Reaction Paper to Comprehension-Based Approach in English Language Teaching

A. Summary of Comprehension Based Approach The Comprehension Approach refers to several methodologies of language learning that emphasize understanding of language rather than speaking. It is a pedagogical/instructive principle, which can be found in a number of methods and in practical listening comprehension; a. comprehension should be taught by teaching learners to understand meaning in the target language; b. the learners' level of comprehension should always exceed their ability to produce language; c. roductive language skills will emerge more naturally when learners have well developed comprehension skills; d. such an approach reflects how children learn their first language.The Comprehension Approach scholars share the belief that a) comprehension abilities precede productive skills in learning a language b) the learning of speech should be delayed until comprehension skills are established; c) skills acquired through listening transfer to other skills; and d) teaching should emphasize learner stress-free environment etc Its other Principles: Listening comprehension is very important and is viewed as the basic skill that will allow speaking, reading and writing to develop spontaneously over time given the right conditions.†¢ Learners should begin by listening to meaningful speech and by responding nonverbally in meaningful ways before they produce any language themselves †¢ Learners should not speak until they feel ready to do so; this results in better pronunciation than if the learner is forced to speak immediately †¢ Learners progress by being exposed to meaningful input that is just ne step beyond their level of competence †¢ acquirers was not always 100% in the studies, there were statistically significant similarities that reinforced the existence of a Natural Order of language acquisition. Rule learning may help learners monitor (or become aware of) what they do, but it will not aid their acquisition or spontaneous use of targ et language.†¢ Error correction is seen as unnecessary and perhaps even counterproductive; the important thing is that the learners can understand and make themselves understood. If the teacher is not native (or near native) speaker, appropriate materials such as audiotapes and videotapes must be available to provide the appropriate input for the learners. B. Reaction to the Comprehension Based Approach The Comprehension- Based Approach refers to several methodologies of language learning that emphasize understanding of language rather than speaking I chose Comprehension Based Approach among other approaches because based on experience I applied many of its principles in teaching English and Science to Grade Six students.I believe that teaching English using Comprehension Approach to the learners is the very core and heart of letting your pupils learn the English language. Comprehension Approach is the true essence of teaching the English language. Learners cannot write and spe ak English effectively if they cannot understand/comprehend their lessons at hand. This supported by Comprehension Based Principle that comprehension abilities precede productive skills in learning a language. Teaching comprehension skills in English is a vital tool of the pupils in studying their other subjects like Math and Science.Math teachers complained to me all the time that the reason their students failed in solving math problems is because they cannot understand what is being asked in the problem. They said that their pupils do not know how to comprehend the problem which presupposes that their problem is their English comprehension skills rather than their computing abilities in Math. The same goes with my Science class, scientific concepts cannot be understood all at once by the students in Science so I have to teach them how to understand science facts and concepts.I let them listen first to my explanation and description of a science fact and concept. I also translate some of the English terms to the native language for them to digest the subject matter. I concur to the principle of Comprehension Based Approach that listening comprehension is very important and is viewed as the basic skill that will allow speaking, reading and writing to develop spontaneously over time given the right conditions.I also agree to its principle that learners should begin by listening to meaningful speech and by responding nonverbally in meaningful ways before they produce any language themselves and to the principle learners progress by being exposed to meaningful input that is just one step beyond their level of competence . A lot of my lesson plans was geared in developing comprehension skills of my students in English. I taught the learners how to understand the meaning of the target language through many ways.For instance before letting the students read a passage or a story, we unlock difficulties of some vocabulary words that are new to the pupils. After readi ng the story and the passage, pupils were made to answer questions in relation to the story to check whether they understand the story or the passage. Another instance where I teach them comprehension skills is when I teach them the skill of getting the context clue. Context clues are words and phrases in a sentence which help students define the meaning of an unfamiliar word.I teach them how to understand the unfamiliar word by how it is used in the sentence and through the help of its neighboring words which are clues to lead them to define the unknown word. This kind of skill is buttressed upon the principle of Comprehension Based Approach wherein productive language skills will emerge more naturally when learners have well developed comprehension skills and comprehension should be taught by teaching learners to understand meaning in the target language. Learners need not produce the unknown word in the target language unless they harness their comprehension faculties.

Brainology Essay Essay

Carol S. Dweck wrote an article talking about transforming student’s motivation to learn. In the article, he states that there are two types of mindsets; the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. Dweck describes the fixed mindset as students who worry about how much the intelligence they posse is fixed, whereas students believe that the growth mindset is potential intelligence that can be learned. He explains that confronting challenges, profiting from mistakes, and dealing with setbacks is a way of becoming smarter. Dweck talks about how in the 1990s parents and schools felt that the most important thing or students was self-esteem. They felt that if students felt good about themselves then they would be good and successful in life. Dweck also talks about students being praised for their intelligence vs. being praised for their effort. At the end of the article, Carlos discuss how our society worships talent and how our talent is portrayed as a gift. He explains how worshiping talent was not motivating to our students. After reading this article, I’ve learned that it’s better to have a growth mindset because the more I challenge myself to grow with intelligence the more chances I will have of becoming successful. I always knew that it was important to learn and never give up but I never took it serious. I now see the importance of never giving up. I feel like now I can motivate myself to keep going no matter how tough things get and to always accept in any challenge in my classes because that’s the only way I can really enhance my intelligence. Also after reading this article, I see the importance of being praised for my hard work and effort rather than my talents.

