Ideas of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ideas of God - Essay Example Plato cautions about highlighting the stories about quarrels of gods and quarrels in heaven. They will have adverse impact on the thinking of humankind, and will have no useful influence. On the contrary, humanity may try to emulate such examples. Plato states that God is good. But he is not the author of all good things. There are many evils as compared to good things in human life, but God owns responsibility for the good. One should not see evil in God and should look out for it in some other source. Plato equates God with the concrete concept or the ultimate good. God is at the top of Plato’s hierarchy. But he also opines that goodness may emerge from different sources other than God. Plato is inconsistent or wavers when he discusses God and that exhibits the weakness of his ideas of God. He finds it difficult to agree that God is omnipotent. To Porete, that which is not practical cannot be spiritual either. Every spiritual concept must stand the test of practicability. To her God is an attainable reality, through constant efforts through the prescribed procedures and through 7 different stages. She describes the hurdles that a human being has to encounter in the spiritual path, in her book â€Å"The Mirror of Simple Souls† wherein she â€Å"employs the device of direct discourse with consummate power.†(Preface, 1) Love, Reason and the Soul engage themselves in a discussion of self-discovery about their real nature. Love is blind, and its poetic utterances cannot be real; they can at best be emotional. Perfect conclusions are never possible through reason. For every argument, there is bound to be a counter-argument. Is it possible to know the soul through verbal description? According to her, God is to be attained (realized) by a human being through a relation that â€Å"allows the spiritual ascent of the soul to God.†(Introduction, 27) The glow of transcendental love pours through Porete’s work.

Macro Analysis about Apple Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macro Analysis about Apple - Research Paper Example ation has always been at the forefront of innovations in the electronics industry, their biggest drawback has been inability to hold onto market share after the initial novelty wears off. This has seen Apple Inc. start to transform itself to a fully-fledged consumer electronics organization and away from being an inventive computer manufacturer. The cause for this transformation has mainly been due to external factors as the company expands globally and comes up against increased competition (Lashinsky, 2012). This paper will seek to carry out an analysis of Apple Inc.’s macro-environment using the PESTLE tool with the aim of detailing critical issues facing Apple’s marketers. Moreover, this information will be applied when making recommendations regarding marketing strategies for Apple Inc. The macro-environment of Apple Inc. will help in the determination of the organization’s current situation. To carry out this analysis, a PESTLE analysis will be applied with the objective of determining the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that will impact Apple Inc. This tool is effective in investigating the macro environment of an organization with the intention of using the information as a guide for strategic decision-making. The assumption for using a PESTLE analysis is that, if an organization carries out a current audit of its environment, while also assessing probable trends and changes, it gains a competitive advantage over its competitors in responding to these changes (Keller, 2013). This tool is useful in comprehending the larger picture with regards to, the wider environment that Apple is operating in, while also allowing the company to understand risks present in the market, as well as potential, position, and direct ion that the organization should take strategically. While using a PESTLE analysis, a company can find out where their products are positioned with regards to the external environment, which will

The Fat Girl, Andre Dubus

The Fat Girl, Andre Dubus To accept the others, first we have to accept ourselves and accept who we are The Fat Girl is a short story about a girl that tries to fit in todays standards and satisfies her parents as well. The author , Andre Dubus , shows how trying to fit in the society standards , individuals have the pressure of conforming to a superficial image. This idea is developed through the early years of Louise , her weight change and new life , and back to the old habit. First of all, Andre Dubus, takes us into the life of a young girl whose mother is convincing her that she will become fat and how hard is to make friends. We can see this after the mom tell her daughter , You must start watching what you eat, her mother would say. I can see you have my metabolism. As the mother doesnt want that, she puts Louise onto a strict diet. In order not to displease her mother, but still satisfy her hunger, Louise started eating food when no one was watching. While her mother was strict and caring, on the other side her father was loving and misguided. Louise didnt have a lot of friends. Her two childhood friends, Joan and Marjorie were both thin but they felt as a social outcast in other ways. Louise only feels comfortable in the presence of others who were also insecure and unhappy. Ironically Louise intentionally chooses friends who are not heavy because she worries about the way others will see her. I was always thinking about what people saw when they loo ked at me and didnt want them to see two fat girls. It appears that Louise finds her weight issues to be bigger than her friends insecurities. She chooses to exclude those who are heavy from her life while welcoming those with different negative issues. In addition to her self-image issues, Louise also doubts her ability to find happiness in an intimate relationship. Her mother put in her head some negative perceptions such as In five years youll be in high school and if youre fat the boys wont like you; they wont ask you out . This quote shows the overall feeling of the people who dont meet todays standards. Louise continues down this negative road when she decides to go to an all-girl college so she can avoid rejection from guys. Up until this point her only contact with a boy was at a picnic with a drunken kiss . Once in college , Louise shows us how changing and losing weight makes a lot of difference in someones life. Louise continues her self-loathing into college where the only close friend she makes is this thin girl with emotional issues. In the story we can see a strong friendship between the two girls, which leads to the important point where Louise decides to go on a diet, and it is only because her best friend Carrie convinces her that she needs to become thin so that some boy will love her as Carrie does. Carrie pleads, I want you to be loved the way I love you. Louise, if I help you, really help you, will you go on a diet?. Although Carrie is trying to help her best friend, she is actually reinforcing Louises views of her own body. She starts losing fat and her mother starts threating her differently. She finds her way more beautiful and starts buying all kinds of stuff .As Louise progresses with her new diet, she becomes more and more irritable and unhappy with life. In all her l ife she had never been afflicted by ill temper and she looked upon it now as a demon which, along with hunger, was taking possession over her soul .With this quote the author wants to show us that Louise is being pressed into losing weight for strictly superficial reasons, and so she can get accepted into society and fit todays standards. This can be further seen when Louise feels shame and embarrassment when she goes to Carries house for thanksgiving, all because she is aware Carries parents know she is dieting. Louise is uncomfortable and feels excluded in partaking of the many dishes the other thin people can comfortably enjoy. In the end , we cant forget our old habits and sometimes we should accept who we are and stay the way we are. After college, the new thin Louise meets a young lawyer named Richard, who finds her attractive and has no knowledge of her life before. Louise is sure he would never have looked at her if she had still been heavy. They get married and Louise becomes a housewife. While Louise struggles to keep herself thin, her husband can eat anything he wants and still remain fit. She makes him all kind of Italian food that she is unable to consume. It is ironic that she marries a person who has the metabolism of a pencil sharpener when Louise must watch every calorie she eats. The next five years shows a Louise who is thin with new friends, a loving husband, and an active lifestyle, which is by most accounts a perfect life. In her fifth year of marriage, Louise becomes pregnant and her eating begin to become uncontrollable. The new changes in her body frighten her as Louise remarks that sh e is starting to gain weight but she told herself it was only the baby, and would leave with its birth. But at other times she knew quite clearly that she was losing her discipline she had fought so hard to gain during her last year with Carrie. A baby is born, but Louise has now returned to her bad habits and though she cares for her child, she continues to alienate her husband. They fight at nearly every dinner over her appetite and weight gain . Andre Dubus finishes his story with a surprised Louise enjoying a candy bar and shocked to discover her husband Richard is still there. In conclusion, The short story The Fat Girl by Andre Dubus shows many of the negative aspects associated with eating disorders, fat people, and the way society addresses them. Todays standards are too high and people who dont fit in them are getting rejected and they feel sad about their body. Sometime they try changing , but sometimes is better to be who you are and accept yourself.

Public Surveillance in the USA Essay -- CCTV, Privacy Rights, Right of

1. Introduction All the developed countries (developing countries are also in no way lagging behind) the incidence of the people being monitored under various surveillance systems is high of which closed circuit television system (CCTV) is gaining dominance. For instance, the UK has over 4.2 million of them, giving it a ratio of one for every 14 persons and the USA is reported to have been installing it on a rapid pace in every conceivable location as town centers, schools, public transportation systems etc with a spiraling budget estimated at $100 million. With the terrorists attacks looming large in the wake of 9/11 attacks and despite the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the trends are going towards more and more technology oriented surveillance methods. This has naturally caused widespread concerns about the privacy issues and necessitated more evidence based research to inform policy and practice. The critical issue that needs to be addressed in the argument for or against the use of public surveillance system in the USA is which one takes precedence, viz, whether safety of the public and property at large or the invasion of the rights of the individuals who are subjected to some sort of interference in their privacy. In other words, does a citizen have an unfettered right to privacy even when it comes to issues relating to the enforcement of law in prevention of terrorist attacks, crime and restoring security and peace of the citizens at large? I propose to argue in this paper in favor of the need for public surveillance system by advancing the reasons for its imperative and take the view that it does not amount to prima facie violation of individuals' rights and in contravention to the rights guaranteed under the constitution... ...lsh. "Public Area CCTV and Crime Prevention: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Justice Quarterly 26.4 (2009): 716-745. Web. 24 Apr. 2011 Print Gill, M., & Turbin, V. (1998). CCTV and shop theft: Towards a realistic evaluation: In C. Norris, J. Moran, & G. Armstrong (Eds.), Surveillance, closed circuit television and social control (1998) (pp. 189-204):. Aldershot: Ashgate: Print Slobogin, Christopher. Privacy at Risk: The New Government Surveillance and the Fourth Amendment. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print Sutton, Adam, and Dean Wilson. "Watched over or over-watched? open street CCTV in Australia." Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology 27.2 (2004): 211-230. Print. White, R., & Sutton, A.: Crime prevention, urban space and social exclusion. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology, 31(1): 1995: 82-99. Print

