Identity and Personal Attachments

The formation of a person’s identify is shaped by various forces. Much attention is usually paid to his/her socio-economic environment. In particular, one can focus on the ethnic background of an individual, neighborhood, or class. However, it is important to speak about the role of attachments such as family or friends.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Identity and Personal Attachments specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To a great extent, they play the role of mentors or trusted advisors whose opinion or values are respected by a person. Moreover, they eventually make independent choices which are based on their conceptions of ethics or rationality. These are the main aspects that can be identified. These questions have been examined in various works of literature and academic studies. The role of personal attachment to other people is illustrated in the short story The Lesson by Toni Bambara. The author thr ows light on the experiences of a black girl named Sylvia who lives in a poor neighborhood. The writer shows how the values and attitudes of a child can be shaped by various people who can play the role of mentors. At first, one can speak about Miss Moore’s attempts to educate children by teaching them mathematical skills (Bambara 46). She wants to make sure that children are willing to learn. To a great extent, she attempts to play the role of a mentor. However, Sylvia is more attached to the opinions and values of her best friend called Sugar. Sylvia is more likely to emulate the behavior of her friend. Only at the end of the story, it occurs to the protagonist that Miss Moore might have been right, and she attempts to think and act independently. In his short story Eveline, James Joyce also speaks about a woman who recollects the past events of her life. In particular, she thinks about the forces that prompt her to leave her family. In this case, much attention should be p aid to the behavior of the protagonist’s father who often resorted to violence. The narrator says that he relied on â€Å"blackthorn stick† to teach children (Joyce unpaged). His behavior is the main reason why Eveline does not feel any attachment to him. He failed to become a role model or a mentor for her family. This is one of the main points that can be made. A very similar situation is described by Theodore Roethke in his poem My Papa’s Waltz. This author speaks about the child who is extremely disappointed with his father, especially his alcoholism (Roethke unpaged). These are some of the main aspects that should be considered. On the whole, one can say that literary works can throw light on the way in which the values of a person are shaped. The development of identity is closely examined by many scholars. For instance, Arielle Deutsch et al. examine the factors that can increase the risk of delinquency. The authors argue that the failure of parents to be come role models for children lead to their affiliation with deviant peers (Deutsch et al. 71). One can say that some teenagers can become the mentors of their coevals.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main problem is that this situation often leads to the deviant behavior of a child and his/her rejection of many values such as education or compliance with the law. This is one of the main risks that should be considered. This is why researchers focus on the practices of parents (Robinson et al. 73). On the whole, educators and psychologists pay close attention the formation of a child’s identity. They argue that children are more likely to be engaged in crime, if they observe it on a regular basis (Milner 119). Nevertheless, researchers also admit the role played by the so-called agents of socialization or people who shape the values of a person. Among these agents, on e can distinguish parents, teachers, and peers (Berns 48). To a great extent, they can shape a child’s perception of the world and his/her treatment of other people. For instance, teenagers, who interact with deviant peers, may perceive drug abuse as something normal. Nevertheless, it is critical to remember that a person’s ethical choices are critical for his/her development. This issue is explored in the literary sources analyzed in this paper. They show that an individual can take decisions that do not coincide with the values of his/her parents or peers. This is one of the issues that should not be overlooked. Judging from my own experience, I can say that my parents and teachers were the main mentors in my life. They affected many of my values and priorities. To a great extent, I was able to resist the influence of peer pressure. Nevertheless, their influence became much weaker when I reached the age of adolescence. On the whole, this analysis suggests that a pers on’s attachments and his/her social environment are critical for his/her development. Various literary and academic sources indicate that an individual’s values and priorities are formed through the interaction with parents, teachers, or peers. However, the characters discussed in this paper suggest that these people can take independent decisions. Works Cited Bambara, Toni. â€Å"The Lesson.