Psychology – Reflection on Self

Our universe has the general tendency to move from order to disorder. And yet look at how complex we are. The puzzle becomes: How does our universe creates complexity? David Christian said, â€Å"The universe can create complexity but with great difficulty. † According to him, we live in the â€Å"goldilocks region† of our universe – not too hot, not too cold, but just right for the creation of complexity. Then, things slightly more complex started to appear stage by stage. Each stage is magical because it creates something utterly new appearing almost out of nowhere.We have known that DNA accumulates information through random errors some of which just happened to work. But DNA actually generated a faster way of accumulation information. It produced organisms with brain. And those organisms can learn and accumulate information first-hand. The sad thing about it is when the organism dies; the information dies with them. We, humans, appeared about 200 thousand yea rs ago. What makes humans different is our way of communication, the human language. A system of communication so powerful and precise that we can share our knowledge and form a collective memory that accumulates from generation to generation.The main reason why as a species humans are so creative and intelligence. But then things started to get more complex, emotions, intuition and consciousness started to materialize. We became much more sensitive and perceptive to our environment. We began to reflect upon our different behaviours. That is when â€Å"the self† emerges out of the mere reflection upon our behaviour and social interaction. Our self-concept determines our level of performance in our everyday lives. All the changes we act on the outside begin in the inside of our self-concept.The way we think, act, interact and everything that happens in our life is the manifestations of our self-concept and the way we understand it. Our outer life is always a reflection of our inner life. It is extremely important to know ourselves in order to be very clear of our values, principles, beliefs and ideals. These elements contribute as a whole on how we behave and interact with other people. Our self-concept influences our emotions, behaviour and even the way other people respond and interact with us. The problem with that though is when we think about ourselves negatively.Everything starts to be affected from just the way we think about ourselves. We start to become helpless and depressed. â€Å"We are born with pain. We are born through difficulties,† Nik Vujicic once said. Nik Vujicic was born without limbs. He tried to drown himself when he was 10 years old because he felt like he was hopeless and abandoned. He felt like it was only him against the world. But the one thought that saved him was what will his family feel and suffer when he would kill himself saying, â€Å"You know what’s worse about being born without limbs? It’s being born without limbs who gives up on living.†Personally, I don’t know why we are born this way. But we have a choice, either be angry for what we don’t have or be thankful for what we have. If Nik Vujicic, limbless but can still smile despite difficulties and trials, then so can we. When we feel like we don’t have love and hope, we start to become helpless and lose the strength to love. We start to doubt and question our very own existence when we lose those qualities. We all have those people who are going to bring us down no matter how good our day is, or bring us even lower when we are having a bad day.But when we think and accuse those people as the greatest discouragement of our lives, we’re wrong because they’re not- we are. We have a choice to give up on living or get up. Those things are like the wounds or scars in a tree bark. Judging from how a tree grows, it will never go away. But we can grow as much as we want and let those kinds of things be a small part of our lives, or we succumb to it and die. We need to remind ourselves that we are important and special, and our values are not determined by our social status, background and the way we look.During fifth grade, I was oppressed by many people even my own teacher because I was a bad kid. There was one time I was accused of doing something and I tried to defend myself saying that what happened was an accident, but it was futile. I could only do so much. People were already saying that I was the â€Å"black sheep† of my family and that I was very different from my other siblings. What happened will forever be a scar in my memory but I have to grow. I have to stand up for myself and continue on living.Everyday we make choices, and most often the simple choices are the ones that can have the huge effect for the rest of our lives. The world needs love and hope. Let us start our day by giving just that. We are here for a reason. William Barkley said, †Å"The greatest two days in anyone’s life is the day you were born and the day you know why. † We may not be able to get a miracle but we can be a miracle for others. We need to remind other people that they are important. In order to help ourselves, we first need to become selfless, not egocentric but sociocentric.Just like one famous song would state, â€Å"Love is something if you give it away. It will come right back to you. † When I was a kid even until now, I was always inquisitive and curious. I was really thinking if an optimistic belief in ourselves and self-confidence would really make a difference. I wanted to find out how do you really become successful. Eduardo Briceno asked, â€Å"What do you think is the the key to achieving goals and success? † Most people believed that it’s hard work, persistence and focus but Briceno showed that these are all products of something more potent that anyone could develop.Josh Waitzkin, a chess internat ional master and the subject for the movie â€Å"The Search for the Next Bobby Fisher,† is an example of a person who achieved great success. No one won more international competitions than him. But even more impressive, Waitzkin took on the challenge of mastering a complete new field, martial arts. It was very different from chess. After intense devotion, hard work and some broken joints, he became a great martial artist having won two international competitions. Believe it or not, Waitzkin said that the greatest thing that ever happened to him was losing his first international chess championship.He avoided the greatest psychological trap. The key trap Waitzkin avoided was believing that he was smarter than other people and that he didn’t have to work hard. He could’ve thought of himself as a protà ©gà © but he didn’t. He said, â€Å"The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability, we will brittle in the face of adve rsity. † Stanford University Professor Carol Dweck discovered that some people think that intelligence is fixed while other people see intelligence as Waitzkin does as something that we can develop and grow.In a study she did, several hundred seventh graders were surveyed for which kind of mindset they had and were tracked for two years. Result showed that students with growth mindset increased their performance over time. The only difference between the two groups was a different perspective of what intelligence is. â€Å"The key to success is not only effort, focus and persistent but it is the belief that we can develop ourselves and the growth mindset that creates them. † If we are to fulfill our potentials, we have to start thinking differently.Our thoughts influence our actions because if we don’t believe it then no one else will. We have to realize that we are not constant and locked to our contemporary abilities. We can change our ability to think and perf orm. Because when we lose sight in the belief that we can do something, we are done. In fact, most of the greatest thinkers of our era were once thought of as having no potential and future. Einstein once thought of committing suicide regretting why was he even born. But along with him and other great achievers from Mozart to Robert Boyle built their intelligence and abilities.â€Å"We are what we repeatedly do,† Aristotle famously proclaimed. â€Å"Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. † Once we start to believe in ourselves, that’s when confidence and excellence comes in. Excellence is not something we are born with. We have to work our way to it. We have to make it a habit. William James once said, â€Å"Any sequence of mental action which has been frequently repeated tends to perpetuate itself; so that we find ourselves automatically prompted to think, feel, or do what we have been before accustomed to think, feel, or do.†But before excellence and success, we have to believe in ourselves. The real way of achieving self-esteem and self-confidence is not by being born with it but by working and being certain of it. The key insight of the context is the belief that we can somehow do it, being confident about it and that we have to work hard at something in order to attain it. We must be confident about what we do because we’ve done it a million times. By that, we bring our game to a whole new level. Einstein worked for 10 years in completing his equations for the General Theory of Relativity.Behind it is the understanding that setbacks and failures are part of growth. Every time we became discouraged at something we are doing at, we start to tell ourselves that, â€Å"I can’t do it. † When we hear that, let us talkback with affirmation, â€Å"I can’t do it but not yet. † Just a little faith in ourselves can create great leaps. Having an optimistic belief in ourselves does create competence and effectiveness on what we do. As I would paraphrase a key text in the Bible, â€Å"Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. †

Reply Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reply - Assignment Example In the same way, a company benefits a lot by undertaking procurement appropriately. Appropriate procurement reduces a company’s expenditure and increases profits (Meredith & Shafer 2013). Procurement facilitates the acquisition of goods and services in both private and public organizations. An effective procurement process is executed on the grounds of ethical sourcing and purchasing. I must, however, mention that procurement and supply chain management has given rise to unethical practices that violate rules and the set codes of conduct. For example, when rendering processes are not conducted in the right way, suppliers can solicit for consideration by offering bribes and other incentives (Mathenge 2012). The issue of bribes coincides with your interpretation of the Bible. In your essay, you stated â€Å"Proverbs 22:16 tells us not to do this for the sole reason of increasing the money in our own pockets.† The issue of giving and taking bribes in the procurement process is unethical because it is done for monetary gain only. I support your view that when procuring services, the personnel involved should work for the benefit of the company and not to enrich in dividuals. Kashap, S. (2004). PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AS A SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POLICY. 3. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.unpcdc.org/media/6082/public procurement as a social, economic and political policy.pdf Mathenge, G. (2012). Responsible Purchasing and Supply Chain Management in Kenya: A Critical Analysis of the Ethical Considerations in Procurement Management. European Journal of Business and Management, 4(3), 2222-2839. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from