On Being an Atheist Essay

In this article McCloskey writes what he believes as truth in the world we live in. He states that theists believe in a God and that they have â€Å"proofs† that this God exists. In the article he addresses these â€Å"proofs† and in a very academic and respectful way tears them down. He attempts to eliminate all possibilities of the existence of God, through what he calls â€Å"reasons why I believe that atheism is a much more comfortable belief than theism, and why theist should be miserable just because they are theists.† The first issue that McCloskey references to is the â€Å"proofs† that Christians hold to prove that God exist, but as we learned in one of our PointeCast presentations, the reasons Christians believe in God are not exactly proofs, because they cannot scientifically or in any way prove to a point that God does in fact exist. These reasons are arguments, theories and carefully thought out propositions that try their hardest to justify what we believe in. Because of this McCloskey argues that humans should give up on the notion that God exists, yet since there also no way to prove that God does not exist, McCloskey is defeated by his own logic. So if humans are to give up on both the notion that there is or is not a God, then that leaves us with nothing whatsoever to believe in. There is no way to prove that God does or does not exist, what I might believe to be a strong argument for the existence of God, and atheist such as McCloskey might deem nonsense. These â€Å"proofsâ₠¬  are simply and objective argument for the existence of God, thus have to be taken as valid argument, propositions, and theory and not as tangible proof. McCloskey dissects three major arguments being the cosmological proof, the  theological proof, and the argument from design. He takes all these arguments and picks them apart for both atheist and theist to see what he is trying to prove. In all honesty in some cases in these arguments of his I can see what he is trying to prove, yet in the end I have no sense of what he has accomplished with his arguments if he himself cannot prove that God does not exist. The first argument that McCloskey addresses is the Cosmological proof. He states that we cannot possibly assume without proof on an â€Å"an all-powerful, all-perfect, uncaused cause† and to this notion I somewhat agree. The reason being is that this argument does not specify the qualities of a god that could create the universe as it is. Thus the argument simply states that there must have been a first cause or there would have been infinite regress, or in other words gods and that is what the argument is trying to avoid. The next argument that McCloskey addresses is the Theological proof. He states that there cannot be indisputable proofs and examples of design that the whole argument becomes invalid. In this case he is again defeated by his own logic; because once again there is no way that any arguments attempting to prove that God does not exist are indisputable as well. In the world we live we must believe in what we as individuals take to as truth, since there is no possible way that a person can prove or disprove that God does or does not exist. McCloskey is attempting to support his arguments so hard that in the essence of itself he is defeating himself without realizing it. I believe that a perfect example of intelligent design is the human body. There is no possible way that such a complex and amazing creation came from a bunch of cells meshing together. Our bodies are built to live on the earth in a way that is amazingly thought out. The body is functioning, living organism in and of itself with thousands of different parts and pieces all working together to accomplish one goal: to live. The human body is the perfect example to show that intelligent design was indeed included in the universe and in the world today. Though this does not prove that there is one God, it does prove that there is a higher being that created what we are  today. I do not object to the thought of microevolution or even evolution itself, but I do not believe that evolution exterminates the need for intelligent design and a creator. Evolutionists believe that there exist the â€Å"perfect condition† as to what created the cosmos and the world around us, yet all the experiments to prove that this event took place have failed. Again there is the fact that we cannot prove or disprove this belief, while the experiments have failed; there is no way to go back in time and to prove that it indeed does not exist. Yet people must take into account that evolution does not cancel out God, in fact why couldn’t it have been God himself that created the â€Å"perfect condition† that brought into place evolution. McCloskey also addresses the fact that there is imperfection and evil in the world, he states that there could not possibly be a God who would allow this. First of all, the cosmological proof in itself does not tell us the characteristic of the creator, simply that there is one. Secondly a person who believes in God would tell you that there is evil in the world because God gave his creation the right to choose. The choice of the first man and woman of the world which God created chose to sin and brought evil into the world. There is also the fact that I believe McCloskey is being quite bold by stating that there is no divine purpose. After all he is simply a person in the world; he himself is not the creator and definitely does not have all the knowledge of the universe. The fact that McCloskey brings up the presence of evil is quite understandable. I completely understand where he is coming from and have had experiences in my own life with people like this. This is actually a very common argument among atheist and McCloskey is not an exception. It is sometimes hard to accept that fact that evil sometime does in fact fall into God’s Will, even some theist have trouble with the problem of evil when they themselves believe in a â€Å"good God†. In this argument I honestly have trouble as well. It is hard to justify a good person’s murder, or the rape of a young child, or the death of thousands because of a natural disaster. Yet in  the depths of my heart I personally believe that when God created the world it was not as such, it was perfect. When sin entered into the world it brought the evil as well. As for why God allows such evil to take place, that is a harder question and an even more difficult answer. I was brought up to believe that when God sees his creation in pain, it hurts him too; there have been times when I have questioned why God allows certain evils in our lives. The truth is there is no arguments that can make a person feel better in the face of child abuse, rape, murder, suicide, and even natural disasters, yet in the moments when people are hurting the most is when they turn to God. Thus I believe that is the way in which we see the reason there is evil in the world. God did not create the world with evil in place, but he did create a creation that could choose for their selves. Thus in essence the human race suffers from our own choices. McCloskey makes some very valid arguments yet I find that most of them stand empty handed. McCloskey also questions why God would not create a human race with free will to always to choose what is right. To this statement I honestly believe that would not be freewill. The reason that God created man with free will was so that he could love God of his own free will. If God had created man to the point where he could only choose what was good and right then in essence it would not have been free will at all. The beauty of having free will is the fact that God lets you choose, though he knows the choices that you will make, the choices are yours. Whether to love God or to reject God, free will cannot be controlled for then it would not be free will at all. At the end of his article McCloskey states that atheism is a much more comforting belief than theism. He uses the example of an ill child that was dying and that he would find no comfort in knowing there was a God. I on the other hand find that if there was no God and man was here on earth simply to be and that there was no reason for living that the death of a child would be unimportant. This might sounds very cruel but it is the truth. If there is no reason to live then dying is not much of an issue, since there is no afterlife simply the life we have here on earth. I find the fact of not knowing what will happen after death disconcerting. To know that when I die I will be in heaven with God is more than enough to help me through this  life on earth. Atheism to me is a sad religion with no reason for the existence of man. Heaven holds so much for the believer, peace, no pain, and an eternal home with God. Atheism to me is the religion that is the most miserable to live with, not theism. The greatest reason being that if there is no God, no afterlife, no salvation; then when death is on your doorsteps there is no hope only despair and fear of the nothingness beyond the grave. I cannot live believing there is no reason to live here on earth, knowing God loves and has a place for me in heaven is what helps me live on this Earth. References Craig, William L. Reasonable faith: Christian truth and apologetics. 3rd Ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008. 71-90. Evans, C. S., Manis, R. Z. Philosophy of religion: Thinking about faith. 2nd Ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009. McCloskey, H. J. Question 1: On being an atheist. 1968. 51-54.