† In Stitches: A Patchwork of Feminist Humor and  Satire. Ed.Gloria Kaufman. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991. 44-49. Print. Berns, Roberta. Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support, 9th  ed.: Socialization and Support, New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Identity and Personal Attachments specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Deutsch, Arielle, Lisa Crockett, Jennifer Wollf, and Stephen Russell. â€Å"Parent and Peer Pathways to Adolescent Delinquency: Variations by Ethnicity and Neighborhood Context.† Journal of Youth and Adolescence 41. 1 (2012): 1078-1094. Print. Joyce, James. Eveline. The Literature Network, n. d. Web. http://www.online-literature.com/james_joyce/959/ Milner, Richard. Culture, Curriculum, and Identity in Education, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print. Robinson, Lara, Neil Boris, Sherryl Heller, Janet Ryce, Charles Zeanah. â€Å"The Good Enough Home? Home Environment and Outcomes of Young Maltreated Children.† Child Youth Care Forum, 41.3 (2012): 73-78. Print. Roethke, Thomas. My Papa’s Waltz. PoemHunter. 3 Jan. 2003. Web.. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/my-papa-s-waltz/. This essay on Identity and Personal Attachments was written and submitted by user Geraldine Flynn to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Jack Kerouac

World War II marked a wide dividing line between the old and the new in American society and the nation’s literature†(The World Book Encyclopedia 427) . When world War II ended there was a pent up desire that had been postponed due to the war. Post war America brought about a time when it seemed that every young man was doing the same thing, getting a job, settling down and starting a family. America was becoming a nation of consumers. One group that was against conforming to this dull American lifestyle was referred to as ‘Beatniks’. â€Å"The Beats or Beatniks condemned middle class American life as morally bankrupt. They praised individualism as the highest human goal†(The World Book Encyclopedia 428). This perspective was present in poetry and literature through out the beat movement. One of the most important works produced during the beat movement was Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. In the novel Jack Kerouac’s alter ego Sal Paradise re presents the American man who realizes he doesn’t want to conform to societies pressures but still hasn’t realized what it is exactly he wants to do. He is a man who has very little direction and is very much lost in the world as he knows it. Kerouac seems to be constantly trying to escape. In examining the novel one might wonder what is Kerouac escaping and by what means does he do so? Kerouac used two means of escape through out the novel and through out his life. His first means of escape was his constant travel. He traveled from east to west, New York to San Francisco and stopped everywhere in between. He made this trip over and over, constantly on the road. The simple title of the novel exemplifies Kerouac’s ongoing need to travel. When he and his friends got tried of traveling east to west they traveled north to south, driving all the way down to Mexico City. His travels gave him the opportunity to be an outsider with no worries. He was able to witness and observe all that there wa... Free Essays on Jack Kerouac Free Essays on Jack Kerouac Expository Essay When asked to choose one book to be placed in my local school district’s public library my decision was easy. Over the course of my life I have read many books but there has always been one that stuck out in my mind. One that I could relate to and use as advice in my journey through life. On the Road, written by an ingenious free-spirit of the 50’s and 60’s, Jack Kerouac. In the time of the 50’s and 60’s when the average American was drinking Coca Cola, enjoying TV dinners, and watching I love Lucy on their black and white television there was Jack Kerouac, behind the scenes. A man completely ahead of his time, at the right time in America. At a time when the country was wide open with society and government keeping there distance, all you simply had to do for change was stick out your thumb. Kerouac was a writer from Massachusetts. He graduated from Columbia University and in the late 1940’s became a member of what