Recommendation report in comparing two water provision methods for an Essay

Recommendation report in comparing two water provision methods for an arid region - Essay Example As such, the burgeoning human population, loss of natural environments, and desertification that is taking place around the globe all have a profound impact upon the availability and quality of the water resources that can be leveraged. 1 Aim This particular analysis will be concentric upon comparing to water provision methods in an otherwise arid continent; Australia. It is the hope of this author that be detailing the strengths and weaknesses of two approaches to water provision, the most appropriate, efficient, reasonable, and cost efficient means can be integrated as a means of providing the population with access to the most basic and fundamental resources required for life; liquid water. 2 Information specific to region ( water situation )- evidence. With regards to the lack of water that the continent of Australia currently must integrate with, the reader should understand the following points: Australia exhibits the lowest overall level of rainfall of any of the 7 continents Australians exhibit some of the highest per capita water usage rates in the entire world Global climate change threatens to cut future rainfall even furtherin Australia More specifically, with regards to the total per capita water usage that the average Austrlian exhibits, studies indicate that this is in excess of 120 liters per day. As compared with over 66% of the rest of the world that uses 60 liters or less in any given day, this is a two fold increase per capita; thereby representing something of an insatiable demand for a scarce resource that is only growing scarcer. Moreover, when one looks at the current water storage facilities that exist within the major metropolitan cities of Australia, these storage facilities are only operating at around 30-40% capacity; denoting the fact that the ability to store and retain water is negated by the incessant demands of the populace. This of course denotes the need for conservation as well as finding, utilizing, and exploiting further h ydro resources within the continent. 2 Background 1 Water problem around the word although it may seem convenient to approach the water resource shortage in Australia from purely a regional perspective, the fact of the matter is that water shortages, as well as overall purity of these water resources, is an issue that globally effects 780 million people. As has briefly been discussed within the introduction and regional information overview, two factors that continue to have a profound and noticeable effect on the existence of water shortage issues is the growth of the world’s population in tandem with the changes to precipitation that global climate change have affected. Due to the fact that many previously populated regions of the world have experienced a great degree of desertification, the extent to which the natural environment can continue to provide the ever increasing demands of the native population comes into question. Environmentalists and researchers are in agreem ent that unless fundamental changes are made with regards to the way the world’s water resources are utilized, within the next few decades the access to water will become a far greater issue than it is currently. 3 Presentation of options As a means of ameliorating the

Comment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Comment - Essay Example However, the social contract theory as defined should not include it being a set of rules because the parties in the contract only follow it because the others are following it. Unlike in a set of rules, where one party breaks the contract, the other party will also do the same. If a government does not protect the rights of its citizens despite giving up some of their rights in order for the government to govern, the citizens may revolt. The resource follows a logical sequence of thought with the prisoner’s dilemma being linked to the social contract theory. While you state that the prisoner’s dilemma is the best solution for the citizens and the government, it would have helped if you had given an example of how it could do this. As the paper stands, the example given is too general, and it is not clear to whom the prisoner’s dilemma is a difficult situation to be in. The prisoner’s dilemma, I surmise from your following argument, is difficult for the prisoners because it is in each prisoner’s best interest to say what he/she knows, even though it might be the best outcome they would wish for (Fieser 137). Finally, I am in agreement with your conclusion that cooperation is the best way to come up with societal

Select a business from anywhere in the world Essay

Select a business from anywhere in the world - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to highlight the impact of macroeconomic forces on the business of Tesco. Tesco Plc is a multinational company operating in multiple continents namely North America, Asia, and Europe. This paper concentrates only on business of Tesco in the U.K. Major political forces shaping the economy; impact of recession; and the potential impact on the business are to be discussed in details. The sustainable practices followed by the company have also been highlighted. Tesco Plc is a British retailing giant specializing in food business. Jack Cohen founded the Company in 1919 and it was named as Tesco in 1924. The company had started its business in 1929 with the opening of the first store in London. Tesco had continued its aggressive expansion in the U.K. and by 1960’s there were multiple stores in the country. With the onset of globalization in the 80’s the company had begun to diversify its business both geographically, and, in terms of its business portfolio (Tesco plc, 2014). Presently, the business of the company comprises selling of grocery, electronic items, clothing and furniture. It also includes providing financial, software and telecom services (Tesco plc, 2014). The company offers products that can be used by people of all age groups. Market share of Tesco in the U.K. is 28%. It has been observed that the market share of the company have declined from 31.7% in 2007 to 28.7% in 2014 (Wood, 2014). Theory of economics state s that firms operating in the same market and offering same products by targeting similar base can be treated as competitors. The major competition for Tesco comes from ASDA, Sainsbury and Morrisons. The following pie chart shows the market share of Tesco as compared to its competitors. After the global financial crisis it has been found that Tesco have been losing market share mainly to competitors like Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl that have a combined market share of 3.5%. The main reason that can be

The Benefits and Challenges of Working Virtually Essay

The Benefits and Challenges of Working Virtually - Essay Example The paper "The Benefits and Challenges of Working Virtually" talks about the continued growth of the virtual workforce, there are challenges that both managers and employees may encounter. The popularity of the virtual workforce like the teleworker has grown at a significant rate, since the turn of the 21st century. The 1990 Clean Air Act and 1996 amendment brought awareness to reducing carbon dioxide and pollution and conserving fuel. The Teleworker Exchange Act of 2007 was signed into law. It states that a telework policy must be established by each federal executive agency to have 100% of the eligible federal workforce by 2005. A survey conducted by Crook of International Data Corporation (IDC) â€Å"on mobile enterprise claims that by 2015, more than one billion workers across the globe will be working remotely or as virtual workforce†. A virtual workforce is also known as a global workforce, distributed team, virtual employee or team, or geographically dispersed team. The term virtual workforce refers to geographically dispersed employees within a single organization, business unit or directorate; relying exclusively on information and communication technologies to communicate. These virtual employees are made up of individuals or groups of employees or subcontracts who function as a team on common projects around the global and across space and time. Time, distance, and advances in technology and communications has brought a change to the traditional employer and employee relationship.... Such changes include workplace environment, employees’, employers’, and culture. The global workforce, employee workplace flexibility, life balance, and the virtual work environment; an employee’s expectation, motivation, and working relationship are different (Hoefling, 2003, p.131). With the continued growth of the virtual workforce, there are challenges that both managers and employees may encounter. According to Werner, Schuler, & Jackson (2012) the benefits of a virtual workforce are significant; although not without challenges. Managers may find it increasingly difficult to keep virtual employees motivated, and employees may find it additionally difficult to stay motivated while working in an isolated and detached virtual environment (p. 57). Professional isolation concerns reflect the possibility that the virtual environment can change an employee’s opportunities for participation in traditional office interaction, such as physically attending meeti ng, face to face contact like chatting around the water cooler or coffee area or taking smoke breaks and walks (Cooper & Kurland, 2002, p. 512). Some employees enjoy and thrive in environments where they can interact with others employees. The virtual workforce is unique in that these employees are not like the traditional office employees, they live and work all around the world, and therefore time and space becomes their norm.According to (Lojeski& Reilly, 2010) â€Å"leaders know that to successful build critical mass among employees who are worlds apart geographically, culturally, and even spiritually, engendering healthy communities is key† (p.58). According to Hoefling (2003) â€Å"a company today

MANAGING INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MANAGING INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY - Essay Example In-fact, the operational efficiency of the company largely owes due to the application of advanced technologies in its various operational sections. Hence, owing to this aspect, the statement or the assumption of Carr can be contradicted up to a larger extent. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Company’s Profile in the Industry 5 Competitive Environment of the Global Retail Industry (Porter Five Forces Analysis) 6 Bargaining Power of the Buyers 7 Bargaining Power of the Suppliers 7 Threat of New Entrants 7 Thereat of Substitutes 8 Intensity of Rivalry 8 Role of Information System in Tesco PLC 9 Analysis and Conclusion 11 Analysis 11 Conclusion 13 References 15 Introduction In today’s business scenario, the success and failure of any sort of business depends mainly upon various deciding factors that impose considerable influence on the operations. These factors may be related to customers’ perceptions and their level of satisfaction among others. These ar e often regarded as major determinants of the overall organisational success. In this regard, the role of information technology (IT) has become quite crucial, acting as a major element in enhancing the operational efficiency of the business. ... It is one of those elements, which is extensively available and any company can adopt the same. Hence, it cannot be regard as a tool to gain competitive advantage. To analyse this statement of Carr in an in-depth manner, this paper will evaluate the role of IT in organisations with the help of taking an organisation named Tesco as an example. Accordingly, the statement of Carr can be contradicted or supported on the basis of the analysis made over the organisation. Company’s Profile in the Industry As per the discussion of Nicholas Carr, the presence of information technology (IT) in business does not make any difference in the overall performance of the business. According to Carr, this is owing to the fact that IT is easily accessible for each and every company in their operation and hence it cannot be implemented as a tool for gaining competitive advantage. In order to get a comprehensive understanding in this regard and analysing the statement of Carr, considering the exam ple of Tesco will be quite vital. Tesco is regarded as one of the leading grocery and merchandise retailers throughout the world, which has its operational headquarter in the United Kingdom. In terms of profit earning, the company is regarded as the second largest operator of the world next to Wal-Mart. It has widespread operations throughout the world and it performs various operational functions in a large scale. In the present day context, the company possess greater percentage of market share in the global retail industry. The large scale operations of the company can be apparently depicted from the fact that it currently employs more than 530,000 people all over the world. Observably, one of the major reasons for the