The Impact of Christianity on Western Civilization

The Influence of Christianity on Western Civilization The positive influence of Christianity is far reaching especially in the rich history and culture of Western Civilization despite a long standing ignorance or adamant denial of its contributions. The Bible itself is responsible for much of the language, literature, and fine arts we enjoy today as its artists and composers were heavily influenced by its writings. Paul Maier, in writing the forward to the book How Christianity Changed the World by Alvin J.Schmidt, says this about the profound impact Christianity has had on the development of Western Civilization: â€Å"No other religion, philosophy, teaching, nation, movement—whatever—has so changed the world for the better as Christianity has done. Its shortcomings, clearly conceded by this author, are nevertheless heavily outweighed by its benefits to all mankind† (Schmidt 9). Contrary to the history texts treatment of the subject, Christian influence on value s, beliefs, and practices in Western culture are abundant and well ingrained into the flourishing society of today (Schmidt 12).In the Old Testament book of Hosea the writer states: â€Å"my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,† a statement that can well be applied to those today who are forgetful of the past (The Reformation Study Bible, Hosea 4. 6a). Schmidt writes regarding liberty and justice as seen by today’s culture: â€Å"The liberty and justice that are enjoyed by humans in Western societies and in some non-Western countries are increasingly seen as the products of a benevolent, secular government that is the provider of all things.There seems to be no awareness that the liberties and rights that are currently operative in free societies of the West are to a great degree the result of Christianity’s influence (248). History is replete with examples of individuals who acted as a law unto themselves â€Å"often curtailing, even obliterating the n atural rights and freedoms of the country’s citizens (249). Christianity’s influence, however, set into motion the belief that man is accountable to God and that the law is the same regardless of status.More than one thousand years before the birth of Christ the biblical requirement given by Moses comprised an essential component of the principle that â€Å"no man is above the law. † One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. (Deuteronomy 19. 15) Thus the accuser, regardless of position in society, could not arbitrarily incarcerate or execute the accused and was himself subject to the law.The New Testament also mandated two or more witnesses in ecclesiastical matters regarding an erring Christian in Matthew 18:15-17 (Schmidt 249). The criminal and justice systems of many free countries today employ this Judeo-Christian requirement of ha ving witnesses testify and in British and American jurisprudence, witnesses are part of â€Å"due process of law,’ a legal concept first appearing under King Edward III in the fourteenth century (Schmidt 249). One startling example of the concept that no man is above the law is seen in the conflict between the Christian emperor Theodosius the Great and St. Ambrose. It happened in 300 A. D. hen some in Thessalonica rioted and aroused the anger of the emperor who overreacted by slaughtering approximately seven thousand people, most of whom were innocent. Bishop Ambrose asked the emperor to repent and when Theodosius refused, the bishop excommunicated him. After a month Theodosius prostrated himself and repented in Ambrose’s cathedral. Often mistaken as a struggle for power between church and state, the evidence in which Ambrose’s letter to the emperor cited sole concern for the emperor’s spiritual welfare conclude this as being the first instance of applyi ng the principle that no one is above the law (Schmidt 250).The Magna Carta served as a courageous precedent some five hundred years later to the American patriots in the creation of the unique government of the United States. The charter, signed in 1215 at Runnymede by King John granted a number of rights never held before this historic occasion including that â€Å"(1) justice could no longer be sold or denied to freeman who were under authority of barons; (2) no taxes could be levied without epresentation; (3) no one would be imprisoned without a trial; and (4) property could not be taken from the owner without just compensation (Schmidt 251). The Magna Carta had important Christian ties as demonstrated by its preamble that began, â€Å"John, by the grace of God†¦,† and stated that the charter was formulated out of â€Å"reverence for God and for the salvation of our soul and those of all our ancestors and heirs, for the honour of God and the exaltation of Holy Chur ch and the reform of our realm, on the advice of our reverend [church] fathers† (Schmidt 251).This document also followed the precedent established in 325 at the Council of Nicaea in which Christian bishops wrote and adopted a formal code of fundamental beliefs to which all Christians were expected to adhere. The Magna Carta displayed what its formulators as Christians expected of the king and his subjects regarding civic liberties (Schmidt 251). Natural law is a concept with a long history dating back to the Greco-Roman philosophers.Despite some variations among philosophers one point of agreement was understood as â€Å"that process in nature by which human beings, through the use of sound reason, were able to perceive what was morally right and wrong† (Schmidt253). With the emergence of Christianity common law was clarified to state that â€Å"natural law was not an entity by itself but part of God’s created order in nature through which he made all rational human beings aware of what is right and wrong† (Schmidt 253). The Apostle Paul expressed this in the New Testament book of Romans: For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them† (Romans 2. 14-15). Martin Luther stated: â€Å"Why does one then teach the Ten Commandments? Because the natural laws were never so orderly and well written as by Moses† (Schmidt 253).In his Two Treatises of Government, physician and political philosopher John Locke (1632-1703) claimed that government existed only to uphold the natural law and that governmental tyranny violated the natural rights of man (Schmidt 253). Natural rights were derived from nature and not from kings or government. The renowned English scholar Sir Willi am Blackstone had immense influence on the American patriots in the eighteenth century who used his Commentaries of the Laws of England (1765) while formulating the fledgling government as evidenced by the Declaration of Independence.The words â€Å"the Law of Nature and of Nature’s God† document the reliability on the Christian understanding of the natural law (Schmidt 254). The Declaration of Independence goes on to state that â€Å"whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government,† thus reiterating the concept of â€Å"inalienable rights† given by nature. The term â€Å"self-evident† has Christian roots going back to theological writings of the eighth century.Schmidt quotes Gary Amos, author of Defending the Declaration, as saying: â€Å"To the medievalists, ‘self-evident’ knowledge was truth known intuitively, as direct revelati on from God, without the need for proofs. The term presumed that man was created in the image of God, and presumed certain beliefs about man’s rationality which can be traced as far back as Augustine in the early fifth century† (pp. 254-55). Schmidt believes it is quite plausible that St. Paul’s biblical concept of â€Å"self-evident† (Romans 1. 20) knowingly or unknowingly influenced Jefferson when he wrote the term into the Declaration (Schmidt 255).The last portion of the Declaration includes the phrase â€Å"Supreme Judge,† a term used in Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government, where he refers to Jephthah calling God â€Å"the Judge† in Israel’s fight against the Ammonites (Judges 11. 27). If this is taken from Locke’s work, Amos contends, â€Å"then we have a direct link between the Bible and the Declaration of Independence (Schmidt 255). The Constitution, the hallmark of the foundling government in America, was greatly influenced by the French Christian and philosopher Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) as evidenced by the three branches of America’s government.Schmidt makes note that one historian has said that Montesquieu’s book, The Spirit of the Laws (1748), â€Å"[gave] American Constitution writers their holy writ† and called Montesquieu â€Å"the godfather of the American Constitution† (256). Montesquieu’s political theory was incorporated into the Constitution mostly as a result of the role taken by James Madison, known as the principal architect. His arguments for a separation of powers stemmed from the Christian teaching of the fallen nature of man. He is quoted as saying, ‘The truth [is] that all men, having power ought to be distrusted, to a certain degree. In his Federalist Paper number 51 he notes, â€Å"If men were angels, no government would be necessary† (Schmidt 257). Many history texts have made note that the three powers are derived from Montesquieu’s theory but have failed to note the influence of Christianity on his beliefs: â€Å"It is not enough for a religion to establish a doctrine; it must also direct its influence. This the Christian religion performs in the most admirable manner, especially with respect to the doctrines of which we have been speaking.It makes us hope for a state which is the object of our belief; not for a state which we have already experienced or known† (Schmidt 257). The founding of America’s republic government can best be described as the pinnacle of our American Christian heritage. Noah Webster defined government in his American Dictionary of the English Language (1828) as: â€Å"Direction; regulation. ‘These precepts will serve for the government of our conduct. ’ Control; restraint. ‘Men are apt to neglect the government of their temper and passions. â€Å" Thus Webster defines government in a way that reflects the biblical con cept of governmental authority, that is, beginning with the individual and extending outward to include all institutions (DeMar, God and Government, pp. 4-5). The Founding Fathers recognized the importance of self-government. As DeMar states, â€Å"A self-governed individual is someone who can regulate his attitudes and actions without the need for external coercion† (14). Believing God’s law to be the sole standard for determining right and wrong John Adams wrote, â€Å"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.It is inadequate to the government of any other. † The words of Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) reveal the mindset of many who fled to the shores of America in search of religious freedom: â€Å"He knows not how to rule a Kingdom, that cannot manage a Province; nor can he wield a Province, that cannot order a City; nor he order a City, that knows not how to regulate a Village; nor he a Family that knows not how to Govern himself; neither can any Govern himself unless his reason be Lord, Will and Appetite her Vassals; nor can Reason rule unless herself ruled by God, and (wholly) be obedient to Him. †Though the Constitution does not implicitly assume a Christian nation or acknowledgement of the providence of God in national affairs, an omission greatly regretted by the Christian public at the time of adoption (Morris 296), fundamentals of Christianity were incorporated into the State Constitutions of the Revolution which demonstrated the Christian life and character of our civil institutions (Morris 269). Among other things, the influence of Christianity has spread into the concept of freedom and rights of the individual. Without this freedom there is no real freedom on the economic, political, or religious level (Schmidt 258).From its inception, Christianity has placed a high value on the individual in stark contrast to the Greco-Roman culture in which the individual was always subordinate to the state (Schmidt 259). Malcolm Muggeridge, once a non-Christian but later a strong defender of Christianity, said, â€Å"We must not forget that our human rights are derived from the Christian faith. In Christian terms every single human being, whoever he or she may be, sick or well, clever or foolish, beautiful or ugly, every human being is loved by his Creator, who as the Gospels tell us, counted the hairs of his head. † (Schmidt 260).Individual freedom has led to many positive effects in the history of Western society. One essential aspect of this began with individuals such as Tertullian, Lactantius, St. Augustine, and later Martin Luther who promoted religious freedom. Luther, standing before Emperor Charles V and the Diet of Worms in 1521 declared: â€Å"Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the word of God. I cannot and will not recent any thing, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.God help me, Amen. † The First Amendment echoes the desire of prominent Christian forbears in promoting religious liberty and freedom of the individual (Schmidt 263). Christianity’s influence on education can be seen at its very inception with the teachings of Jesus who used words, parables, and human-life illustrations and taught others who then would become teachers themselves (Schmidt 170). Schmidt notes that the earliest Christians were mostly Jews who came from a long-standing tradition that valued formal education. St.Paul in his epistles makes references to Christians teaching in Ephesus, Corinth, Rome, Thessalonica, as well as other places (171). Teaching continued after the death of the apostles and in the very early church (A. D. 80-110) the Didache, basically an instruction manual for new converts to Christianity, appeared. Ignatius, a bishop of Antioch in the first decade of the second century, in sisted that children be taught the Scriptures and a skilled trade, a concept carried over from the Jews (Schmidt 171). Jesus Christ’s command to the disciples and all Christians was to teach people â€Å"all things† that he commanded him.Newcomers, in preparation for baptism and church membership, were taught orally by the question and answer method. Both men and women over a period of two to three years were catechized and first were instructed in the teacher’s home (Schmidt 171). These types of instruction lead to formal catechetical schools with a strong emphasis on the literary. Justin Martyr, around A. D. 150, established schools in Ephesus and in Rome. Other schools quickly spread throughout the regions. The school is Alexandria, Egypt was well noted for its literary qualities (Schmidt 171).Christian doctrine was the primary focus of these schools though the one in Alexandria also taught mathematics and medicine and when Origen succeeded Clement he added g rammar classes (Schmidt 172). Although Christians were not the first to engage in formal teaching it appears they were the first to teach both sexes in the same setting. Schmidt notes W. M. Ramsey as stating that Christianity’s aim was â€Å"universal education, not education confined to the rich, as among Greeks and Romans†¦and it [made] no distinction of sex† (172).St. Augustine once said that Christian women were better informed in divine matters than the pagan male philosophers (Schmidt 172). Details on the education of children are not known until the fourth to the tenth century when cathedrals and episcopal schools were maintained by bishops. The schools taught not only Christian doctrine but also the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and quadrivium (arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy). The espiscopal schools primarily trained priests but also enrolled others.Children of royalty and the higher social ranks attended the cathedral schools and othe rs were instructed in monasteries or nunneries, where girls predominated. Although children were encouraged to enter church vocations most entered secular ones. At the time of the Reformation, Martin Luther, to his dismay, found widespread ignorance when he visited the churches in Saxony. He proceeded to write Small Catechism in 1529 noting that the common people had little to no knowledge of Christian teachings and that many pastors were incompetent to teach. He criticized the bishops for this indiscretion (Schmidt 176).Luther urged a state school system â€Å"to include vernacular primary schools for sexes, Latin secondary schools, and universities. † He also said that parents who failed to teach their children were â€Å"shameful and despicable† (Schmidt 177). Education in early America was built on the heels of the Reformation of the sixteenth century which â€Å"stressed reclamation of all of life, with education as an essential transforming force (DeMar, America ’s Christian Heritage, 39). Modeling the Academy of Geneva (founded by John Calvin in 1559), universities sprang up that would apply the Bible to all of life (DeMar 39).On of the first colleges to be founded was Harvard in 1636 three years after John Eliot (1604-1690) first proposed a college for Massachusetts Bay. Harvard’s curriculum emphasized the study of biblical languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic), logic, divinity (theology), and communication (public speaking and rhetoric). Latin also linked students to classical studies and the writings of the church fathers (DeMar 43). The Puritans held to the belief that the collegiate education proper for a minister should also be the same for educated laymen.There was no great distinction between secular and theological learning (DeMar 44). The early motto of Harvard was Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae (â€Å"Truth for Christ and the Church†). Harvard’s motto today has been reduced simply to Veritas (DeMar 45) . Other early universities built exclusively on Christian principles were William and Mary (1693), Yale (1701), Princeton (1746), King’s College (1754), Brown (1764), Rutgers (1766), and Dartmouth (1769) (p. 42). The education of colonial children was provided by a curriculum of three books in addition to theBible: the Hornbook, the New England Primer, and the Bay Psalm book. The Hornbook, a single parchment attached to a wooden paddle, contained the alphabet, the Lord’s Prayer, and religious doctrines written or printed on it. The 1690 first edition of the Primer contained the names of the Old and New Testament books, the Lord’s Prayer, â€Å"An Alphabet of Lessons for Youth,† the Apostle’s Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Westminster Assembly Shorter Catechism, and John Cotton’s â€Å"Spiritual Milk for American Babes† (DeMar 41). The Primer was the most commonly used textbook for almost 200 years.Another popular textbook was The Mc Guffey Reader (Schippe 9). Noah Webster, educator and compiler of the 1828 An American Dictionary of the English Language wrote: â€Å"Education without the Bible is useless. † (DeMar, America’s Christian Heritage, 40) Christian faith was integrated into every facet of education in early America. Christianity’s influence on language, literature, and the arts is often overlooked and even taken for granted. Without the Bible much of what we enjoy today would be non-existent. The English language incorporates many words and phrases taken from the Bible when first translated.In 1380 John Wycliffe translated the Scriptures in its entirety and from it appears many of the words we still use today including the words adoption, ambitious, cucumber, liberty, and scapegoat among others (Schippe 12). William Tyndale translated the first English translation from the original texts. A gifted linguist skilled in eight languages with impeccable insights into Hebrew and Greek, T yndale was eager to translate the Bible so even â€Å"the boy that drives the plow† could know the Bible (Schippe 13). Some familiar words and phrases of his include: â€Å"let there be light (Genesis 1. 3),† â€Å"the powers that be (Romans 13. ),† â€Å"a law unto themselves (Romans 2. 14),† and â€Å"fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6. 12)† (Schippe 13). The influence of Tyndale on the English language was solidified in the publication of the 1611 King James Bible which retained about 94 percent of Tyndale’s work (Schippe 12). A renowned scholar on the literature of the Bible, Alistair McGrath notes, â€Å"Without the King James Bible, there would have been no Paradise Lost, no Pilgrim’s Progress, no Handel’s Messiah, no Negro spirituals, and no Gettysburg Address† (Schippe 12). Despite the hostility and persecution towards the Christians in the early centuries under Nero and Domitian and ater under the Catholic Church prior to the Reformation the Scriptures were meticulously copied by the priests and monks which in later years were translated into the languages of the common people even under threat of punishment (Schippe 14). Tyndale first worked in secret and when later betrayed and about to be burnt at the stake he called out, â€Å"Lord, open the King of England’s eyes. † Within a year King Henry allowed English Bibles to be distributed. Two million English Bibles were distributed throughout a country of just over six million nearly seventy-five years after Tyndale’s death (Schippe 14).Writers, artists, and musicians over the centuries have been greatly influenced by the Bible. From Dante to Milton to Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the words and themes found in the Scriptures have made their way into much of the literature we study and enjoy today. Other great writers in the history of Western Civilization include Chaucer, William Shakespeare, John Donne, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herma n Melville, William Blake, T. S. Eliot, and William Faulkner, to name a few (Schippe 44). Art depicting biblical scenes was made popular especially during the Renaissance with artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt.Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most famous composers, was greatly influenced by the Scriptures. His Magnificant was written for the Christmas service of 1723 at St. Thomas’s Church in Leipzig (Schippe 237). The cantata, a genre of vocal music in the Baroque period and a key part of the German Lutheran service, was primarily used in Bach’s music. A deeply religious man, Bach signed his cantatas â€Å"S. D. G. , which stands for Soli Deo Gloria—â€Å"to God alone the glory† (Schippe 237). Many other forms of music known today have Christian roots such as the sonata, the symphony, and the oratorio.Most forms of music began as psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and the outgrowth from there progressed as the monks and churches spre ad throughout the ages. Ambrose (340-97) first had members of his congregation sing psalms antiphonally and allowed all people to participate in the morning and evening church services by setting the words of his hymns to â€Å"an easy metrical form, the iambic diameter (Schippe 316). Biblical stories were dramatized and performed in song as early as the ninth century. A well-known church drama in the tenth century was Visitatio sepulchri (The Visit to [Christ’s] Sepulcher). Schmidt notes there is good eason to believe the opera evolved out of church dramas that appeared five hundred years before the Renaissance (316-17). The works of Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, and Mendelssohn among others have greatly been influenced by the words of the Bible; oftentimes the music itself directly reflected that influence (Schippe 328-29). With the publishing of Andrew Dickson White’s A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom in 1896 the idea that Christianity w as responsible for the arrival of science has largely been pushed out of the minds of the people, especially in academic circles (Schmidt 218-19).However, there is a pronounced difference between the pagan and Christian religions, that being the Christian presupposition of one God who is a rational being. Schmidt asks the question, ‘If God is a rational being, then may not human beings, who are made in his image, also employ rational processes to study and investigate the world in which they live? † (219). It was Robert Grosseteste (ca. 1168-1253), a Franciscan bishop and first chancellor of Oxford University, who first proposed the inductive, experimental method and his student, Roger Bacon (1214-94) who asserted that â€Å"all things must be verified by experience. Nearly three hundred years later Francis Bacon (1561-1626) gave momentum to the inductive method by recording his experimental results. Bacon has been called â€Å"the practical creator of scientific induc tion. † Besides his scientific interests he also devoted time to theology and wrote treatises on the Psalms and prayer (Schmidt 219). The inductive empirical method guided by rational procedures stood in stark contrast from the ancient Greek perspective of Aristotle which had a stranglehold on the world for fifteen hundred years.Even after these empirically minded individuals introduced their idea the scholastic world for the most part continued to hold to Aristotelianism which was the real â€Å"struggle† between the Catholic Church and science (Schmidt 219-220). One other prominent presupposition of Christianity is that God, who created the world, is separate and distinct from it unlike Aristotelian philosophy which saw the gods and universe intertwined. Pantheism regarded the scientific method as sacrilegious and an affront to divine nature and thus only in Christian thought where God and nature are separate would science be possible (Schmidt 221).Schmidt quotes Lynn White, historian of medieval science, as saying â€Å"From the thirteenth century onward into the eighteenth every major scientist, in effect, explained his motivations in religious terms† (222). William Occam (1280-1349) had a great influence on the development of modern science. His concept known as â€Å"Occam’s Razor† was the scientific principle that states that what can be done or explained with the fewest assumptions should be used. It is the principle of parsimony.As was common with almost all medieval natural philosophers, Occam did not confine himself to scientific matters and wrote two theological treatises, one dealing with the Lord’s Supper and the other with the body of Christ, both of which had a tremendous impact on Martin Luther’s thinking (Schmidt 222). Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519), while a great artist and painter was also a scientific genius who analyzed and theorized in the areas of botany, optics, physics, hydraulics, and ae ronautics. However, his greatest benefit to science was in the study of physiology in which he produced meticulous drawings of the human body (Schmidt 223).Andreas Vesalius (1514-64) followed in Da Vinci’s footsteps. In his famous work, De humani corpis fabrica (Fabric of the Human Body), published in 1543, he corrects over two hundred errors in Galen’s physiological writings. (Galen was a Greek physician of the second century) The errors were largely found by dissecting cadavers (Schmidt 223). The branch of genetics flourished under the work of Gregor Johann Mendel (1822-1884), an Augustinian monk, who after studying Darwin’s theory of evolution rejected it (Schmidt 224). In the field of astronomy great advances were made under devout Christian men Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo.In physics we encounter Isaac Newton (1642-1727), Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716), Blaise Pascal (1623-62), Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), Georg Simon Ohm (1787-1854), Andre Ampere (1775-1836), Michael Faraday (1791-1867), and William Thompson Kelvin (1824-1907). These men held to a strong Christian faith as evidenced by their writings. Before he died, Kepler was asked by an attending Lutheran pastor where he placed his faith. Kepler replied, â€Å"Solely and alone in the work of our redeemer Jesus Christ. † Kepler, who only tried â€Å"thinking God’s thoughts after him,† died with the Christian faith planted firmly in his mind and heart.His epitaph, penned four months before his death stated: I used to measure the heavens, Now I must measure the earth. Though sky-bound was my spirit, My earthly body rests here (Schmidt 230). Such was the mindset of the fathers of modern science who held to deeply religious beliefs and saw no contradiction between faith and science. Had it not been for those men who believed in a rational God who created rational men who sought only to understand the world that God had created and obeyed the command to ha ve â€Å"dominion† (Genesis 1. 28) over the earth, science would not be as it is today.History books are filled with the rich details of men and women whose lives were changed by Jesus Christ and impacted the world through ideas found in Scripture in a wide array of disciplines. To deny the influence of Christianity on Western Civilization is to deny history altogether. Although at certain times there loomed dark areas in church history by those who deviated from the faith the overall positive contributions far outweigh the negative. There is no mistaking the fact that Christianity has changed the world for the better. Works Cited DeMar, G. (2001).God and Government: A Biblical and Historical Study. Powder Springs, GA: American Vision. DeMar, G. (2003). America’s Christian Heritage. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Morris, B. (2007). The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States. Powder Springs, GA: American Vision. The Ref ormation Study Bible. R. C. Sproul, gen. ed. Orlando: Ligioner Ministries: 2005. Schippe, C. , & Stetson, C. (2006). The Bible and Its Influence. Fairfax, VA: BLP Publishing. Schmidt, A. (2004). How Christianity Changed the World. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Assignment # 3. Evaluation of Media Essays