was soon to be called, â€Å"the Beat Generation†. He wrote the book On the Road in three weeks although it took him seven years of spontaneous traveling to acquire its accounts. His wandering way of life was so rebellious of the times that his work was not praised until decades later. In the book On the Road, Kerouac plays an unsettling, insightful traveler on his own personal endeavor to search for an answer. To what question only Kerouac knows. His travels begin in Paterson, NJ, and over the course of seven years, never returning home, he manages to cross from east coast to west coast several times. With his friends Allen Ginsberg, Neil Cassady, and William Burroughs he encounters situations unheard of by the average man. With a notepad in hand he reveals consciousness itself, detailing every socialistic aspect of himself and others. Walking to the â€Å"Beat† of the jazz his spirit sends him soaring through a world of colorful, unpredictable adventures. Growing up as a you... Free Essays on Jack Kerouac World War II marked a wide dividing line between the old and the new in American society and the nation’s literature†(The World Book Encyclopedia 427) . When world War II ended there was a pent up desire that had been postponed due to the war. Post war America brought about a time when it seemed that every young man was doing the same thing, getting a job, settling down and starting a family. America was becoming a nation of consumers. One group that was against conforming to this dull American lifestyle was referred to as ‘Beatniks’. â€Å"The Beats or Beatniks condemned middle class American life as morally bankrupt. They praised individualism as the highest human goal†(The World Book Encyclopedia 428). This perspective was present in poetry and literature through out the beat movement. One of the most important works produced during the beat movement was Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. In the novel Jack Kerouac’s alter ego Sal Paradise re presents the American man who realizes he doesn’t want to conform to societies pressures but still hasn’t realized what it is exactly he wants to do. He is a man who has very little direction and is very much lost in the world as he knows it. Kerouac seems to be constantly trying to escape. In examining the novel one might wonder what is Kerouac escaping and by what means does he do so? Kerouac used two means of escape through out the novel and through out his life. His first means of escape was his constant travel. He traveled from east to west, New York to San Francisco and stopped everywhere in between. He made this trip over and over, constantly on the road. The simple title of the novel exemplifies Kerouac’s ongoing need to travel. When he and his friends got tried of traveling east to west they traveled north to south, driving all the way down to Mexico City. His travels gave him the opportunity to be an outsider with no worries. He was able to witness and observe all that there wa...

Assignment Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment Two - Essay Example After spending much time reading religious books, Ignatius traveled to monasteries and schools praying and studying in preparation of consecrated life to Christ. After his graduate studies at the University of Paris together with his six friends, they vowed to continue with their extended prayer and meditation. The Jesuit society was founded in the year 1534 on a day known as the Assumption day. At the time of the formation of this society, Ignatius was 40 years. After the communion, Ignatius and his companions vowed to go on a mission to a Holy Land. The aim was to convert non members of the group .The constitution of the society was constituted and approved by Paul the 3rd in Rome in the year 1540.The Jesuits vow to serve the Pope and to provide the Pope with unconditional obedience, teaching, confession and to offer voluntary work and services1. France is known as the cradle land of the Jesuits but the society in Italy received its Programme and constitution. The society therefore took its roots first in Italy and then spread abroad. The history of Italian civilization dating to 16th and 17th centuries shows the results to increased number of colleges and Jesuit academies. In Spain, the order’s penetration was slower. The higher clergy and the Dominicans were opposing the action of this group and therefore that contributed to its slow growth. However, the order came to defeat the resistance and eventually found its way in2. The aim of the Jesuits is to form not an intellectual Christian elite but to elite the Christians. Thus, it would be so disturbing for these believers to learn about Candide’s philosophy since to him, God never existed. He was against the fact that God is perfect and he went