred, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Corporate Ability and Social Responsibility MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Ability and Social Responsibility. Answer: Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility is conceptualised as the management functionality that helps in integrating the social and environmental concerns while undertaking the business operational process. According to Nikolaou, Evangelinos and Allan, (2013), CSR is the most effective way of achieving the economic balance, social, and environmental imperatives. The business organisations usually need to address the expectations and demands of the stakeholders. The corporate social responsibility is one of the most significant management strategies that help the organisation to achieve the strengthened position in the competitive ground (Harjoto, Laksmana Lee, 2015). The study will disclose the maintenance of corporate social responsibility by Woolworths, the retail giant in Australia. The study will also explore the theoretical perspectives of the company to determine the effectiveness of the CSR process in strengthening the reputed position of the organisation. The application of the theor etical view in Woolworths strategy will also be presented in this study. Theories or Approaches to the Corporate Social Responsibility The focus on the traditional view of the corporate social responsibility determines that the organisations use such process to make the remarkable profits for the future sustainability. However, the corporate social responsibility is mainly associated with three major approaches or theories, such as Corporate Social Responsibility (as a broader view), The Triple Bottom Line and Stakeholder Theory (Baumann-Pauly et al., 2013). These approaches are discussed further: As the specific term of corporate social responsibility, it can be reflected that this is used as the process used by the corporations to interact with the environment. The maintenance of the CSR process is based on several major obligations and these are as follows: The economic responsibility: Corporations usually pays attention towards the economic responsibilities to make more money. The company usually undertakes the simpler method of achieving the economic parameter (Habel et al., 2016). However, with the help of such process, the companies can avail the capital benefits gathered from the market. The legal responsibility: It is important to maintain the legal and regulatory policies while conducting the business operation in a community or in a country. It is notable that the laws do not create boundaries for the business; rather it provides the numerous opportunities for the business operations. The ethical responsibility: Every organisation needs to consider the ethical standards of the business while undertaking the operational behaviour (Saeidi et al., 2015). The maintenance of the ethical corporate culture is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability. The philanthropic responsibility: The organisation needs to contribute to the societys project in spite of conducting business independently. Several extra initiatives undertaken for the society would be much helpful for the business to promote the brand and strengthening the organisational position (Walsh Bartikowski, 2013). These obligations are essentially needed to be taken into consideration to operate the business successfully. According to Schramm-Klein, Morschett and Swoboda (2015), triple bottom line is another significant approach of maintaining corporate social responsibility. It dictates that the corporate leaders require focusing on the effects of the social realm as well as the economic values. The major focus on this approach is to maintain sustainability in a significant way. It is essential to maintain the balance in terms of economical, social, and environmental. Economical Sustainability: The triple bottom line suggests that financial benefits determine the long-term financial benefits of the firm (Christensen, Mackey Whetten, 2014). It is essential for the large corporations to create the sequential business plan that demands the prolonged and stable action. Social Sustainability: Maintaining the ethical responsibilities towards the community around the business is necessary for surviving in the business scenario. If the society collapses, it will bring the revolution that may turn into the negative aspect to retain the organisational position. Hence, it is essential to keep the products and services that can be served for the societal benefits. Environmental Sustainability: The firms need to provide the attention towards the environmental factors before launching any product or service (Servaes Tamayo, 2013). For example, the excessive amount of carbon footprints may affect the environment. Hence, the firm needs to pay attention towards such issues related to the environmental sustainability. The obtained information from the above analysis specifies the approaches of the triple-bottom-line. The further study will provide the insights regarding another approach associated with the corporate social responsibility. Edward Freeman introduced the stakeholder theory to present a transparent and mirror image of CSR process. The responsibility of CSR is attached with the responsibility of the owners to facilitate the safety parameter for the environment (Korschun, Bhattacharya Swain, 2014). The stakeholder theory determines the role of the various stakeholders who are directly and indirectly associated with the organisational operations. The major stakeholders of the firm are: Owner of the firm Workers of the firm Potential customer of the company Suppliers of the company Community people Competitors The involvement of these stakeholders is essential for conducting the business in a community. The identification of the stakeholders needs and demands drive the organisation towards success (Servaes Tamayo, 2013). Woolworths, the Australian retail giant also divided the stakeholders into two groups, such as the internal stakeholders and external stakeholders. Internal Stakeholders External Stakeholders 1) Owner 1) Potential customers 2) Shareholders 2) Suppliers 3) Employees/workers 3) People from the surrounded society 4) Managers 4) Competitors Identification of the organisational stakeholders is necessary to maintain the corporate social responsibility in a significant way (Walsh Bartikowski, 2013). On the other hand, the business