Assignment # 3. Evaluation of Media Essays Assignment # 3. Evaluation of Media Essay Assignment # 3. Evaluation of Media Essay Many companies hire product placement firms to gain consumer recognition without the traditional sales tactics. Product placement is a form of advertising and promotion in which products are placed in television shows and or movies to gain exposure. In recent years this form of advertising has grown 46. 4 percent from 2003 to 2004 and grew another 22. 7 percent in 2005. It is now a $4. 5 billion industry (Belch Belch 2009). Strayer University is a college formerly known as Strayer college of Baltimore whose headquarters is in Arlington Virginia. The for-profit university currently has 88 locations and is assessable online internationally. In an attempt to further Strayer’s reach three media options are recommended: Content Sponsorship, Advetiainment and Ad-Supported Video on Demand. Utilizing these strategies will help Strayer develop a cohesive and appealing integrated marketing campaign. These strategies are called branded entertainment, which is a form of advertisement that blends marketing and entertainment through television, film, music, talent and technology. The first branded entertainment strategy that is recommended is Advertainment. Advertainment is the creation of video and/or music content by an advertiser in an attempt to entertain views while advertising their products. For example, a company may plan an outdoor concert for the sole purpose of advertising their brand. Strayer could benefit from this by planning a short series of commercials interviewing famous people or people with extraordinary stories that have graduated from a non traditional college and have become extremely successful. The second branded entertainment strategy is content sponsorship. Content sponsorship is when an advertiser rather than developing their own content; some advertisers agree to sponsor specific programs, receiving product placement, integration and promotions in return. For example, MTV decides to have the MTV awards and they look for companies who wish to donate money to the events cost in return for advertisement opportunities during the scheduled event. Strayer University can benefit from this strategy by sponsoring a new movie that is coming on television for the first time. The type of movie that they should sponsor should be one that targets their specific consumer: career professionals, parents, and non traditional students. Lastly, the Ad-Supported Video on Demand branded entertainment strategy. Ad-Supported Video on Demand is specialized content programs offered through cable TV networks that are developed by advertisers and provided to the cable operators for free (Belch Belch 2009). Strayer University could benefit from this type of advertisement by producing a short presentation on the success stories of Strayer University. After considering the branded entertainment strategies, media planning is of paramount importance. Media planning is a series of decisions involved in the delivery of an advertising message to prospective purchasers and or users of a product or services. The media plan determines the best way to get the advertisers message to the market (Belch Belch 2009). In other words, we will use branded entertainment techniques however, what are the best ways to do so? Would sponsoring a music video award show be better than sponsoring an outdoor concert? Decisions such as these are critical to creating a successful integrated marketing campaign. Situation Analysis Strayer currently has 88 campus locations and is assessable on the World Wide Web. Strayer currently has 45, 491 students enrolled ( Strayer University). Strayer’s current competitors are other online universities such as Devry, Capella, Waldern and Phoenix. In addition to the online universities Strayer also competes with public and private universities. However, at this time Strayer targets the nontraditional student by the tagline â€Å"we fit your life†. Media Plan The recommended media plan begins with the goal of making Strayer known as the non traditional school for non traditional people who are ready to excel. First, the university would use ad a job fair from noon until the eight in the evening at a hotel. In order creating a job fair and them sponsor a Movie on television. In addition, Strayer should produce a 30 minute movie to be watched on video on demand about strayer success stories. During each of the previous advertiaiment and sponsorship strayer should advertise for its on demand movie. The range on the TV advertianment and sponsorship is vast. If the sponoship is done at the right time, on lifetime the commercials can be expected to reach 3. 9 milliion viewers. The premiere of Jennifer Love Hewitts original movie on Monday night about a housewife turned prostitute hooked Lifetime the second-largest telefilm delivery of 2010 reaching 3. 9 million viewers on July 19, according to Nielsen data. Included in that total were 2. 09 million adults 25 to 54, 1. 88 million persons 18 to 49, 1. 36 million females 18 to 49 and 1. million women 25 to 54 ( internet source). In addition, Rentrak stated that, VOD viewers spent more than 3. 1 billion hours watching on-demand content last year. In an average month, 45% of enabled set-top boxes are accessing VOD. Active users of VOD are ordering an average of 16. 4 free programs per month, 8. 7 subscription programs and 2. 0 movies-on-demand. Viewers placed 5. 1 billion FOD orders and spent nearly 1. 6 billion hours watching FOD cont ent. Subscription VOD content generated 1. 6 billion transactions and more than 1. 1 billion hours of playtime. Transactional VOD content generated over 208 million orders, totaling over $963 million in gross revenues. Frequency The frequency is the number of times a person must be exposed to an advertising message before a response is made and before exposure is considered wasteful. Thomas Smith wrote a guide called Successful Advertising in 1885 that is still being used today which states found the following: The first time people look at any given ad, they dont even see it. The second time, they dont notice it. The third time, they are aware that it is there. The fourth time, they have a fleeting sense that theyve seen it somewhere before. The fifth time, they actually read the ad. The sixth time they thumb their nose at it. The seventh time, they start to get a little irritated with it. The eighth time, they start to think, Heres that confounded ad again. The ninth time, they start to wonder if theyre missing out on something. The tenth time, they ask their friends and neighbors if theyve tried it. The eleventh time, they wonder how the company is paying for all these ads. The twelfth time, they start to think that it must be a good product. The thirteenth time, they start to feel the product has value. The fourteenth time, they start to remember wanting a product exactly like this for a long time. The fifteenth time, they start to yearn for it because they cant afford to buy it. The sixteenth time, they accept the fact that they will buy it sometime in the future. The seventeenth time, they make a note to buy the product. The eighteenth time, they curse their poverty for not allowing them to buy this terrific product. The nineteenth time, they count their money very carefully. The twentieth time prospects see the ad, they buy what is offering. Based on this philosophy, our frequency number will be 20. During the Advertainment, we will make sure that we expose our attendees to the Job Fair advertisement at least 20 times before the date. During the sponsoring of our movie we will make sure that we involve our advertisement 20 times and have our video on demand advertisement make reference to strayer 20 times.