ahead and proclaimed that if God was perfect as the Jesuits insisted the world should also be perfect. The fact that the world is not perfect formed the basis for Candide to believe that God never existed. The Jesuit society also had a conquering spirit and an ultimate desire to attract nonmembers and to hold them with their influence. Candide’s philosophy was against hypocrisy and immorality among religious leaders, he expresses his view against Christianity by pointing out how religious leaders persecuted those who were against their theology and corruption. For example, in this book we encounter a pope’s daughter; a man of God who was supposed to be selibate and not sire any children but, on the other hand, he secretly keeps an affair with a mistress. In the Candide, the author uses various kinds of satire against optimism which the Jesuit society valued most. Voltaire, the author of the Candide, is satirical about those Christian believers who were caught in wrong doings. Voltaire’s main aim of writing this book was to destroy optimism. This can be very disturbing to the Jesuit society since they preached optimism and good morals. In this case, believers needed to have hope of eternal life and positive feel ing about the future when all was not well. For instance, he used satirical remarks after hearing the old woman’s story. He says it was such a pity for a person as wise as Pangloss who was hanged, they could have spared him instead so

Reflective writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective writing - Essay Example However, the transparent scarf does not entirely cover the other one beneath it. The fact that she is able to wear her own shoes without modification seems illogical. The student feels disgruntled, since hospital rules only allow these items and the â€Å"theatre suits† to be worn within the hospital. The fact that surgeons and other members of the medical staff often come in and out of the hospital without changing their clothes - and without being challenged – is, in her opinion, discriminatory and carries a risk of infection. In order to understand her feelings and to see if they are justified, it is necessary to reflect on the contributory factors. They fall into three categories [1] religious [2] surgical [3] integration. RELIGIOUS BELIEFS In the first place the Quran does not require a muslim woman to wear the hijab [headscarf] (Syed, 2001), the idea of compulsion generally derives from family or social pressures. Yet, even in muslim countries some 30-40 years ago women frequently went out unveiled as they did in the UK to show their emancipation (Johnson, 2007). Five years ago, however, almost every muslim woman wore a headscarf; this time to display allegiances – pride in their heritage and ethnicity.

The culture high Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The culture high - Movie Review Example Although the position supported in a film is arguable, its creators did a good work to make â€Å"The Culture High† informative and engaging to watch. The plot of the film is centered on the discussion of the current status of marijuana in the United States with its creators openly arguing for marijuana legalization. A significant part the film is dedicated to explaining the side of proponents of legalization, who state that marijuana is not more dangerous or harmful than alcohol, but its prohibition allows underground business and cartels to prosper and conduct more violence. As it is argued, â€Å"marijuana does not cause lung cancer while more than 5 millions annually die from tobacco worldwide.† (The Culture High) Further, it is exposed that criminalization of marijuana can be linked to the government and other private organizations making profit from it by massively incarcerating the population. However, at this time, other sectors of the economy are in need of funds. Since President Richard Nixon declared the â€Å"War on Drugs†, millions were imprisoned on minor marijuana charges. (The Culture High) As a resul t, rose the need for private prisons, which according to Howard Bloom, â€Å"make it profitable to incarcerate people† (The Culture High) Subsequently, it is suggested that marijuana prohibition is needless, but is still maintained not for the sake of keeping order in the society and protecting a common citizen, but for continuing militarization of the police forces and gaining profit while denying Americans their rights, manipulating and misleading them. Although â€Å"The Culture High† mostly operates with popular arguments, it is quite informative for a person who is not an adept at the issue being raised. From one side, the film contains much information that has been actively and often discussed in the media, leaving little space for a kind of a discovery to be made.