operations even depend on the basic needs and demands of the stakeholders. Hence, the stakeholder signifies the important part of the CSR programme of a firm. Woolworths has captured the remarkable position in the retail sector of Australian market. The company offers the high quality retail products and service to the people all over Australia. The company has been operating more than 873 stores in Australian markets (Woolworthsgroup.com.au, 2017). Woolworths Group has been maintaining the corporate social responsibility in a significant way to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business. The company has determined to achieve a set of corporate social responsibilities that includes the commitments and goals that are going to be implemented by the financial year of 2020. These goals and commitments include a range of stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, communities, and team members. The business organisations usually need to address the expectations and demands of the stakeholders. The corporate social responsibility is one of the most significant management strategies that help the organisation to achieve the strengthened position in the competitive ground. The company has been focusing on promoting the effective initiatives that can serve well for the community surrounded in the business location. In the further section of the study, the initiatives undertaken by the company to achieve such parameter will be explored. Application of the theory to Woolworths The company aims to strive for gender equity by targeting almost 40% of the senior management and female executive positions. The company has even ensured that the wages will not be discriminated and both the male and female employees will receive the equivalent position in the company. The company is looking forward to embrace the diversity by increasing the amount of the indigenous workers in line with the employee parity of Federal Government. The company is strictly concentrating on working towards the zero waste of food products. Moreover, the company ensures that the carbon emissions from the products of Woolworths will be almost 10% below of the level was in 2015 (Woolworthsgroup.com.au, 2017). The business engages the equitably and fairly treating of the suppliers for the future business. The company is even paying attention towards healthy and sustainable products for the potential consumers. Furthermore, the company is looking forward to invest more capital resource for promoting the partnerships and social welfare programmes. The initiatives determine that the company is maintaining the significant approach in maintaining the corporate social responsibility. It is necessary to mention that the company has already captured the leading position in the country among all other retail organisations. However, in order to maintain such reputed position, it is necessary to keep the focus on the continuous improvements and identification of the stakeholders demands. Conclusion The study reveals the in-depth ideas about the approaches and necessity of corporate social responsibility. It has been observed that the organisations have been securing the competitive position by undertaking the remarkable initiatives related to the corporate social responsibility. Failure to this approach may lead towards the negative influence on the business. In a specific way, corporate social responsibility is mainly associated with three major approaches or theories, such as Corporate Social Responsibility (as a broader view), The Triple Bottom Line and Stakeholder Theory. Woolworths have been paying the closer attention towards these purposes and has introduced the fruitful initiatives to achieve the long-term sustainability in a significant way. References Baumann-Pauly, D., Wickert, C., Spence, L. J., Scherer, A. G. (2013). Organizing corporate social responsibility in small and large firms: Size matters.Journal of Business Ethics,115(4), 693-705. Christensen, L. J., Mackey, A., Whetten, D. (2014). Taking responsibility for corporate social responsibility: The role of leaders in creating, implementing, sustaining, or avoiding socially responsible firm behaviors.The Academy of Management Perspectives,28(2), 164-178. Habel, J., Schons, L. M., Alavi, S., Wieseke, J. (2016). Warm glow or extra charge? The ambivalent effect of corporate social responsibility activities on customers perceived price fairness.Journal of Marketing,80(1), 84-105. Harjoto, M., Laksmana, I., Lee, R. (2015). Board diversity and corporate social responsibility.Journal of Business Ethics,132(4), 641-660. Korschun, D., Bhattacharya, C. B., Swain, S. D. (2014). Corporate social responsibility, customer orientation, and the job performance of frontline employees.Journal of Marketing,78(3), 20-37. Nikolaou, I. E., Evangelinos, K. I., Allan, S. (2013). A reverse logistics social responsibility evaluation framework based on the triple bottom line approach.Journal of Cleaner Production,56, 173-184. Saeidi, S. P., Sofian, S., Saeidi, P., Saeidi, S. P., Saaeidi, S. A. (2015). How does corporate social responsibility contribute to firm financial performance? The mediating role of competitive advantage, reputation, and customer satisfaction.Journal of Business Research,68(2), 341-350. Schramm-Klein, H., Morschett, D., Swoboda, B. (2015). Retailer corporate social responsibility: Shedding light on CSRs impact on profit of intermediaries in marketing channels.International Journal of Retail Distribution Management,43(4/5), 403-431. Servaes, H., Tamayo, A. (2013). The impact of corporate social responsibility on firm value: The role of customer awareness.Management Science,59(5), 1045-1061. Walsh, G., Bartikowski, B. (2013). Exploring corporate ability and social responsibility associations as antecedents of customer satisfaction cross-culturally.Journal of business research,66(8), 989-995. Woolworthsgroup.com.au, (2017). Corporate Responsibility - Woolworths Group. [online] Woolworthsgroup.com.au. Available at: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/community-and-responsibility/group-responsibility/corporate-responsibility/ [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017]. Woolworthsgroup.com.au, (2017). Woolworths Supermarkets - Woolworths Group. [online] Woolworthsgroup.com.au. Available at: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/about-us/our-brands/supermarkets/Woolworths [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017].