Big Bills Battle essays

Big Bills Battle essays Big Bills Battle Gwynne McCauley November 14, 2001 English 3-W Big Bill Haywood (1869-1928) was one of the most radical, determined, and influential labor leaders of his time. He was sent by his mother to work in the mines at the mere age of nine, and thus started his life-long battle for the rights of miners. Haywood supported and donated his time and effort to many labor groups. Big Bill founded a chapter of the W.F.M (Western Federation of Miners) and later founded the largest union, the I.W.W (Industrial Workers of the World). He endured many hardships that came with his demanding covenant, jail time, death threats, and the continuous battles between the Pinkerton Detective Agency and the workers on strike. Nevertheless, he had a blind ambition to change the world of labor unions, and that he did. Mining was a profession that was very popular in the late 1800s through the middle 1900s. It was a tough job with many serious injuries; little notice was taken of these injuries. Every year hundreds of men lost their lives to the dangerous work of mining. These deaths and injuries were not fussed over in any way; the risk came with the job. There were many who objected to this cold, un-feeling attitude, not to mention the lack of health care or safety precautions. Others took it as a fact and went on, some claimed to have no opinion, hoping that someday an organization would rise up and change the harsh conditions of mining work. The process of ga...

Arthur Black

In his essay Canadian Passion Not Flagging, Black talks about how the Americans wave their flag and Canadians do not. Americans have their flag everywhere; hanging inside malls, and even at the gas stations. In his essay Canada: Too Polite to Live, it says how the American Declaration of Independence demands life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Canadians have settled for peace, order, and good government. Another difference between Americans and Canadians according to Arthur Black is that the Americans know much more about their countries history than Canadians know about theirs. Toronto is definitely not one of Arthur Black’s favourite places to be. He explains in the essay Toronto: Not Quite Ready for Prime Time, Black says how â€Å"it doesn’t have the easy beauty of Vancouver, or the joire de vivre of Montreal. It lacks the architectural grace of Ottawa and the mountainscape backdrop of Calgary†. Black says it feels fast, brittle, cold, and arrogant, and that it is all about money. He says how Torontonians do not look like they are having a good time, and at sporting events the fans are much quieter than other cities in Canada. Arthur Black also says how Toronto people do not really care about the meaning of things; they just want it to be productive. Black says how they think ‘The Rock’ (massive slab of Muskoka granite) is a waste of space in the downtown park. It is pointless and they would rather have something there that would make money. Toronto would not be the place Arthur would choose to live in for the rest of his life. Arthur Black would define Canada as a lot of things. He says how Canadians don’t know their own national anthem, and in the article O Cana-a-do (re, mi) Arthur talks about how if a Canadian is accused of being an American, they will fight until it is proven otherwise. Also, to be Canadian, it is almost a must to have an interest in hockey. Hockey is the one sport Canada can safely say they are the best at. People from Canada know a different level of cold than places like the USA. In the article A Samaritan with Jumper Cables, Black says how â€Å"this aint a country; this is winter. † Also in that article, he tells some stories about how polite and kind people from Canada are and how if the car spun off the road or ran out of gas, Canadians would be there to help right away. Arthur Black’s main classification of Canada is polite, and that is most likely the rest of the world’s opinion also. Your Canada Winter in Canada is much different than winter in other countries. For one, it is much longer. Winter lasts about six to eight months, and it can be unbearably cold. The days are significantly shorter than summer, which makes it that much harder to wake up for the day at school or at work. Having to shovel the driveway isn’t Canadians favorite pastime at seven in the morning when they are going to be late for work. Also what needs to be taken into account is making sure the car is plugged in during the night. When that is forgotten in the cold days of winter, it is pretty hard to get anywhere because no car would start if it was sitting outside. The season of winter in Canada isn’t all bad though, it is very pretty at times. Waking up and looking out the window to a fresh blanket of snow is one of the greatest sights for a Canadian. Also, sitting by the fire place with it white outside, drinking a warm cup of cocoa is the best on a snowy day. Winter for Canadians also means hockey. Whether it is hockey in a rink or shinny on a frozen pond, Canadians love their hockey. For many Canadians, being active in winter is an important part of enjoying life. There are many other outdoor winter activities, including skiing, ice fishing, walking, skating and tobogganing, amongst others. Winter also means Christmas. Christmas is the longest break for students in school, so it is a much anticipated holiday. It seems like everyone is in a much better mood when Christmas is coming, it might be because they get to see family and they get time to put up their feet and relax. Sometimes people from other countries will ask â€Å"how do you tell people apart when they bundle themselves with a winter jacket†, but the truth is, that’s exactly how to tell people apart. People around the city get to know what jacket others have, and that becomes their identity. It sure saves a lot of time picking out an outfit to wear for the day when a winter jacket ends up covering it up anyways. The cold winter days are also a great time to catch up on the missed TV shows. In the summer, there is always something to do because the days are bright so long. In winter, it gets dark at around six, which leaves plenty of time to catch up on favorite TV seasons. Canadians are winter experts and know how to make it the best it can possibly be. Arthur Black In his essay Canadian Passion Not Flagging, Black talks about how the Americans wave their flag and Canadians do not. Americans have their flag everywhere; hanging inside malls, and even at the gas stations. In his essay Canada: Too Polite to Live, it says how the American Declaration of Independence demands life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Canadians have settled for peace, order, and good government. Another difference between Americans and Canadians according to Arthur Black is that the Americans know much more about their countries history than Canadians know about theirs. Toronto is definitely not one of Arthur Black’s favourite places to be. He explains in the essay Toronto: Not Quite Ready for Prime Time, Black says how â€Å"it doesn’t have the easy beauty of Vancouver, or the joire de vivre of Montreal. It lacks the architectural grace of Ottawa and the mountainscape backdrop of Calgary†. Black says it feels fast, brittle, cold, and arrogant, and that it is all about money. He says how Torontonians do not look like they are having a good time, and at sporting events the fans are much quieter than other cities in Canada. Arthur Black also says how Toronto people do not really care about the meaning of things; they just want it to be productive. Black says how they think ‘The Rock’ (massive slab of Muskoka granite) is a waste of space in the downtown park. It is pointless and they would rather have something there that would make money. Toronto would not be the place Arthur would choose to live in for the rest of his life. Arthur Black would define Canada as a lot of things. He says how Canadians don’t know their own national anthem, and in the article O Cana-a-do (re, mi) Arthur talks about how if a Canadian is accused of being an American, they will fight until it is proven otherwise. Also, to be Canadian, it is almost a must to have an interest in hockey. Hockey is the one sport Canada can safely say they are the best at. People from Canada know a different level of cold than places like the USA. In the article A Samaritan with Jumper Cables, Black says how â€Å"this aint a country; this is winter. † Also in that article, he tells some stories about how polite and kind people from Canada are and how if the car spun off the road or ran out of gas, Canadians would be there to help right away. Arthur Black’s main classification of Canada is polite, and that is most likely the rest of the world’s opinion also. Your Canada Winter in Canada is much different than winter in other countries. For one, it is much longer. Winter lasts about six to eight months, and it can be unbearably cold. The days are significantly shorter than summer, which makes it that much harder to wake up for the day at school or at work. Having to shovel the driveway isn’t Canadians favorite pastime at seven in the morning when they are going to be late for work. Also what needs to be taken into account is making sure the car is plugged in during the night. When that is forgotten in the cold days of winter, it is pretty hard to get anywhere because no car would start if it was sitting outside. The season of winter in Canada isn’t all bad though, it is very pretty at times. Waking up and looking out the window to a fresh blanket of snow is one of the greatest sights for a Canadian. Also, sitting by the fire place with it white outside, drinking a warm cup of cocoa is the best on a snowy day. Winter for Canadians also means hockey. Whether it is hockey in a rink or shinny on a frozen pond, Canadians love their hockey. For many Canadians, being active in winter is an important part of enjoying life. There are many other outdoor winter activities, including skiing, ice fishing, walking, skating and tobogganing, amongst others. Winter also means Christmas. Christmas is the longest break for students in school, so it is a much anticipated holiday. It seems like everyone is in a much better mood when Christmas is coming, it might be because they get to see family and they get time to put up their feet and relax. Sometimes people from other countries will ask â€Å"how do you tell people apart when they bundle themselves with a winter jacket†, but the truth is, that’s exactly how to tell people apart. People around the city get to know what jacket others have, and that becomes their identity. It sure saves a lot of time picking out an outfit to wear for the day when a winter jacket ends up covering it up anyways. The cold winter days are also a great time to catch up on the missed TV shows. In the summer, there is always something to do because the days are bright so long. In winter, it gets dark at around six, which leaves plenty of time to catch up on favorite TV seasons. Canadians are winter experts and know how to make it the best it can possibly be.

The strategy that was used by MTN Group to expand to different parts Essay

The strategy that was used by MTN Group to expand to different parts of the African and Middle Eastern markets - Essay Example In 1994, the government authority granted a license to Vodacom and Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) to operate mobile phone networks in South Africa (Oxford Business Group, 2008). The MTN Group had the vision â€Å"to be the leading provider of telecommunications in emerging markets† (Erasmus and Shenk, 2008 p61). This has been the watchword of MTN and the group is now operational in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East (Banhegyi, 2007). In all these countries, MTN has access to over 488 million people and has over 28 million subscribers (Banhegyi, 2007). It is now listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. In Africa, MTN has operations in Botswana, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Nigeria, Congo, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda and Zambia amongst other nations. MTN Group has its headquarters in South Africa where it all started. This paper examines the strategy that was used by MTN Group to expand to different parts of the African and Middle Eastern markets. It will examine the strategies from the context of dominant theories and ideas relating to international business. The second part of the research will examine the strategies for further expansion of MTN into other markets around the world. MTN Group Expansion Strategy In order to examine the expansion of MTN to different countries around the world, important elements and aspects of International Business will be examined. This include: Entry Mode Entry Timing Firm Size Institutional Matters Entry Mode Entry mode describes the methods and systems used by a business to expand into a foreign country (Andexer, 2008). It describes the various approaches that a business uses to create a presence in a foreign land. Popular methods include franchising, licensing and joint ventures (Ireland et al, 2011). According to Singh (2008), MTN expanded to other countries through a mixture of Greenfield Investments and Mergers/Acquisition. A Greenfield Investment is the â€Å"establishment of completely new operations in a foreign land† (Paul, 2009 p357). In some countries, MTN created new telecommunication companies that were meant to provide services. This was particularly popular in smaller and war thorne African countries that had limited infrastructure. This involved investing and creating new infrastructure from the scratch. Through this, MTN exported their resources to these new venues. They applied principles from South Africa and learnt about the local environments. Through this, they built brands and new systems in the foreign nations that they operated within. In other countries, MTN expanded through mergers and acquisitions. Mergers and acquisitions involve forming strong partnerships or acquiring other businesses in order to being operations in a new country (Johnson and Turner, 2009: MacDonald et al, 2011). MTN Group purchased other companies like Areeba and Spacefon technologies in several parts of the continent (Bridge, 2009). These two companies were sprawling brands in th e Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa (Pan, 2011). MTN just purchased these companies and took over their assets and began to operate in their capacity as an independent company in these foreign countries (Venter et al, 2009). Through this mixture of mergers and acquisitions and greenfield investments, MTN was able to set up different operations around the world. The shareholders of the South African company expanded their scope of control and took over these foreign and new markets. The mergers were mainly