Cultural Identity Interview and Analysis Essay Example for Free

Cultural Identity Interview and Analysis Essay An interview with a member of the Mexican American community was conducted on December 1st, 2007. This research will provide a summary of that interview; particularly, it will include a description of the rules, norms, traditions, and values of Mexican American culture. The research will also discuss: a) how the assumptions regarding cultural norms affect the interviewee’s behavior in his daily life; b) any disadvantages related to his culture being outside â€Å"the norm† and how he reacts to that; c) any advantages related to being assimilated to the â€Å"normative† culture and how he reacts; d) his sources of strength or support; e) an analysis of the four dimension theory and how it relates to the interviewee’s life. Finally, the research will provide some insight on how one can effectively communicate with people of other cultures. In fact, communication with various members that belong to other ethnic groups (i. e. Arab Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, etc) may be difficult some at times because of the cultural difference that exists between the groups. Jose Luis Aguilar was born in Tijuana, Mexico on January 7th, 1972. Mexican is the ethnic group he belongs. He lived in Mexico for 29 years. In 2001, he immigrated in Los Angeles, California. Job opportunities, presence of family members, and the presence of a massive Mexican community were the factors that brought him to immigrate into the United States. Mexican Americans are the largest Hispanic or Latino ethnic group in the United States. According to the 2000 Census, approximately 20 million Hispanic or Latinos of the 35 million in the United States are Mexican Americans (U. S. Census, 2000). Mr. Aguilar’s native language is Spanish. However, during the past years spent in California, he was able to learn basic English, although it remains a second language as the majority of the Mexican American who live in the United States. Richard Schaefer stated â€Å"as of 2002, about 23 percent of Mexican Americans are English dominant, 26 percent are bilingual, and 51 percent are Spanish dominant† (Schaefer, 2006, p. 241). Mr. Aguilar’s religion is Catholic. Indeed, Mexican Americans represent â€Å"the largest number of Catholic immigrants to the United States comes from Mexico; Mexico also sends the largest number of Protestant immigrants to the United States† (Murray, 2006). Mr. Aguilar is married. He has a 1 year-old son. Aguilar’s family has a patriarchal organization as the same as other many Mexican American families have. According to Kathleen Niska, Mexican Americans Families â€Å"continuity was characterized by mothers doing tasks inside the house, fathers doing tasks outside the house, and both parents performing toddler and early childhood tasks† (Niska, 2001). One of the Mexican traditions that Mr. Aguilar mentioned during the interview was â€Å"quinceanera†. This ritual is celebrated in church when women reach the age of 15 to thank God that they arrived to this stage of their lives. Similar to a wedding day celebration, the celebration of a girls fifteenth birthday is a major event in most Hispanic girls’ lives as it means that she begins her journey to adulthood (Mattel, 2001). They are ready to get married. The ritual of quinceanera is viewed not only as a gesture to strengthen faith and family but also as a means to prevent teen pregnancies. A quinceanera also allows for sending a message of sexual responsibility (NC Times, 2008). Mr. Aguilar is an independent contractor mainly for real estate management companies. He provides general maintenance services at $10 an hour. So far, he had limited choices regarding the jobs (e. g. janitorial, landscaping, and maintenance) he could do since he moved into United States. Lack of education and his pending status with INS (he has not received his green card yet, work permit only) were the obstacles that did not allow him to obtain better paid jobs. According to David Spener, â€Å"Mexican immigrant workers play an important economic role inside the United States as well. They constitute a significant portion (8 percent) of the total U. S. manufacturing work force† (Spener, 2000). Mexican Americans are usually have been seen by American companies as â€Å"cheap labor†. Mr. Aguilar shared that members of his culture had been affected by any form of racism, prejudice or discrimination. In particular, he pointed out the bilingualism issue and the tension that the proposition 227 created among his community. Proposition 227 went into effect in 1998 and required that all public school instruction had to be in English. A) How do assumptions about cultural â€Å"norms† impact your interviewee’s behavior on a day-to-day basis? Mr. Aguilar pointed out how one particular assumption regarding Mexican Americans culture affects his life on a day-to-day basis. He mentioned that one of his cousins was a gang member; he was killed months ago. A popular assumption is that Mexican American gang membership is generational which means the membership from a father to a son or from a family member to another one. Therefore, based on this assumption, people believe that he is a gang member. So, Mr. Aguilar’s behavior is direct to prevent anything that may mislead people in this sense, e. g. wearing red or blue, or specific clothing, or having tattoos. B) Does your interviewee recognize any challenges or disadvantages related to her/his culture being outside the â€Å"norm†? How does he/she respond to those challenges? Similar to several other fellow Mexican Americans, Mr. Aguilar is able to communicate in his native language without learning English properly. In fact, Spanish language is commonly spoken in the city of Los Angeles. Almost every place (grocery stores, restaurants, public offices, and so forth) has signs and directions in Spanish language. This massive promotion of Mr. Aguilar’s native language in the United States encouraged by Mass Media represents a disadvantage. Radio and television have also been factors that allowed Mexican Americans, as Mr. Aguilar, to maintain their original cultural values. In fact, in 2004, there were over 678 Spanish language radio stations compared to 1982, when there were 12 Spanish language television stations in the United States. This number more than doubled within 10 years. Several artists (e. g. Jennifer Lopez or Shakira) helped to promote their cultures by singing in their traditional languages (Jandt, 2007). Mr. Aguilar has responded to this challenge by enrolling himself in an adult school in order to improve his English. However, as of today, he is still struggling to write, read and speak English fluently. C) Does your interviewee recognize any privileges or advantages associated with assimilating to the â€Å"normative† culture? How does he/she react to that recognition? Mr. Aguilar recognized that being assimilated to the â€Å"normative† culture has some advantages. In particular, he stated that a positive aspect is that immigrants learn the language of the â€Å"normative† culture; they are able to avoid any form of isolation and segregation. Furthermore, these immigrants likely will not face any prejudice from the dominant society as he experienced during his stay in the United States. During the interview Mr. Aguilar recalled a few family acquaintances with 3rd generation sons and daughters who had an adaptation in the American culture different compared to their parents. In fact, they were able to go to school, learn the language, get a college education, and obtain a good job. They became a part of the American culture. In fact, they celebrate the 4th of July and the Thanksgiving, which are truly American holidays. They also had to learn about professional sports other than Mexican soccer. He now is also watching baseball, basketball, and American football games. D) What does that person cite as being sources of strength or support? Mr. Aguilar cited church and family as his sources of strength or support. As many others fellow Mexicans Americans, Mr. Aguilar gives exceptional importance to religion and family on a day-to-day basis; he is very active in his community especially with humanitarian initiative promoted by his catholic church. Mr. Aguilar is very family orientated. He tries to spend as much time as possible with his family; it may be common to see him doing business with his families around. E) An analysis of the four dimension theory and how it relates to the interviewee’s life A theory from the course that was well related to Mr. Aguilar’s interview is the â€Å"four dimensions of culture† by Geert Hofstede. Particularly, Aguilar’s interview confirmed that in the Mexican culture masculinity is predominant, mostly due its history. Mexican families were mainly patriarchal therefore men were in charge of the family; they were working to provide money and food while women were at home taking care of the children. Mexican culture is based more on collectivism due mainly to the fact that more people with financial difficulties seek to one another for help or gather together (e. g. two or three families living in the same apartment). Power distance is embodied in the Mexican culture. Mexico is a developing country with significant financial problems. The difference between people (e. g. poor and rich people) is well marked. Finally, the fourth dimension, uncertainty avoidance, is correlated to religion and history of the cultures (Jandt, 2007). Roman Catholic Christian cultures and cultures with Romance languages (e. g. Mexico) tend to score high. In conclusion, communication with various members that belong to other ethnic groups may be difficult at times because of the cultural difference that exists between the groups. However, inclusive language can be an effective way to communicate with such members. Mr. Aguilar and the interviewer are from different culture backgrounds. There were times during the interview where inclusive language was used to avoid miscommunication. Choosing the right words when communicating with members who have different backgrounds may help to prevent miscommunication that may end up stereotyping them on the basis of race, gender, disability, religion, or other factors. Furthermore, conducting research and gathering information on members with different backgrounds may help not only to overcome language issues but also can assist people in becoming more culturally sensitive. References Jandt, F. E. (2007). An introduction to intercultural communication (5th ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Mattel Inc. (2001, May). Happy fifteenth quinceanera barbie ®! mattels girls division launches first hispanic-tradition theme barbie ® doll. Retrieved on January 11, 2008 from http://www. shareholder. com/mattel/news/20010515-43065.cfm Murray, B. (2006, January). Latino Religion in the U. S. : Demographic Shifts and Trends. Retrieved on August 19, 2007 from http://www. facsnet. org/issues/faith/espinosa. php Niska, K. (2001). Mexican American Family Survival, Continuity, and Growth: The Parental Perspective. Retrieved on August 19, 2007 from http://nsq. sagepub. com/cgi/content/abstract/14/4/322 NC Times. com (2008, January). For Latino Catholics, Quinceanera ritual provides lessons on faith, family - and sex. Retrieved on January 11, 2008 from http://www. nctimes. com/articles/2008/01/05/faith/17_56_271_3_08. txt Schaefer, R. T. (2006). Racial and Ethnic Groups. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Spener D. (2000). Mexican labor at the center of North American economic integration. Retrieved on August 19, 2007 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa3688/is_200007/ai_n8892489 U. S. Census Bureau (2000). Profile of General Demographic Characteristics:2000. Retrieved on August 19, 2007 from http://factfinder. census. gov/servlet/QTTable? _bm=y- geo_id=01000US-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_DP1-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U.