Friday, November 29, 2019

McKinley 1 Essays - Americas, Cuba, Chivalry, Eastern Bloc

McKinley 1 Case 2 There is definitely a fine line drawn between the protocol of physician, and an area where things could be considered as a personal matter. However, it isn't a physician's standpoint to rule out any procedure that a parent uses on their child, if its intent is to heal and not harm. If a physician encounters a situation such as the "coining", they should always be prepared to listen to whatever the parent had to say. From there on out, by all means the physician then has the right to offer their knowledgeable advice to the parent especially if the procedure has caused pain and or discomfort to th e child. Overall, tho se type of situations can be tricky in a physician's profession, it all boils down to them knowing limits and guidelines to not cross. No physician could be expected to understand the beliefs and practices of so many differing faith communities. At first glance, the simplest solution suggests that physicians avoid religious or spiritual content in the doctor-patient interaction. Patients should understand instructions from their physicians and be able to repeat them in their own words. Potential cultural conflicts between a physician and patient include differing attitudes towards time, personal space, eye contact, body language, and even what is important in life. Collectively, no physician has authority in intervene in the self-healings of any culture. I t is evident to us that the assumption that all patients possess little medical knowledge can create alienation between patient and physician . Therefore, a physician should never be concerned with alienating any ethnicity from modern medicine. It is not their job to convince or persuade a patient that modern medicine is more fit to heal, but it is necessary for them to inform McKinley 2 them of possible mishaps if they aren't utilized. Physicians have a difficult position to determine what methods are best to treat at times, but there's no room for error. There's always grounds for physicians to educate patients on treatments, but never for them to abandon one who doesn't typically agree with modern practices. No, p hysicians often encounter childhood injuries and conditions that test their knowledge of what is considered child abuse and neglect and when to report their suspicions. Some situations pose ethical dilemma s that are not easily resolved. Understanding what constitutes child maltreatment and having a plan for making decisions about it can reduce the burden of physicians' duty to report their suspicions effectively and appropriately. In the case presented here, there's no physical or verbal evidence that the child has been intentionally abused, neglected, sexually assaulted, malnourished, or possesses no pattern of abuse. Physicians, however required by law to report these cases to officials if any of the listed occurs. This particular case exposes the beliefs and principles of deontology. Deontology is simply the study of the nature of duty and obligation. An employer has deontic authority in the act of issuing an order that the employee is obliged to accept and obey regardless of its reliability or appropriateness. Ethically, deontology constitutes differences between consequentialism, virtue ethics, and pragmatic ethics. When these ethics are understood and practices, actions greatly over shadows consequences. McKinley 3 Yes, and because e ugenics is a movement that is aimed at improving the genetic composition of the human race. Historically, eugenicists advocated selective b reeding to achieve these goals. Today we have technologies that make it possible to more directly alter the genetic composition of an individual. However, people differ in their views on how to best (and ethically) use this technology. E ugenicists in the U.S. focused on efforts to stop the transmission of negative or "undesirable" traits from generation to generation. PGD for gender selection is only justified if a couple's family history includes a particular sex-linked genetic disorder; that is, a disorder that predominantly or exclusively affects babies of one gender . It could also be justifiable for parents to choose a gender if there's already multiple boys or girls, or lack of either in the family that's being created. Usually the sex of a child isn't more important than what diseases or disorders that a child will carry. That's why