Organization resource management

Organization resource management ‘The organization resource management may be defined as the composition of people and tools in any organisation for the attainment of the organisational goals. The organisation resource management in star bucks company has achieved greater heights by planning, organising and controlling the resources available within the organisation to achieve its goals. Starbucks is one of the best known and fastest growing companies in the world. Set up in 1971, in Seattle, the company grew slowly initially, but expanded rapidly in the late 1980s and the 1990s. By the early 2000s, the number of outlets reached to about 3000 from 9000 outlets . It was widely believed that the companys success and rapid growth could be attributed largely to its committed and motivated workforce. This ensured that employees remained motivated, and Starbucks had a relatively low employee turnover However, in the early 2000s, the company faced the challenge of finding and retaining the right number and kind of employees to man its future growth. In January 2005, when Starbucks Coffee Company (Starbucks) was placed second among large companies in the Fortune Best Companies to Work For survey Despite the fact that employees, especially those on the frontline, are critical to the success of retail businesses, most companies do not have a strong relationship with their employees, and consequently suffer from a high rate of employee turnover (In the early 2000s, employee turnover in the retail industry was around 200 percent). In this scenario, Starbucks stood out for its employee-friendly policies and supportive work culture. The company was especially noted for the extension of its benefits program to part-time workers something that not many other companies offered. As a result, Starbucks employees were among the most productive in the industry and the company had a relatively low employee turnover. However, by the early 2000s, three possible problems had to be considered would the company be able to support its staff with the same level of benefits in the future, given the large increase in the number of employees; would the company be able to retain employees if it made any move to lower its human resource costs by cutting down on benefits; and would Starbucks be able to maintain its small company culture, an important element in its past growth. Starbucks realized early on that motivated and committed human resources were the key to the success of a retail business. Therefore the company took great care in selecting the right kind of people and made an effort to retain them. Starbucks recruitment motto was To have the right people hiring the right people. Starbucks hired people for qualities like adaptability, dependability and the ability to work in a team. The company often stated the qualities that it looked for in employees upfront in its job postings, which allowed prospective employees to self-select themselves to a certain extent. Having selected the right kind of people, Starbucks invested in training them in the skills they would require to perform their jobs efficiently. Starbucks was one of the few retail companies to invest considerably in employee training and provide comprehensive training to all classes of employees, including part-timers Analysts said that Starbucks biggest challenge in the early 2000s would be to ensure that the companys image as a positive employer survived its rapid expansion program, and to find the right kind of people in the right numbers to support these expansion plans. Considering the rate at which the company was expanding, analysts wondered whether Starbucks would be able to retain its spirit even when it doubled or tripled its size. By the early 2000s, the company began to show signs that its generous policies and high human resource costs were reflecting on its financial strength. Although the company did not reveal the amount it spent on employees, it said that it spent more on them than it did on advertising, which stood at $68.3 million in fiscal 2004. That the company was finding its human resource costs burdensome was reflected in the fact that it effected an increase of 11 cents on its beverage prices in mid-2004. Analysts wondered whether the companys cost problems could be met by a price increase, as customers already paid a premium for Starbucks beverages. On the other hand, it would not be easy for the company to cut down on benefits, as it could result in a major morale problem within the company. A strategic HR plan lays out the steps that an organization will take to ensure that it has the right number of employees with the right skills in the right places at the right times. HR managers begin by analyzing the companys mission, objectives, and strategies. Starbucks objectives, for example, include the desire to â€Å"develop enthusiastically satisfied customers† as well as to foster an environment in which employees treat both customers and each other with respect. Thus, the firms HR managers look for people who are â€Å"adaptable, self-motivated, passionate, creative team members Job Analysis To develop an HR plan, HR managers must obviously be knowledgeable about the jobs that the organization needs performed. They organize information about a given job by performing a job analysis job analysis Identification of the tasks, responsibilities, and skills of a job, as well as the knowledge and abilities needed to perform it. to identify the tasks, responsibilities, and skills that it entails, as well as the knowledge and abilities needed to perform it. Managers also use the information collected for the job analysis to prepare two documents: †¢A job description job description Outline of the duties and responsibilities of a position., which lists the duties and responsibilities of a position †¢A job specificationjob specificationDetailed