20th Century American Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

20th Century American Liberalism - Essay Example However, these ideas were challenged, asserted or weakened by the modern philosophers such as David Ricci and Will Kymlyika as they introduced new thoughts and beliefs with regards individualism, behaviorism and equality in the field of political philosophy.David Ricci, a leading philosopher in the previous century, argued that many political scientists have produced a plethora of literature only to improve their possibilities of tenure and thus, sacrificed rationality in their search of novelty which can give a scholar quick fame and prove her worth in her field. Ricci also argued in his essay Behavioral Persuasion that the rise of behavioral science brought about the decline of political philosophy (Ricci 150). He also contends that the quantity of work on the field of behavioral science has not produced real breakthroughs and that the behavioral scientists failed to see how systems in politics function. This, according to Ricci, resulted to the field's ethical shortcomings as expe rts in this area studied pseudo-politics and not real politics nor moral agendas applied to the field of politics.... This clearly means that if there is a conflict between individual and collective rights, individual rights should prevail (Kymlicka 122) . Although Kymlica's contentions have their precedence in the works of Rawls especially the pairs of moral principles Rawls suggested in his works, their ideas on individualism do not take parallel paths. In Rawls lecture titled Powers of Citizens and Their Representation, Rawls argued that democratic institutions usually lead to pluralism as our differences and diversity, groupings and ethnic variety often results to divergence in opinions (Rawls 47-88). He added that citizens will mostly disagree on their ideas with regards moral and political question but this pluralism is 'reasonable' in modern society. However, Kymlicka clearly argued that in the conflict of individual and 'plural' rights, the rights of an individual should prevail. This does not mean, nevertheless, that Rawls does not advocate respect of an individual opinion. As a matter of fact, Rawls contends that it is unreasonable to unwillingly acknowledge the claims of others (Rawls 51). For Rawls, disparate philosophies are results of freedom and this should be viewed positively as this lead to a diversity of 'comprehensive philosophical and religious doctrines about the nature of the good or ultimate value'. If this difference leads to arguments, Rawls suggest that these altercations should be viewed favorably as it is always difficult to reach a consensus (Rawls 56-57). On the topic of moral psychology, we will find that Ricci and Rawls have totally disparate assertion. While Ricci 'blames' behaviorism on what he claims as the culprit for

Principle Of Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Principle Of Economics - Essay Example As stated in Sloman & et. al. (2012), various policymakers and economists use GDP as the measure of economic well-being. Countries are also often graded according to their GDP values in order to decode their economic development in comparison to other economies in the global network (Sloman & et. al., 2012). However, an in-depth understanding to the concept reveals that economists cannot or most justifiably should not focus only on measuring GDP when quantifying the progress of an economy. In other words, there are certain limitations possessed by the concept of evaluating national progress or development depending exclusively on GDP. For instance, GDP has often been criticised to lack in measuring the outputs of all services as well as goods. As a result, the values of few goods as well as services go unrecorded; thus, understating the nation’s economic growth. There are mainly two reasons for GDP to lack in recording goods as well as services. For example, when people tend t o perform their own labour work without involving a third party, the manpower invested or otherwise marketed is not recorded in GDP statics. Illustratively, if parents hire a babysitter for their baby, the service cost is counted as the part of GDP; but, if the parents decide to stay back at home and deliver their services to take care of their baby, the countable opportunity cost of hiring a professional is not considered as the part of the GDP. At the national level, hen similar attributes remain uncounted or ignored to be measured appropriately, the national activities remain understated and the true value of economic production becomes erroneous (Sloman & et. al, 2012). Similarly, GDP calculation procedure also does not take into account the currency flow generated through illegal trading that is commonly attributed as ‘underground economy’. Underground economy specifically comprises of illegal and undeclared transactions. The transaction could be illegal in the for ms of drugs trading, prostitution and smuggling among others. Again, the transaction can be stated as undeclared only in the sense that they are not exposed for the tax purpose and hence, remain unidentified in the GDP calculation procedure (Sloman & et. al., 2012). It is in this context that GDP lacks accounting for intangible variables sourced within the nation to ensure the well-being such as health, happiness, and woes. It also does not include environmental impacts of production functions practiced within the economy, additionally ignoring the unequal distribution of health (Sloman & et. al., 2012). Notably, one major problem faced by economists when measuring well-being or similar intangible variables by using GDP is that it does not include population of a nation into an account. If these variables are taken into account, countries like India and China, those have greater volume of population, shall be better off in comparison to Australia, which is much advanced than the men tioned nations in terms of technology, infrastructure and other production function variables. Again, as per the common principles of GDP, when the production increases it may be attributed to the technological advancement. On the contrary,

Fiscal Impact That Economic Crisis Has Had On Law Enforcement Essay

Fiscal Impact That Economic Crisis Has Had On Law Enforcement Organizations - Essay Example Since then, policing has been a significant division of the public. Since policing is an important sector in the society. The police of the 21st century are faced with new challenges that need to be discussed. This easy is going to take the readers through the five most important challenges that the 21st centaury police are facing. These five main challenges include governance, cost and cuts, resources, crime and detection and operational priority. Considering the above challenges brings as to the main statement: The officers of Law Enforcement are faced with numerous challenges today as they risk their lives to defend and serve their communities. The tripartite model of Police Authority, Chief Constable and Home Office is very unclear with the existing grate confusion over the roles and responsibility. A solution needs to provide for the professional governance of the police service which is in a confused mess. The removal of NPIA and the changes cried out in SOCA model are a sign the challenges are being treated with seriousness. There are numerous quangos and technical empires and fiefdoms. The skills and expertise contained inside the large number of departments need consolidation and identification, applying the formulae of money value for areas and individuals. The ACPO statue plus all of his 349 members need to be repositioned and remodeled so that there is an increment in accountability and transparency. For there to be confident from the public, the reposition must start from the top with the structure of governance that makes the people who found it accountable, instead of the self perpetuating oligarchy that curren tly pervades. The question that the readers need to ask themselves is that, should there be 43 separately governed different forces within Wales and England (May and Herbert, 2010)? After many years of growth, the pressure in the service has heightened for them to demonstrate that they

American Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American Law - Essay Example The power is there restrained to Indians not members of any of the states, and is not to violate or infringe the legislative right of any state within its own limits. What description of Indians were to be deemed members of a state, had been a question of frequent contention and perplexity in the federal councils. And how the trade with Indians, though not members of a state, yet residing within its legislative jurisdiction, could be regulated by an external authority, without so far intruding on the internal rights of legislation, seems altogether incomprehensible. A regular system of free and speedy communication, is of vital importance to the mercantile interest, but on a wider scale we must also admit it to be of the first consequence to the general benefit. In time of peace, it tends to keep the people duly informed of their political interests; it assists the measures of government, and the private intercourse of individuals. During a war, the rapid communication of intelligence, by means of the post, and the greater facility of transferring bodies of men or munitions of war, to different places, by the aid of good roads, are evident advantages. If these establishments should in practice produce no revenue, the expense would be properly chargeable to the Union, and the proceeds of taxation in the common forms be justly applied to defray it. If, however, as has proved to be the case, the post office yields a revenue, which is with the other revenues of the United States applicable only to the general service, it is obvious, that no state o ught to interfere by establishing a post office of its own. This is therefore an exclusive power so far as relates to the conveyance of letters, &c. In regard to post roads, it is unnecessary, and therefore would be unwarrantable in congress where a sufficient road already exists, to make another; and on the other hand, no state has a power to deny or obstruct the passage of the mail, or the passage of troops, or the property of the United States over its public roads. The power given to congress, in respect to this subject, was brought into operation soon after the Constitution was adopted, and various provisions have at different times been enacted, founded on the principle of its being an exclusive power. It has been made a constitutional question, whether congress has a right to open a new mail road through a state or states for general purposes, involving the public benefit, and the same doubt has been extended to the right of appropriating money in aid of canals through states. At the end of the Revolution, the United States was in a difficult economic position. Its resources were drained, its credit shaky and

Fast Food in US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fast Food in US - Essay Example They are modeled after success, and as long as you go away with food in hand, they really could care less about the effects it has on you, or your life down the long road. This is what Eric Schlosser took a deep look into in the book Fast Food Nation. Using witty examples and biting realism, Schlosser was able to tear apart the wrapper surrounding the Big Mac that is the fast food industry. Showing the whole what they really were eating, Schlosser offered a unique journalistic look into the making, formation, and distribution of the one of the most beloved things in America: Food. The companies probably weren't expecting this to happen. They were safe under the wrappers they had made, and didn't want people to know how unhealthy the food is, and how it really is all part of a consumer fraud in a way, where the supplier is supplying the consumer with something that is unhealthy while making no attempts to change this. One of the main reasons the companies do as good as they do is their products. In today's fast paced society, everybody is busy, hustling around, always moving. We live in a very fast paced society, and time is money. And everybody needs to eat, but not everybody can find the time to sit down at an expensive meal. Money is also an issue here. Some people can't afford to eat out all the time. The state of families is not what is was years ago, and in effect, is causing more people to eat out compared to what they used to. So here comes fast food to save the day. Offering a quick and easy solution to each of these problems, fast food is quick, easy, cheap and simple. It offers a quick hamburger to a busy businessman, or to a family who only has a spare few minutes in which time they need to eat dinner. Fast food offers all of these solutions, and with new to go orders and serving sizes, the convenience only continues to grow. As popularity grows, so does the message, you can come here and get a quick food in the middle of your fast passed life. No busy lines, no busy sit down restaurants, just a cheap easy and quick meal. Than it itself offers a lot to customers and really widens the fan base of such fast food joints. Convenience and price are two factors of the product, but only a small part of the large picture of the product. Mass producing the product is important, and I am not just talking about mass producing the product actually, but in the people's minds. Images of good looking fast food sandwiches are thrown every, on build boards, on commercials on tv, on magazine ads, everywhere you look is the image of a good tasting burger. This is very in your face advertising, but when a person needs something quick, they remember that add and that image and go back to that fast food place to eat. The image of the product that is displayed is just as important as the actual product, and the fast food companies make sure to display a good quality image, and to display it all over the place, well engrained into people's memories. All of these are strong factors to the product of fast food, but one of the next items is how the food is actually presented. Although most fast food is not different from one another, they would have you believe that it is way better than the other guys, and the competition between the chains keeps more and more original

American Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American Law - Essay Example The power is there restrained to Indians not members of any of the states, and is not to violate or infringe the legislative right of any state within its own limits. What description of Indians were to be deemed members of a state, had been a question of frequent contention and perplexity in the federal councils. And how the trade with Indians, though not members of a state, yet residing within its legislative jurisdiction, could be regulated by an external authority, without so far intruding on the internal rights of legislation, seems altogether incomprehensible. A regular system of free and speedy communication, is of vital importance to the mercantile interest, but on a wider scale we must also admit it to be of the first consequence to the general benefit. In time of peace, it tends to keep the people duly informed of their political interests; it assists the measures of government, and the private intercourse of individuals. During a war, the rapid communication of intelligence, by means of the post, and the greater facility of transferring bodies of men or munitions of war, to different places, by the aid of good roads, are evident advantages. If these establishments should in practice produce no revenue, the expense would be properly chargeable to the Union, and the proceeds of taxation in the common forms be justly applied to defray it. If, however, as has proved to be the case, the post office yields a revenue, which is with the other revenues of the United States applicable only to the general service, it is obvious, that no state o ught to interfere by establishing a post office of its own. This is therefore an exclusive power so far as relates to the conveyance of letters, &c. In regard to post roads, it is unnecessary, and therefore would be unwarrantable in congress where a sufficient road already exists, to make another; and on the other hand, no state has a power to deny or obstruct the passage of the mail, or the passage of troops, or the property of the United States over its public roads. The power given to congress, in respect to this subject, was brought into operation soon after the Constitution was adopted, and various provisions have at different times been enacted, founded on the principle of its being an exclusive power. It has been made a constitutional question, whether congress has a right to open a new mail road through a state or states for general purposes, involving the public benefit, and the same doubt has been extended to the right of appropriating money in aid of canals through states. At the end of the Revolution, the United States was in a difficult economic position. Its resources were drained, its credit shaky and