Monday, November 25, 2019

Make the best case you can for public funding of the arts. Essays

Make the best case you can for public funding of the arts. Essays Make the best case you can for public funding of the arts. There are two main worries about public funding of the arts. One is that there seem nowadays to be so many more urgent calls on public money. Isn't public funding for the arts an unaffordable luxury? The second worry is that there seem to be so many other things that are similar to the arts, but that do not attract similar public funding. Are the arts being picked out for special privileges, perhaps thanks to snobbery? I will try to show why, in spite of these worries, the arts remain a deserving case for some public funding. Let's begin with the claim that the arts are attracting special treatment. A comparison can be made with sports. Like the arts, sports call for skill and discipline from their participants. Like the arts, sports can be enjoyed by spectators as well as participants. Like the arts, sports vary a lot among themselves. Like the arts, sports are publicly funded to some extent. The main difference seems to be, however, that while public funding of sports is usually restricted to support for participants (e.g training of sportspeople), public funding of the arts often extends to spectators as well as participants. One can go to an art gallery or museum for free, but one pays to go to Anfield or Brands Hatch. Is this fair? The answer is that the contrast is exaggerated. On the one hand, spectatorship of sports is sometimes publicly funded. One can watch Wimbledon on the BBC for free, just as one can go to an art gallery for free. On the other hand, not all spectatorship of the arts is publicly funded. It costs money to go to a premier league football match, but it costs no less to see a stadium rock concert. One must be careful to compare like with like. One should compare the treatment of niche arts with that of niche sports, arts infrastructure with sports infrastructure, etc. One should also be careful not to assume a purist's definition of the arts, according to which a stadium rock concert doesn't count as an arts event. That would be like claiming that football is not a sport, but only a game (sports being limited to pursuits that involve horses and hounds!) In general we should expect public arts and sports funding to go to pursuits that are worth preserving but will otherwise not be viable, because there are otherwise not enough people who will pay enough money for them, while keeping them open to others. The government should step in where the market fails. But this brings us straight to our other worry. Surely, with so many more urgent calls on government expenditure, support for such things as sports and arts, however admirable, must be a low priority? They may be worth preserving, but is their preservation more urgent than the preservation of human lives in public hospitals? The thought here is that priority should reflect urgency. But this seems a bad principle for government. It leads to the government thinking only about the short-term. Shouldn't the government provide for the future, as well as coping with the present? If so, the arts, like sports, seem suitable for inclusion in the government's longer-term plans. The government needs to ask itself whether great achievements and great excellences can be allowed to go to waste, bearing in mind that once they have gone to waste it will be much more expensive to recreate them (or to create replacements for them). This argument seems to assume that a time will come when we will miss the arts or sports we have lost. That may not be true. Few people miss Morris dancing (a nearly dead art) or jousting (a nearly dead sport). But suppose we lost all dance-related arts, or all performance arts? Suppose we lost all combat sports, or all dangerous sports? Then we will live in a world with fewer choices and fewer opportunities for human beings to excel and develop their abilities, as well as for other human beings to spectate and admire this development. One important job for governments, even if it is never

Friday, November 22, 2019

Christian copts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Christian copts - Research Paper Example The history of Coptic Christianity is tragic, sad and filled with stories of misery. The Coptic language is no longer spoken outside church and the percentage of Copts in Egypt have declined to fewer than 10 percent of the population yet this sect has survived through the centuries spreading beyond the Egyptian borders to many countries around the world. According to Coptic belief the Christian sect began when the Apostle Mark traveled to Egypt. Mark would become the first Pope of Alexandria. The word â€Å"Copt† is derived from the â€Å"Aigyptos,† a Greek word meaning Egyptian. The Coptic Church believes Jesus is less than God because He was made by God while all other Christian denominations believe Jesus to be a spiritual being whose nature was the same therefore equal to God. This was a major divisive issue in 451 AD at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) when the Copts separated from the other Christian sects but the disagreement has cooled over the many years since . Neither mainline nor do Coptic Christians believe this one point of contention to be of great importance anymore. Otherwise, most Coptic beliefs are essentially the same as other Christians Churches, the Bible being the guiding text. As in other Christian sects, Copts believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. Men actually wrote it but were guided by the Holy Spirit. Copts, as other Christian’s sects believe that Christ not only taught through words but also by His actions and the Bible is not the only source of knowledge. According to Coptic Pope H. H. Pope Shenouda II â€Å"the Holy Bible does not mention everything.† (BBC 2009). Traditions are particularly important to Copts because these have directed civilization from since the time of the first people, Adam and Eve, a period which, according to them, occurred many centuries prior to the writings of the Bible. Somewhat surprisingly, due to the Copts, Christian monasteries originated in Egypt. Termed â€Å"m onasticism,† the creation of monasteries is the most significant contribution to the Christian religion by the Copts. The original monastic community was unintentionally founded by Saint Anthony (died in 356 AD). He departed for Egypt intending to live a spiritual life alone but came across others who wanted to live close to what they believed to be a holy person. They formed a religious community, a novel concept at that time. Of course the community needed rules and who better than a Roman for the task? Saint Pachomius (died 346 AD), an Egyptian and former soldier in the Roman Army, established the first collection of rules for a religious community with a central highly spiritual leader, later to be termed ‘monastery.’ The list of rules combined a work regiment and spiritual dedication. As is the case for all other religions and Christian sects, there are many traditions and rituals unique to Coptic Christians. All Coptic churches face east as do the faithful w hen praying. Traditions and symbolism, such as facing east, is held sacred by Copts. â€Å"We see Christ as our east, in that the sun rises from the east. The sun is the source of our life and so Christ is our salvation, the source of our life in the spirit. Looking towards the east, we are facing the Garden of Eden.† The act is also Biblical in nature. According to ‘Acts,’ St. John of Zebedee â€Å"took a cross of wood and placed it up towards the east and kneeled