list of the qualifications needed to perform a job, including required skills, knowledge, and abilities., which lists the qualifications—skills, knowledge, and abilities—needed to perform the job Training Regular training to the stuff was the most important key to the success of the company the employees were on a regular knowledge of the latest equipments used in the company. The company spends loads of sum on training of employees. This Mkes the employees more efficient and effective in their tasks. Advantages of training Staff become more competent at their jobs Staff become moer flexible Staff motivation increases Increased productivity Changes become easier to introduce Fewer accidents The organisations image improves eg when dealing with customers Reduced waste Disadvantages of training Once fully trained, staff may leave for better paid jobs Financial cost of training may be high Work time is lost when staff are being trained Quality of training must be high for it to have a positive effect

Instrumentation Project :: Papers

Instrumentation Project The aim of this experiment was to calibrate a thermistor and having done this, to estimate my body temperature. [IMAGE]This is a diagram to show the circuit that we created in order to complete the aim. The thermistor that I used was a positive coefficient thermistor, meaning that the resistance increases as the temperature increases, this then leads to an increase in voltage. This circuit has created a potential divider. Two resistors in series divide the voltage across a circuit and form a potential divider. The output voltage is proportional to the input voltage, which is determined by the resistance. This is because of the following equation: V out = Vs x R1 (R1 + R2) This can be shown in the following examples, where the voltage supply is 5V and the fixed resistor (R2) is 100 ohms, R1 varies. In the first instance, it is 70 Ohms and in the second example R1 is 80 Ohms: 1) V out = 5 x 70 = 5 x 70 = 2.055 2) V out = 70 + 100 170 2) V out = 5 x 80 = 5 x 80 = 2.22 80 + 100 180 As you can see from these examples, the voltage has increased with an increase in resistance because the fractions were getting larger each time. The values that I used were realistic ones that appeared during my experiment. A resistor of 100 Ohms was one of the three that I chose to use and 70 Ohms was around the resistance of the thermistor at room temperature. When performing this experiment, I chose to put the voltmeter across the thermistor because it would give me an increasing voltage with an increasing temperature. If I had put the voltmeter across the fixed resistor, an inverse relationship would have been formed, which would have made analysis of data and finding my body temperature difficult. I also chose to use three different resistances on the sub box, which were 47, 100 and 200 Ohms.

Effects of Social Media on Young Adults Essay

Looking at the average Millennial, one would see him toting all his smart devices and would wonder if Millennials are ever disconnected – from technology or from each other. The Millennial Generation, more than any other generation, feels the need to be constantly linked to each other. For young American adults aged 18-32, technology is their life; virtual reality has come to supersede physical reality. In what seems like every second of every day, teenagers can be found on their computers, tablets, and cell phones, searching though pages of social media. In fact, statistics prove that they are: an average teenager has 201 Facebook friends and 73% of teenagers are on at least one social network (Thomas). Across Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter alone it shows how cyber space is endless. According to Social Media Watch, Twitter now boasts that as of May 2, 2013 it has 359 million active users; Facebook still holds the top social media spot with 701 million active users. Thanks to the sizeable growth in online activity, the Millennial Generation has lost touch with interpersonal communication. If not monitored, online social networking will become detrimental to the Millennial generation and following generations’ social and psychological development, as the anonymity of cyber space has been shown to encourage negative behavior, leading to increased feelings of disconnection from others. Each generation spends their childhoods in different ways. As for this century, Millennials find themselves trapped in the world of media, populated by televisions, radio, magazines, mobile phones, laptops and the Internet, which gives young adults access to what most young adults crave, social media. Read more: Speech on social media and its impact on youngsters essay. There seems to be no decline for â€Å"the social networking movement. † Just a few examples of the seemingly infinite types of online networking are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and YouTube. According to Amanda Lenhart, of New York Department of Health, 93% of young adults go online. (Lenhart). With such a strong amount of people accessing the Internet, the dangers that can come from the massive amount of time spent online must be discussed. Social networking is being used as a new tool necessary for a growing technological society. Teenagers, being a large part of the online generation, have been caught up in the allure of online social networks and the way they have revolutionized how people go about their daily activities. A study showed that 48% of people ages 18-34 years old check Facebook when they wake up (Statistics Brain). This shows how highly young adults prioritize social media. Due to the excessive amount of time spent on these networks and the online freedom that young people have to continuously explore different social networking sites, they are prone to the negative effects it has on their development. While it may seem that