The Message The Book Of Romans Theology Religion Essay

The Message The Book Of Romans Theology Religion Essay As evident in all other epistles written by Paul to the churches, in his epistle to the roman his aim was to proclaim the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ by teaching doctrine and edify and encourage the believers who would receive his letter. Particularly, to all the brethrens who were loved by God and called to be saints according to Roman 1:7, and of course because he himself was a Roman citizen, he had a unique passion for those in the assembly of believers in Rome. Since he had not, to this point, visited the church in Rome, this letter also served as his introduction to them. One of the key verses of the letter is found in Roman 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. THE MESSAGE The Book of Romans is primarily a work of doctrine and can be divided into four sections: righteousness needed, 1:18-3:20; righteousness provided, 3:21-8:39; righteousness vindicated, 9:1-11:36; righteousness practiced, 12:1-15:13. The main theme of this letter is obvious of course righteousness. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul first condemns all men of their sinfulness. He expresses his desire to preach the truth of Gods Word to those in Rome. It was his hope to have assurance they were staying on the right path. He strongly points out that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16), because it is the power by which everyone is saved. The Book of Romans tells us about God, who He is and what He has done. It tells us of Jesus Christ, what His death accomplished. It tells us about ourselves, what we were like without Christ and who we are after trusting in Christ. Paul points out that God did not demand men have their lives straightened out before coming to Christ. While we were still sinners Christ died on a cross for our sins. 1 Corinthian PURPOSE The apostle Paul founded the church in Corinth. A few years after leaving the church, the apostle Paul heard some disturbing reports about the Corinthian church. They were full of pride and were excusing sexual immorality. Spiritual gifts were being used improperly, and there was rampant misunderstanding of key Christian doctrines. The apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in an attempt to restore the Corinthian church to its foundation Jesus Christ. MESSAGE The Corinthian church was plagued by divisions. The believers in Corinth were dividing into groups loyal to certain spiritual leaders (1 Corinthians 1:12;3:1-6). Paul exhorted the Corinthian believers to be united because of devotion to Christ (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Many in the church were essentially approving of an immoral relationship (1 Corinthians 5:1-2). Paul commanded them to expel the wicked man from the church (1 Corinthians 5:13). The Corinthian believers were taking each other to court (1 Corinthians 6:1-2). Paul taught the Corinthians that it would be better to be taken advantage of than to damage their Christian testimony. Paul gave the Corinthian church instructions on marriage and celibacy (chapter 7), food sacrificed to idols (chapters 8 and 10), Christian freedom (chapter 9), the veiling of women(1 Corinthians 11:1-16), the Lords Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17-34), spiritual gifts (chapters 12-14), and the resurrection (chapter 15). Paul organized the book of 1 Corinthians by answering questions the Corinthian believers had asked him and by responding to improper conduct and erroneous beliefs they had accepted. Paul uses the story of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness to illustrate to the Corinthian believers the folly of the misuse of freedom and the danger of overconfidence. Paul warned the Corinthians about their lack of self-discipline in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. He goes on to describe the Israelites who, despite seeing Gods miracles and care for them, the parting of the Red Sea, the miraculous provision of manna from heaven and water from a rock, they misused their freedom, rebelled against God, and fell into immorality and idolatry. Paul exhorts the Corinthian church to note the example of the Israelites and avoid lusts and sexual immorality and putting Christ to the test and complaining. 2 Corinthian PURPOSE In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul expresses his relief and joy that the Corinthians had received his severe letter now lost in a positive manner. That letter addressed issues that were tearing the church apart, primarily the arrival of self-styled false apostle who were assaulting Pauls character, sowing discord among the believers, and teaching false doctrine. THE MESSAGE Paul explains the nature of his ministry. Triumph through Christ and sincerity in the sight of God were the hallmarks of his ministry to the churches. He compares the glorious ministry of the righteousness of Christ to the ministry of condemnation which is the law and declares his faith in the validity of his ministry in spite of intense persecution. Chapter 5 outlines the basis of the Christian faith the new nature (v. 17) and the exchange of our sin for the righteousness of Christ (v. 21). Furthermore, Chapters 6 and 7 find Paul defending himself and his ministry, assuring the Corinthians yet again of his sincere love for them and exhorting them to repentance and holy living. In chapters 8 and 9, Paul exhorts the believers at Corinth to follow the examples of the brothers in Macedonia and extend generosity to the saints in need. He teaches them the principles and rewards of gracious giving. Paul ends his letter by reiterating his authority among them (chapter 10) and concern for their faithfulness to him in the face of fierce opposition from false apostles. He calls himself a fool for having to reluctantly boast of his qualifications and his suffering for Christ in chapter 11. He ends his epistle by describing the vision of heaven he was allowed to experience and the thorn in the flesh he was given by God to ensure his humility (chapter 12). The last chapter contains his exhortation to the Corinthians to examine themselves to see whether what they profess is reality, and ends with a benediction of love and peace. Galatians PURPOSE The churches in Galatia were formed partly of converted Jews and partly of Gentile converts, as was generally the case. Paul asserts his apostolic character and the doctrines he taught, that he might confirm the Galatians churches in the faith of Christ, especially with respect to the important point of justification by faith alone. Thus the subject is mainly the same as that which is discussed in the Epistle to the Romans, that is, justification by faith alone. In this epistle, however, attention is particularly directed to the point that men are justified by faith without the works of the Law of Moses. MESSAGE Galatians was not written as an essay in contemporary history. It was a protest against corruption of the gospel of Christ. The essential truth of justification by faith rather than by the works of the law had been obscured by the Judaizers insistence that believers in Christ must keep the law if they expected to be perfect before God. When Paul learned that this teaching had begun to penetrate the Galatians churches and that it had alienated them from their heritage of liberty, he wrote the impassioned remonstrance contained in this epistle. Paul appealed to the Galatians to stand fast in their freedom, and not get entangled again with a yoke of bondage (that is, the Mosaic law) (Galatians 5:1). Christian freedom is not an excuse to gratify ones lower nature rather, it is an opportunity to love one another (Galatians 5:13;6:7-10). He stresses further that such freedom does not insulate one from lifes struggles. Indeed, it may intensify the battle between the Spirit and the flesh. Nevertheless, the flesh (the lower nature) has been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20); and, as a consequence, the Spirit will bear His fruit such as love, joy, and peace in the life of the believer (Galatians 5:22-23). The letter to the Galatians was written in a spirit of inspired agitation. For Paul, the issue was not whether a person was circumcised, but whether he had become a new creation (Galatians 6:15). If Paul had not been successful in his argument for justification by faith alone, Christianity would have remained a sect within Judaism, rather than becoming the universal way of salvation. Galatians, therefore, is not only Luthers epistle; it is the epistle of every believer who confesses with Paul, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20). The books of James and Galatians illustrate two aspects of Christianity that from the very beginning have seemed to be in conflict, though in reality they are supplementary. James insists on the ethic of Christ, a demand that faith prove its existence by its fruits. Nevertheless, James, no less than Paul, emphasizes the need of the transformation of the individual by the grace of God (James 1:18). Galatians stresses the dynamic of the gospel that produces ethic (Galatians 3:13-14). Nor was Paul less concerned than James about the ethical life (Galatians 5:13). Like the two sides of a coin, these two aspects of Christian truth must always accompany each other. Ephesians PURPOSE Paul intended that all who long for Christ-like maturity would receive this writing. Enclosed within the Book of Ephesians is the discipline needed to develop into true children of God. Furthermore, a study in Ephesians will help to fortify and to establish the believer so he can fulfil the purpose and calling God has given. The aim of this epistle is to confirm and to equip a maturing church. It presents a balanced view of the body of Christ and its importance in Gods economy. MESSAGE Doctrine occupies the greatest portion of the Book of Ephesians. Half of the teaching in this epistle relates to our standing in Christ, and the remainder of it affects our condition. All too often those who teach from this book bypass all the foundational instruction and go directly to the closing chapter. It is this chapter that emphasizes the warfare or the struggle of the saints. However, to benefit fully from the contents of this epistle, one must begin at the beginning of Pauls instruction in this letter. First, as followers of Christ, we must fully understand who God declares us to be. We must also become grounded in the knowledge of Gods accomplishment for all humanity. Next, our present