Comparing Schools Essay Example for Free

Comparing Schools Essay This report provides advice on the collection and reporting of information about the performances of Australian schools. The focus is on the collection of nationally comparable data. Two purposes are envisaged: use by education authorities and governments to monitor school performances and, in particular, to identify schools that are performing unusually well or unusually poorly given their circumstances; and use by parents/caregivers and the public to make informed judgements about, and meaningful comparisons of, schools and their offerings. Our advice is based on a review of recent Australian and international research and experience in reporting on the performances of schools. This is an area of educational practice in which there have been many recent developments, much debate and a growing body of relevant research. Our work is framed by recent agreements of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), in particular, at its meeting on 29 November 2008: C OAG agreed that the new Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority will be supplied with the information necessary to enable it to publish relevant, nationally-comparable information on all schools to support accountability, school evaluation, collaborative policy development and resource allocation. The Authority will provide the public with information on each school in Australia that includes data on each school’s performance, including national testing results and school attainment rates, the indicators relevant to the needs of the student population and the school’s capacity including the numbers and qualifications of its teaching staff and its resources. The publication of this information will allow comparison of like schools (that is, schools with similar student populations across the nation) and comparison of a school with other schools in their local community. (COAG Meeting Outcomes) Our work also has been framed by the recently endorsed MCEETYA Principles for Reporting Information on Schooling (see Section 1. 4). Before summarising our specific recommendations, there are some general conclusions that we have reached from our review of international research and experience. The specific recommendations that follow are best understood in the context of these general conclusions: †¢ Vigilance is required to ensure that nationally comparable data on individual schools does not have the unintended consequence of focusing attention on some aspects of the purposes of schooling at the expense of other outcomes that are as important but not as easily measurable. Parents/caregivers and the public are interested in a broad range of information about schools, and nationally comparable data should be reported in the context of this broader information. †¢ Although it has become popular in education systems in some other parts of the world to use statistical models to develop ‘measures’ of school performance and to report these measures publicly in league tables, we believe that there are very v Reporting and Comparing School Performances  sound technical and educational reasons why school measures of this kind should not be used for public reporting and school comparisons. †¢ Related to this point, we are not convinced of the value of reporting ‘adjusted’ measures of student outcomes publicly. Measures of student outcomes should be reported without adjustment. †¢ To enable the comparison of unadjusted student outcomes across schools, we believe that a ‘like-schools’ methodology should be used. This methodology would allow parents/caregivers, the public, and education systems to compare outcomes for schools in similar circumstances. †¢ While point-in-time measures of student outcomes often are useful, it is difficult to establish the contributions that teachers and schools make to point-in-time outcomes. In general, measures of student gain/growth across the years of school provide a more useful basis for making judgements about the value that schools are adding. †¢ Measures of gain/growth are most appropriately based on measurement scales that can be used to monitor student progress across the years of school. The NAPLAN measurement scales are an example and provide educational data superior to that available in most other countries. Consideration should be given to developing national measurement scales for early literacy learning and in some subjects of the national curriculum. †¢ Initially reporting should build on the understandings that parents and the public have already developed. For example a school’s NAPLAN results should be reported in forms that are consistent with current NAPLAN reports for students. Although much work needs to be done in defining the most appropriate measures, the principle should be to build on the representations of data that are already familiar to people. Recommendations Our report makes the following specific recommendations: student outcome measures †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the literacy and numeracy skills of students in each school, using NAPLAN (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9). †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the tertiary entrance results of students in each senior secondary school. These data could be reported as the percentage of students achieving tertiary entrance ranks of 60 or above, 70 or above, 80 or above, and 90 or above (calculated as a percentage of the students achieving tertiary entrance ranks). †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the percentage of students in each senior secondary school completing Year 12 or equivalent; the percentage of students applying to all forms of post-school education; and the percentage of students completing VET studies. vi Reporting and Comparing School Performances †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the achievements of students in core national curriculum subjects (English, mathematics, science and history), beginning in 2010. National assessments could be developed initially at Year 10. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the early literacy learning of children in each primary school. These assessments will need to be developed and should be administered upon entry to school and used as a baseline for monitoring progress across the first few years of school. physical and human resources †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected about sources and amounts of funding received by each school, including all income to the school from State and Commonwealth governments, as well as details of fees payable by parents, including those that are mandatory and any voluntary levies that parents are expected to pay. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the numbers and qualifications of teaching staff in each school. Basic data would include academic qualifications, details of pre-service teacher education, and details of any advanced certification (eg, Advanced Skills Teacher; Level 3 Teacher). student intake characteristics †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the socio-economic backgrounds of students in each school. Data should be based on information collected at the individual student level, using at least parental occupation and, possibly, parental education levels, under the agreed MCEETYA definitions. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the percentage of students in each school of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background under the agreed MCEETYA definition. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the percentage of students in each school identified as having a language background other than English (LBOTE) under the agreed MCEETYA definition. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the geo-location of each school using a 3-category scale: metropolitan, provincial, and remote. †¢ Nationally comparable data should be collected on the percentage of students in each school with special educational needs. A nationally agreed definition of this category will need to be developed. like-school comparisons †¢ In reporting student outcome data for a school, data for like-schools should be provided as a point of comparison. Like-schools will be schools in similar circumstances and facing similar challenges. †¢ In determining ‘like-schools’, account should be taken of the percentage of students with Indigenous backgrounds, the socio-economic backgrounds of the students in the school, and the percentage of students from language backgrounds other than English. vii Reporting and Comparing School Performances †¢ For each school separately, like-schools should be identified as the schools most similar to that school on the above characteristics (rather than pre-defining a limited number of like-school categories). †¢ Work should commence as soon as possible on the development of an appropriate like-schools methodology. public reporting †¢ For the purpose of providing public information about schools, a common national website should be used to provide parents/caregivers and the public with access to rich information about individual schools. †¢ The national website should provide information about each school’s programs, philosophies, values and purposes, provided by the school itself, as well as nationally comparable data, provided centrally. †¢ Nationally comparable student outcome data should, wherever possible, provide information about current levels of attainment (ie, status), gain/growth across the years of school, and improvement in a school over time. †¢ The complete database for each state/territory should be made available to the relevant state/territory departments of education and other employing authorities, enabling them to interrogate data for their schools and to make judgments about school performances using aggregated data and national summary statistics. We believe that almost all nationally comparable data collected centrally could be reported publicly. The exceptions would arise when the public reporting of data may have negative and unintended consequences for schools. For example, we can envisage negative consequences arising from the reporting of the socio-economic backgrounds of students in a school, or of the financial circumstances of struggling, small schools (both government and non-government). We also believe that data reported publicly should be factual data about a school, and not the results of secondary analyses and interpretations that are open to debate (eg, value-added measures). viii Reporting and Comparing School Performances 1. INTRODUCTION In education, good decision making is facilitated by access to relevant, reliable and timely information. Dependable information is required at all levels of educational decision making to identify areas of deficiency and special need, to monitor progress towards goals, to evaluate the effectiveness of special interventions and initiatives, and to make decisions in the best interests of individual learners. The focus of this  paper is on the provision and use of information about individual schools. The starting point is the observation that relevant and reliable information about schools is required by a range of decision makers – including parents and caregivers, school principals and school leadership teams, system managers and governments, and the general public – all of whom require dependable information that they can use to maximise opportunities and outcomes for students. 1. 1 Audiences and Purposes  Parents and caregivers require valid and reliable information to evaluate the quality of the education their children are receiving, to make informed decisions in the best interests of individual students, and to become active partners in their children’s learning. They require dependable information about the progress individuals have made (the knowledge, skills and understandings developed through instruction), about teachers’ plans for future learning, and about what they can do to assist. There is also considerable evidence that parents and caregivers want information about how their children are performing in comparison with other children of the same age. And, if they are to make judgements about the quality of the education their children are receiving, they require information that enables meaningful comparisons across schools. School leaders require reliable information on student and school performances for effective school management. Research into factors underpinning school  effectiveness highlights the importance of the school leader’s role in establishing an environment in which student learning is accorded a central focus, and goals for improved performance are developed collaboratively by staff with a commitment to achieving them. School managers require dependable pictures of how well students in a school are performing, both with respect to school goals for improvement and with respect to past achievements and achievements in other, comparable schools. Governments and system managers require dependable information on the performance and progress of individual schools if they are to exercise their responsibilities for the delivery of quality education to all students. Effective management depends on an ability to monitor system-wide and school performances over time, to gauge the effectiveness of special programs and targeted resource allocations, to monitor the impact of policies, and to evaluate the success of initiatives aimed at traditionally disadvantaged and underachieving sections of the student population. Accurate, reliable information allows system managers to measure progress against past performances, to identify schools and issues requiring special attention, to target resources appropriately, and to set goals for future improvement. 1 Reporting and Comparing School Performances 1. 2 Forms of Information Because there are multiple audiences and purposes for information about schools, the forms of information required for effective decision making are different for different stakeholders. Parents and caregivers require a wide range of information, including information relating to their immediate needs (eg, Is the school easily accessible by public transport? Does it have an after-school program? What fees and/or levies does it charge? ); the ethos of the school (eg, What evidence is there of bullying/harassment? What are the espoused values of the school? Do students wear uniforms? What level of discipline is imposed? Who is the principal? ); their child’s likely educational experience (eg, Who will be my child’s teacher next year? Will they be in a composite class? How large will the class be? Does the school have a literacy intervention program? What extra-curricular activities are provided? ); and the school’s educational results (eg, Does the school achieve outstanding Year 12 results? ). School leaders require other forms of information, including information relating to staffing and resources (eg, What resources are available for music next year? How many beginning children have special learning needs? ); the effectiveness of initiatives (eg, Is there any evidence that the extra class time allocated to literacy this year made a difference?); and academic results (eg, How many Year 5 students did not meet the minimum performance standard in Reading? Have our results improved since last year? Are we still below the state average? How did last year’s Year 12 results compare with those of the neighbouring school? ). System managers and governments require still other forms of information, including information to monitor system-wide trends over time, to evaluate the effectiveness of attempts to raise standards and close gaps, and to identify schools that are performing unusually well or unusually poorly given their circumstances. In general, the schoollevel information required by system managers and governments is less fine-grained than the information required by parents, teachers and school leaders. Figure 1 displays schematically various forms of information that could be made available about a school, either publicly or to specific audiences (eg, system managers). The forms of evidence represented in Figure 1 are: A: student outcome measures that a school could choose to report Most schools report a wide range of information about the achievements of their students to their school communities. This information is reported in school newsletters, local and community newspapers, school websites, and at school events. The information includes details of Year 12 results, analyses of postschool destinations, results in national mathematics and science competitions, language certificates, awards, prizes, extra-curricular achievements, community recognition, and so on. Most schools take every opportunity to celebrate the achievements of their students and to announce these achievements publicly. 2 Reporting and Comparing School Performances Figure 1. Forms of information that could be made available about a school B:a sub-set of student outcome measures on which it is agreed to collect nationally comparable data Within the set of student outcome information that might be reported for a school, there could be a sub-set of outcomes on which it was agreed to collect nationally comparable data. A reason for identifying such a sub-set would be to ensure some common measures to facilitate school comparisons – within a local geographical area, across an entire education system, nationally, or within a group of ‘like’ schools. Inevitably, nationally comparable data would be collected for only some of the outcomes that schools, parents and communities value. Performances on common literacy and numeracy tests in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are an example of nationally comparable data currently in this category. C. physical and human resources measures that a school could choose to report Schools provide information in various forms and to various audiences about their physical and human resources. Information of this kind includes details of staff qualifications and teaching experience, staff turnover rates, school global budgets, computers and other technology, newly constructed facilities, bequests, results of fundraising drives, and so on. Some of this information may be reported to the school community; some may be kept confidential to the school, education system or government departments. D: a sub-set of physical and human resources measures on which it is agreed to collect nationally comparable data Within the set of physical and human resources measures reported for a school, there could be a sub-set of measures on which it was agreed to collect nationally comparable data. For example, there have been recent calls for greater consistency and transparency in the reporting of school funding arrangements (Dowling, 2007; 2008) and for more consistent national approaches to assessing and recognising teacher quality (Dinham, et al, 2008). 3 Reporting and Comparing School Performances E. student intake measures that a school could choose to report Most schools have considerable information about their students. For example, they may have information about students’ language backgrounds, Indigenous status, socio-economic backgrounds, learning difficulties and disabilities. This information usually is reported only within education systems or to governments and is not reported publicly, although schools sometimes provide information to their communities about the range of languages spoken by students in the school, the countries from which they come, the percentage of Indigenous students in the school and the school’s special Indigenous programs, or the number of severely disabled students and the facilities and support provided for these students. F: a sub-set of student intake measures on which it is agreed to collect nationally comparable data. Within the set of student intake characteristics reported for a school, there could be a sub-set of measures on which it was agreed to collect nationally comparable data. Some progress has been made toward nationally consistent definitions and nationally consistent data collections on student background characteristics. G. all other information that a school could choose to make available Beyond information about student outcomes, student backgrounds and their physical and human resources, schools provide a range of other information to the communities they serve. 1. 3 Nationally Comparable Data Acknowledging the many purposes and audiences for information about schools, and the various forms that this information can take, the specific focus of this paper is on the collection and reporting of nationally comparable data for the purposes of evaluating and comparing school performances. In other words, the focus is on categories B, D and F in Figure 1. We envisage three broad uses of such data: †¢ use by parents and caregivers in judging the quality of educational provision and in making informed decisions in the best interests of individual students; †¢ use by school leaders in monitoring a school’s improvement and benchmarking the school’s performance against other, comparable schools; and †¢ use by education systems and governments in identifying schools that are performing unusually well or unusually poorly given their circumstances. As noted above, these three stakeholder groups are likely to have different needs. The ways in which nationally comparable data are analysed, combined and reported may be different for different purposes. We see the process of reaching agreement on the core data that should be available about a school as a national collaborative process, and see little value in arriving at different conclusions about these data for different parts of the country. 4 Reporting and Comparing School Performances 1. 4 Principles for Reporting The Principles for Reporting Information on Schooling (see pages 6-7) adopted by the Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCCETYA) provide an important point of reference for any proposed collection and use of nationally comparable data on schools. These principles recognise the multiple audiences and purposes for information about schools, the need to collect broad evidence about student and school performances, and the desirability of monitoring intended and unintended consequences of reporting information on schools. Australian governments have undertaken to ensure that data provided for the purposes of comparing schools are reliable and fair and take into account the contexts in which schools work. Governments also have undertaken not to develop simplistic league tables of school performances. 1. 5 Structure of Paper This paper first considers the kinds of nationally comparable data that might be collected about schools for the purposes outlined above. We draw on national and international research and experience, attempt to anticipate the likely requirements of different audiences, and take into account what measures currently exist and what additional measures might be desirable in the future. Each of the three data categories in Figure 1 is considered in turn: †¢ †¢ †¢ student outcome measures physical and human resources measures student intake measures (sections 2-3) (section 4) (section 5) We then consider alternative ways of evaluating and comparing school performances. Two broad methodologies are discussed: †¢ †¢ the direct comparison of student outcomes the construction of measures of school performance (section 6) (section 7) Finally, we consider issues in reporting publicly on the performances of schools: †¢ †¢ audiences and purposes for reporting options for public reporting on schools (section 8) (section 9) 5 Reporting and Comparing School Performances MCEETYA PRINCIPLES FOR REPORTING INFORMATION ON SCHOOLING There is a vast amount of information on Australian schooling and individual schools. This includes information about the educational approach of schools, their enrolment profile, staffing, facilities and programs, and the education environment they offer, as well as information on the performance of students, schools and systems. Different groups, including schools and their students, parents and families, the community and governments, have different information needs. The following principles provide guidance on requirements for information on schooling, including the types of information that should be made readily available to each of the groups noted above. These principles will be supported by an agreed set of national protocols on the access to and use of information on schooling. Good quality information on schooling is important: FOR SCHOOLS AND THEIR STUDENTS. Principle 1: Schools need reliable, rich data on the performance of their students because they have the primary accountability for improving student outcomes. Good quality data supports each school to improve outcomes for all of their students. It supports effective diagnosis of student progress and the design of quality learning programs. It also informs schools’ approaches to provision of programs, school policies, pursuit and allocation of resources, relationships with parents and partnerships with community and business. Schools should have access to: †¢ Comprehensive data on the performance of their own students that uses a broad set of indicators †¢ Data that enables each school to compare its own performance against all schools and with schools of similar characteristics †¢ Data demonstrating improvements of the school over time †¢ Data enabling the school to benchmark its own performance against that of the bestperforming schools in their jurisdiction and nationally FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES. Principle 2: Information about schooling, including data on the performance of individuals, schools and systems, helps parents and families to make informed choices and to engage with their children’s education and the school community. Parents and families should have access to: †¢ Information about the philosophy and educational approach of schools, and their staffing, facilities, programs and extra-curricular activities that enables parents and families to compare the education environment offered by schools †¢ Information about a school’s enrolment profile, taking care not to use data on student 1  characteristics in a way that may stigmatise schools or undermine social inclusion. †¢ Data on student outcomes that enables them to monitor the individual performance of their child, including what their child knows and is able to do and how this relates to what is expected for their age group, and how they can contribute to their child’s progress †¢ Information that allows them to assess a school’s performance overall and in improving student outcomes, including in relation to other schools with similar characteristics in their jurisdiction and nationally. 1 Any use or publication of information relating to a school’s enrolment profile should ensure that the privacy of individual students is protected. For example, where the small size of a school population or of a specific student cohort may enable identification of individual students, publication of this information should be avoided. 6 Reporting and Comparing School Performances FOR THE COMMUNITY. Principle 3: The community should have access to information that enables an understanding of the decisions taken by governments and the status and performance of schooling in Australia, to ensure schools are accountable for the results they achieve with the public funding they receive, and governments are accountable for the decisions they take. Students are an important part of our society and take up a variety of roles within it after leaving school. The community is therefore a direct and indirect consumer of the product of our schools, as well as providing the means of public funding. Information about schools in the public domain fulfils the requirement that schools be accountable for the results they achieve with the public funding they receive, including relative to other ‘like’ schools; it should also give the community a broad picture of school performance and a sense of confidence in our school systems. The community should have access to: †¢ Information about the philosophy and educational approach of schools, and their staffing, facilities, programs and extra-curricular activities that enables the community to compare the education environment offered by schools. †¢ Information about individual schools’ enrolment profile, taking care not to use data on student characteristics in a way that may stigmatise schools or undermine social inclusion †¢ National reporting on the performance of all schools with data that allows them to view a school’s performance overall and in improving student outcomes, including in relation to other schools with similar characteristics RESPONSIBLE PROVISION OF SCHOOLING INFORMATION Australian Governments will ensure that school-based information is published responsibly so that: †¢ any public comparisons of schools will be fair, contain accurate and verified data, contextual information and a range of indicators to provide a more reliable and complete view of performance (for example, information on income, student body characteristics, the spread of student outcomes and information on the value added by schools) †¢ governments will not devise simplistic league tables or rankings and will put in place strategies to manage the risk that third parties may seek to produce such tables or rankings, and will ensure that privacy will be protected. †¢ reports providing information on schooling for parents and families and the community will be developed based on research on what these groups want to know and the most effective ways the information can be presented and communicated. FOR GOVERNMENTS Principle 4: Governments need sound information on school performance to support ongoing improvement for students, schools and systems. Government also need to monitor and evaluate the impacts (intended and unintended) of the use and release of this information to improve its application over time. Good quality information on schooling enables governments to: †¢ analyse how well schools are performing †¢ identify schools with particular needs †¢ determine where resources are most needed to lift attainment †¢ identify best practice and innovation in high-performing schools that can be mainstreamed and used to support improvements in schools with poorer performance †¢ conduct national and international comparisons of approaches and performance †¢ develop a substantive evidence base on what works. This will enable future improvements in school performance that support the achievement of the agreed education outcomes of both the Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs and the Council of Australian Governments. 7 Reporting and Comparing School Performances 2. STUDENT OUTCOMES Information about the outcomes of a school’s efforts is key information for parents and caregivers if they are to judge the quality of educational provision; for school leaders to monitor a school’s performance and improvement; and for education systems and governments to identify schools in need of additional support. However, schools work to promote many different kinds of outcomes for their students. For some schools, an important objective is to improve school attendance rates. For others, assisting students to make successful transitions into the workforce is a high priority. Some schools are more focused than others on supporting the social, spiritual and emotional development of students. Still others measure their success in terms of entry rates into highly sought-after university courses. Decisions about the outcomes to be reported publicly for schools are important because they influence judgements about how well individual schools are performing. This is particularly true when education systems and governments attempt to construct ‘measures’ of school performance: Perverse incentives can arise when the [school] performance measure has both a large impact upon actors and focuses on an aspect of schooling that does not reflect the true or overall purpose and objectives of schools. Unfortunately, this can be common in school performance measures if the performance measure is too narrowly defined. (OECD, 2008, 26).