social media is required for social survival in today’s society, in actuality it is just a way of communicating with greater ease. With moderation, social networks are vital to American culture. It is when these websites are abused with the intent to bully others, and once they are considered the only hobby for young adults, that they can become increasingly more dangerous. A large problem arises from communication via technology in lieu of face-to-face conversations, and its prevalence over other activities such as reading, sports, or other hobbies that positively shape the mind and body instead of being a catalyst for negative behavior. Social networking is affecting the schoolwork and test results of America’s youth. Researchers have found that the middle-school, high school and college students who used Facebook at least once during a 15 minute period get lower grades overall (Cosby). While they are trying to do homework students have a tendency to attempt to multitask and do their homework while simultaneously on different social media outlets. They claim to be successfully multitasking, but they are unaware of the affect these distractions are having on them. In reality, their efforts to multitask are making the simple task they were trying to accomplish take significantly longer than it ordinarily would. A study was performed at two West Coast high-tech firms to observe how many times employees were interrupted and the impact it had on their work. Each time a worker was distracted from a task, it would take an average of 16 minutes for the employee to return to the previous menial task they were in the process of doing. Even worse, some people forgot what they had been working on all together, showing effects on short-term memory (Sladick). This shows how impactful constantly checking social media or the interruption of a text message can be when working on something as small as writing an email. One of damaging effects of being â€Å"plugged in† all the time is this generation’s struggle to correspond with each other properly. Amanda Lenhart expresses her fear for the generation following her by speaking to the fact that 51% of young people primarily communicate with each other through texting, 42% use social media as a secondary source, and only 29% talk to each other as part of other activities outside of school (Lenhart). With online social interaction being so abundantly available to young adults, most would rather talk to someone over text messages or the Internet and avoid face-to-face contact, because of the stress that can come from talking to someone in person. America’s youth are showing a severe lack in the social skills necessary to be successful later in life, which will be harmful to the future success of American society. There are 30 million messages sent through Facebook every 20 minutes (Statistics Brain). While it may seem like a generation with a constant link to each other, brought on by the enormous quantity of messages sent between them, would have a excessive feeling of togetherness and an abundant number of fulfilling relationship, ironically, it is speculated these messages do not serve the same quality connection that one gets from an interpersonal conversation. A lack of interpersonal conversation ultimately leaves them feeling unhappy. There have been studies that prove the increased levels of Internet use have been associated with higher levels of depression and loneliness (Kersting). These online conversations do not provide people with the person to person bond that humans require to feel successful, but are more along the lines of shallow exchanges that include messages such as, ‘sup? ’ that would only require the simplest of responses, ‘nothing, u? ’. With this being the primary type of communication that they use, young people are unable to see the flaws that come from this type of interaction and how it will lead them to be dissatisfied if it continues to be the majority of how they communicate. The young adults have not learned the proper way to connect with other people nor have they used different conversational skills, or had to deal with different possibly complicated interpersonal situations, and they do not know how to get to know a person from somewhere other than behind the screen. Social media has a profound effect on American culture. The increase in technology brings forth the same idea of ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg? ’ Are the characteristics of the Millennial Generation: the need for instant gratification, the short attention spans, desire to be constantly connected, and the need to regularly multitask, because of the accessibility of technology? Or is the perpetual improvement of technologies in order to keep up with Millennials? Studies have shown a simultaneous rise of narcissism and social media usage in the Millennial generation, which raises the question: is there a relationship between the two? Narcissists are usually unable or unwilling to form connections that require emotional investments, such as face-to-face friendships, but still desire the social admiration and attention that a large number of friendships can offer (Bergman). This is the epitome of a person with thousands of ‘friends’ on his or her Facebook, who frequently participates in extensive, but insubstantial activity online. He or she feels loved, which increasingly fuels their narcissistic behavior. This is only one of the negative side effects that are on the upswing with the increased use of social technologies, others on the rise include aggression, anxiety and depression. The endless use of technology is affecting every part of people’s lives. With so many outlets for people to communicate with, the American culture has developed an addiction to social networking websites. People have been known to sleep with their phones, making different social media site