existence and walk must become exercised and strengthened. This must continue until we no longer totter or stagger back and forth with every spirit of teaching and subtlety of men. Pauls writing breaks down into three main segments. (1) Chapters one through three introduce principles with respect to Gods accomplishment. (2) Chapters four and five put forth principles regarding our present existence. (3) Chapter six presents principles concerning our daily struggle. Philippians PURPOSE The Epistle to the Philippians, one of Pauls prison epistles, was written in Rome. It was at Philippi, which the apostle visited on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:12), that Lydia and the Philippians jailer and his family were converted to Christ. Now, some few years later, the church was well established, as may be inferred from its address which includes bishops (elders) and deacons (Philippians 1:1). MESSAGE Philippians can be called Resources Through Suffering. The book is about Christ in our life, Christ in our mind, Christ as our goal, Christ as our strength, and joy through suffering. It was written during Pauls imprisonment in Rome, about thirty years after Christs ascension and about ten years after Paul first preached at Philippi. Paul was Neros prisoner, yet the epistle fairly shouts with triumph, the words joy and rejoice appearing frequently (Philippians 1:4, ,28;Philippians 3:1,4:1,4,10). Right Christian experience is the outworking, whatever our circumstances may be, of the life, nature, and mind of Christ living in us (Philippians 1:6,11;2:5,13). Philippians reaches its pinnacle at 2:5-11 with the glorious and profound declaration regarding the humiliation and exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Colossian PURPOSE The Book of Colossians is a mini-ethics course, addressing every area of Christian life. Paul progresses from the individual life to the home and family, from work to the way we should treat others. The theme of this book is the sufficiency of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in meeting our needs in every area. MESSAGE Colossians was written explicitly to defeat the heresy that had arisen in Colosse, which endangered the existence of the church. While we do not know what was told to Paul, this letter is his response. We can surmise based on Pauls response that he was dealing with a defective view of Christ denying His real and true humanity and not accepting His full deity. Paul appears also to dispute the Jewish emphasis on circumcision and traditions (Colossians 2:8-11;3:11). The heresy addressed appears to be either a Jewish-Gnosticism or a mix between Jewish asceticism and Greek philosophy. He does a remarkable job in pointing us to the sufficiency of Christ. The Book of Colossians contains doctrinal instruction about the deity of Christ and false philosophies (1:15-2:23), as well as practical exhortations regarding Christian conduct, including friends and speech (3:1-4:18). As with all the early churches, the issue of Jewish legalism in Colosse was of great concern to Paul. So radical was the concept of salvation by grace apart from works that those steeped in Old Testament law found it very difficult to grasp. Consequently, there was a continual movement among the legalists to add certain requirements from the law to this new faith. 1 Thessalonians PURPOSE In the church of Thessalonica there were some misunderstandings about the return of Christ. Paul desired to clear them up in his letter. He also writes it as an instruction in holy living. MESSAGE The first three chapters are about Paul longing to visit the church in Thessalonica but not being able to because Satan stopped them (1 Thessalonians 2:18), and how Paul cared for them and was encouraged to hear how they had been. Paul then prays for them (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13). In chapter 4, Paul is instructing the believers in Thessalonica on how to live, in Christ Jesus, a holy life (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12). Paul goes on to instruct them of a misconception they had. He tells them that the people who have died in Christ Jesus will also go to heaven when He comes back (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,5:1-11). The book ends with final instructions of living the Christian life. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that the persecution they were receiving from their own countrymen (v. 2:15), the Jews who rejected their Messiah, is the same that the Old Testament prophets suffered (Jeremiah 2:30;Matthew 23:31). Jesus warned that true prophets of God would always be opposed by the unrighteous (Luke 11:49). In Colossians, Paul reminds them of that truth. 2 Thessalonians PURPOSE The church in Thessalonica still had some misconceptions about the Day of the Lord. They thought it had come already so they stopped with their work. They were being persecuted badly. Paul wrote to clear up misconceptions and to comfort them. MESSAGE Paul greets the church at Thessalonica and encourages and exhorts them. He commends them for what he hears they are doing in the Lord, and he prays for them (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). In chapter 2, Paul explains what will happen in the Day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Paul then encourages them to stand firm and instructs them to keep away from idle men who dont live by the gospel. 1Timothy PURPOSE Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him in his responsibility for overseeing the work of the Ephesians church and possibly the other churches in the province of Asia (1 Timothy 1:3).  This letter lays the foundation for ordaining elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7), and provides guidance for ordaining people into offices of the church (1 Timothy 3:8-13).  In essence, 1 Timothy is a leadership manual for church organization and administration. MESSAGE This is the first letter Paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor who had been a help to Paul in his work. Timothy was a Greek. His mother was a Jewess and his father was Greek. Paul was more than just a mentor and leader to Timothy, he was like a father to him, and Timothy was like a son to Paul (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul begins the letter by urging Timothy to be on guard for false teachers and false doctrine. However, much of the letter deals with pastoral conduct. Paul instructs Timothy in worship (chapter 2) and developing mature leaders for the church (chapter 3). Most of the letter deals with pastoral conduct, warnings about false teachers, and the churchs responsibility toward single members, widows, elders, and slaves. All throughout the letter, Paul encourages Timothy to stand firm, to persevere, and to remain true to his calling. 2 Timothy PURPOSE The Book of 2 Timothy is essentially Pauls last words. Paul looked past his own circumstances to express concern for the churches and specifically for Timothy. Paul wanted to use his last words to encourage Timothy, and all other believers, to persevere in faith (2 Timothy 3:14) and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 4:2). MESSAGE Paul encourages Timothy to remain passionate for Christ and to remain firm in sound doctrine (2 Timothy 1:1-2,13-14). Paul reminds Timothy to avoid ungodly beliefs and practices and to flee from anything immoral (2 Timothy 2:14-26). In the end times there will be both intense persecution and apostasy from the Christian faith (2 Timothy 3:1-17). Paul closes with an intense plea for believers to stand firm in the faith and to finish the race strong (2 Timothy 4:1-8). Titus PURPOSE The Epistle to Titus is known as one of the Pastoral Epistles as are the two letters to Timothy. This epistle was written by the apostle Paul to encourage his brother in the faith, Titus, whom he had left in Crete to lead the church which Paul had established on one of his missionary journeys (Titus 1:5). This letter advises Titus regarding what qualifications to look for in leaders for the church. He also warns Titus of the reputations of those living on the island of Crete (Titus 1:12). MESSAGE How wonderful it must have been when Titus received a letter from his mentor, the apostle Paul. Paul was a much-honoured man and rightly so, after establishing several churches throughout the eastern world. This famous introduction from the apostle would have been read by Titus: To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour (Titus 1:4). The island of Crete where Titus was left by Paul to lead the church was inhabited by natives of the island and Jews who did not know the truth of Jesus Christ (Titus 1:12-14). Paul felt it to be his responsibility to follow through with Titus to instruct and encourage him in developing leaders within the church at Crete. As the apostle Paul directed Titus in his search for leaders, Paul also suggested how Titus would instruct the leaders so that they could grow in their faith in Christ. His instructions included those for both men and women of all ages (Titus 2:1-8). Philemon PURPOSE The letter to Philemon is the shortest of all Pauls writings and deals with the practice of slavery. The letter suggests that Paul was in prison at the time of the writing. Philemon was a slave owner who also hosted a church in his home. During the time of Pauls ministry in Ephesus, Philemon had likely journeyed to the city, heard Pauls preaching and became a Christian. The slave Onesimus robbed his master, Philemon, and ran away, making his way to Rome and to Paul. Onesimus was still the property of Philemon, and Paul wrote to smooth the way for his return to his master. Through Pauls witnessing to him, Onesimus had become a Christian (Philemon 10) and Paul wanted Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ and not merely as a slave. MESSAGE Paul had warned slave owners that they had a responsibility towards their slaves and showed slaves as responsible moral beings who were to fear God. In Philemon, Paul did not condemn slavery, but he presented Onesimus as a Christian brother instead of a slave. When an owner can refer to a slave as a brother, the slave has reached a position in which the legal title of slave is meaningless. The early church did not attack slavery directly but it laid the foundation for a new relationship between owner and slave. Paul attempted to unite both Philemon and Onesimus with Christian love so that emancipation would become necessary. Only after exposure to the light of the gospel could the institution of slavery die.

Prevalence of Inappropriate Behavior With Schizophrenia

Prevalence of Inappropriate Behavior With Schizophrenia Sexuality is basic human need. This need is present at every developmental stage and as age increases, it become more dominant. According to Freud if person fixated at one stage or its needs repressed then in later life it comes in his behavior (Townsend, 2006). According to Muslim Public Affairs Council (1996) sex and sexuality are consider taboo subjects in Pakistan. Our culture also doesn’t allow talking about these issues openly before marriage and consider legal to satisfy sexual desire only after marriage. Religion also doesn’t support to discuss these matters openly. It is important to discuss on this topic in mental health because if we don’t discuss on sexuality, the patient may start expressing his thoughts in unacceptable manner which is against our norms of society and it is called as â€Å"sexual disinhibition†. The study uncovered that 26.7% of persistent schizophrenic patients had huge obsessive enthusiastic indications, with a high prevalence in the age set underneath 35 years. Obsessive habitual side effects were more serious in patients with term of sickness more than 5 years. The obsessive impulsive indications were more common around paranoid schizophrenics (Hemrom et al, 2009). A 33 yr. old female admitted in Karwan-e-Hayat with complain of schizophrenia. On assessment I found her depressed and prepared to give teaching on coping mechanism. While giving teaching to her on coping strategies she suddenly started telling her sexual thoughts, desire and feelings to have a sexual intercourse. Even she was ready to have an intercourse with his divorced husband and wanted to get married. When she was telling this I was quiet, anxious, uncomfortable, and not confident to discuss. Once I thought that I was not able to assess her problem for which she needed help. In schizophrenia obsessive compulsive symptoms that of being contamination, sexual, and aggressive thoughts is the positive sign. In a research it has been found that 10% of schizophrenic patient had these obsession symptoms (Hemrom et al, 2009). Sexual obsession is common in schizophrenic patients and relates the DSM-IV criteria of schizophrenia and OC (Bancroft, 2008). Who encounter such a sort of unadulterated fixations (i.e., fixations that are regularly portrayed by the absence of unmistakable impulses) assess unpleasant considerations as unsafe and excessively significant and, hence, fight to control their beliefs (Dell’Osso et al, 2012). The patient was suffering from schizophrenia so having sexual obsession could be the part of her disease process as Turkcan et al. (2007) reported that 16% of patient had obsessive compulsive symptoms with schizophrenia. According to Freud (1961), psychoanalytic theory describes formation of personality through five stages of psychosexual development. Fixation of libido (sexual drive or instinct) at any stage of development certainly results in psychopathology (Townsend, 2006) and fixation at any stage will also influence the behavior of person in later life (McLeod, 2008). As in case of my patient, she was divorced due to which her sexual desires were repressed and unable to fulfill them. It results in fixation of sexual needs due to which her sexual needs are at extreme level that, she have intense feeling to have intercourse and have sexual thoughts, which may change into behavior at any time. On the other hand, literature shows that some antipsychotic drugs induce sexual disinhibition which includes risperidone and quntipien (Lam et al, 2007). Risperidone side effect is that it increases sex drive and also decreases sexual function in some cases. Some cases have been reported which shows the effect of risperidone in increasing the sexual obsession compulsive thoughts (Basil et al, 2002). So, my patient was also taking risperidone it may be one of the factor for having compulsive thought. Whereas, there is also literature support for medication that decreases sexual desires such as one of the late study evaluate that second generation antipsychotic i.e. risperidone, olanzapine, quntipien, and haloperidol is the biggest study to date to assess sexual dysfunction and reproductive side effects (Kelly Conley, 2004). Therefore, it is important to take alternative medications to treat these symptoms. Whereas various late medicine studies and narrative case reports have indicated an adjunctive particular serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) may be a convincing medications to treat OC in schizophrenia. Patients getting clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics as their support medicine ought to be thoroughly screened for new onset or compounding of prior OC indications (Hwang et al, 2006). Although my patient had intense thoughts and desires to have intercourse, so with the pharmacological management it is important to do cognitive therapy because patient only have thoughts, but her thoughts can be change into behavior. It is important to change her thoughts through cognitive therapy. There are different strategies through which inappropriate behavior of patient can be change and these are discussing below. Cognitive therapy helps dependent upon perception, and all the more particularly, the particular judgment evaluation by a single person of an occasion, and the feelings or practices that come about because of that examination. Cognitive techniques include identifying and modifying repeated thoughts (thinking errors) and schemas interior values (Townsend, 2006). The goal of cognitive therapy is to change irrelevant beliefs, faulty way of thinking, and negative self- statements that cause behavioral problems (Stuart, 2013). Cognitive therapy focuses on controlling and reducing obsessive compulsive behaviors by behavioral strategies for managing symptoms, thoughts, beliefs and feelings are perused and examine for relevance and validity. Behavior modification system is dependent upon the precise examination and requisition of fortification. Support is the procedure by which new reactions are obtained and existing ones are fortified (Jessor, 2013). Moreover, motivational interventions can be done to develop patient’s motivation to change. By asking open-ended question can help to identify patient agenda. Affirming, reinforcing positive statements, and hopeful can emphasize that change is possible and it will also increase the self esteem of patient which will help him and motivate to change (Stuart, 2013). Role modeling can be done to teach the behavior. Lifestyle change to help an individual identify high-risk situations, change cognitive distortions or faulty thinking, and cope with stressful or high-risk situations that may trigger relapse (Townsend, 2006) Furthermore, nurse role is important in recognizing these issues in mental health. As, in my patient scenario it was my lacking that I was unable to recognize patient needs correctly so as nurse it is important to asses patient needs rightly and to do interventions accordingly. For this nurse should be competent in communication skills, confident to talk on this sensitive topic. She should have complete knowledge about the topic, positive approach and effective communication style can greatly improve the interaction. An approach that rises strengthening and self-governance ought to be utilized and the suitable health-advancement messages through consultation for individual client (Gott et al, 2004). All in all, prevalence of inappropriate behavior with schizophrenia is high; therefore as nurse it is important to asses patient needs and play the role of counselor, advocator, and as a care giver in giving awareness to families about patient disease process. Family and health care support also helps patient to cope his situation. In mental health it is important to modify the behavior of client according to needs through required techniques.

Admissions Essay - My Father Died of AIDS :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay -Â  My Father Died of AIDS Â   Seventeen years ago, I came bounding into a world of love and laughter. I was the first child, the first grandchild, the first niece, and the primary focus of my entire extended family. Although they were not married, my parents were young and energetic and had every good intention for their new baby girl. I grew up with opportunities for intellectual and spiritual growth, secure in the knowledge that I was loved, free from fear, and confident that my world was close to perfect. And I was the center of a world that had meaning only in terms of its effect on me-- what I could see from a height of three feet and what I could comprehend with the intellect and emotions of a child. This state of innocence persisted through my early teens, but changed dramatically in the spring of my sophomore year of high school. My beloved father was dying of AIDS. Â   From the moment my parents told me, I confronted emotions and issues that many adults have never faced. Â   Death of a parent, and AIDS specifically, forced my view of the world and my sense of responsibility to take a dramatic turn. I had already accepted my father's homosexuality and had watched through the years as he experienced both prejudice and acceptance related to his sexual preference. However, in this case I did not have the benefit of time to understand my father's illness since he decided not to tell me until he had developed full-blown AIDS. My role in the relationship was suddenly reversed. Â   Where I had once been the only child of my single father, I was now the parent to the debilitated child. Â   Â   By the summer of my junior year, I had rearranged the structure of my life; as my father's illness progressed and he became increasingly incapacitated, he depended on me a great deal. Â   Each morning before school I took him to the hospital where he received blood transfusions or chemotherapy to treat the lymphoma that was destroying his body. After school, I raced home to complete my homework so that I could later go to his apartment. There I cooked meals, cleaned up, and administered his oral and intravenous medications. Working with IVs became second nature to me. I found myself familiar with the names of drugs like Cytovene, used to treat CMV, Neupogen, to raise one's white blood cell count, and literally countless others.

Beloved - Toni Morrison :: essays research papers

Confidence and violence: relationship between women in â€Å"Beloved† The story told in â€Å"Beloved† contains a process of memorialization and change. In this process, the relationship between women is very important. Some relations are dominated by violence and hate, others are full of confidence and love. In those relationships rememory and storytelling are important factors, because the women get to know each other better by telling stories about the past. They get to know much more about each other, through which their relationship dà ³es change. When Sethe arrives at 124 Bluestone Road, Baby Suggs doesn’t know her at all. She only knows Sethe ‘s her daughter-in-law, the woman who married her son Halle and who gave him four children. And yet she helps Sethe immediately. At 124 Bluestone Road, Baby Suggs creates a space, which provides warmth and certainty for Sethe and her children, just as 124 is for the whole community. â€Å"124 was †¦ night long.† (p.86) I think it really adorns Baby Suggs that she was such a warm person, especially to Sethe and her children. In fact she opens her house and her heart to the whole community. When Beloved arrives at 124, she immediately takes part of the family life. Sethe dà ³es really like it to have another daughter living with them and she’s flattered by Beloved’s open devotion. â€Å"Sethe was†¦his teacher.† (p. 50) Denver in the beginning also likes Beloved’s presence. The three become a real â€Å"family†: they ice skate, drink cocoa, dress up in bright colors and ribbons. Their relationship is mostly positive. But as soon as Sethe understands who Beloved is, Beloved's claim on her is total. Sethe no longer goes to work; she attends to Beloved's wishes. Denver - who once was the most important person in Sethe’s life - tries to make claims on both Beloved as a sister and Sethe as a mother, but she is gradually shut out of the relationship. Sethe doesn’t want to tell much about her past to Denver, but to Beloved she tells nearly everything. â€Å"It became†¦incomplete reveries.† (p. 58) Ultimately Denver and Sethe are bound to Beloved. The three are fixed on story-telling, although it hurts Sethe, she keeps telling nearly everything about her past to Beloved. One day, they go to the Clearing, a space in the wood that was "wide-open" and blessed, where it was â€Å"possible to love†. Sethe comes to this place to figure out what to do with her past.