the last thing they see each night, and allowing them to be contacted at any time of the night. Dr. Roseanne Barker, of The Barker Sleep Institute, says, â€Å"Americans are getting a lot of light exposure through electronics and technology during that last hour before sleep†¦ And it decreases the brain’s natural production of melatonin. † Melatonin is the body’s sleep-promoting hormone, she explains, and when phones constantly ring and beep throughout the night, it causes sleep fragmentation and disruption. Barker sees the issue in patients of all ages, but it is increasingly affecting the youth (Meckles). With adults placing technology at such a high place on their priority list, the idea is trickling down to America’s youth. Adolescents see the amount of time people older than them spend on the different types of social media and assume that the same behavior is acceptable for themselves. Studies claim a direct link between the use of cell phones and social networking and medical issues, like seizures and radiation (Meckles). A large problem coming from the hold technology has over people is how it affects their overall lifestyle, in this case their sleeping patterns, which causes an increase in more serious health effects that will affect them in the long run. One might say that social media has transformed the Internet into a tool that has made communication easier and more accessible. These networking sites allow people to communicate with people across the globe, showing them about how the other side lives. But what happened to it being dangerous for young people to engage in communication with strangers? Sure, a young person might think ‘this person is thousands of miles away, he or she can’t cause me any harm, why not add this person as a friend on Facebook? They could never find me in real life. ’ People have a false sense of security through the Internet. They find comfort in the anonymity available to them on social media sites. They feel a freedom from real life and freedom from consequences. Moreover, social networking offers young adults a place that puts a great emphasis on acting immorally. For example, all the different inappropriate themes posted all over the Internet that prompts impressionable young minds to think things that are usually seen as morally wrong are actually normal. Not to mention the danger that comes with certain social networking applications, such as Tinder. An application that uses a person’s GPS location to find people in his or her area and ‘matches’ them. Allowing the user to decide if he or she like a persons picture, if they do, the two people are allowed to communicate with each other through the application. Not only does that promote the importance of looks and allows a person to potentially create a fake identity to attract whatever type of person they are looking for, but it is a slyly built ‘dating’ site designed for teenagers. A person could mistakably be under the impression that it had a similar inconspicuousness that came with talking to a person across the globe, but actually be unknowingly be putting himself or herself at risk with a potentially dangerous person in his or her area. Anonymity causes people to question the validity of anything that is written on the Internet. If anyone is able to write whatever he or she feels on the Internet, then that is more difficult to determine what is true and what is false. This causes people to question everything they read even when the legitimacy is stated and has been proven. A recent study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that the negative comments on science articles affected how people perceived the validity of the science (Rooney). While it may be good that people do not immediately believe the things they read on the Internet, they have started to question verified data. In people thinking nothing on the web is true, they consistently try to disprove this data, and anonymously write scathing things about these studies causing other people who see these negative comments to think the research is not professionally done and therefore invalid. This type of anonymity on the Internet forces societies to take a step backwards. Anonymity on the social networking sites brings forth a major negative that has a serious impact on many young adults: cyber bullying. Cyber bullying can be very damaging to adolescents and teens. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. 68% – 97% of online aggression victims also experience offline relational aggression and 24% -76% also experience offline physical victimization. Cyber bullying is a gateway for a bully to start abusing others in person. More than 32,000 suicides occurred in the U. S. This is the equivalent of 89 suicides per day, one suicide every 16 minutes or 11. 05 suicides per 100,000 populations (Kersting). With namelessness on the web, people will say anything they want regardless of how it may impact someone else, because they have no fear of being held accountable for the harm it may cause. Anonymity can be used for offensive or disruptive communication. It is not uncommon for people to anonymously say damaging things about other people. People frequently create fake emails in order to make fake profiles on Facebook, so they can publically say whatever they what to whoever they what free of blame or punishment. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, about half of young people have experienced some form of cyber bullying, and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly (Bullying Statistics). With the rise of use of social media sites this statistic is growing. As a way to increase awareness, a news station told the story of how someone made a false account and anonymously commented on a boy who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome Facebook saying, ‘You should just go kill yourself. No one likes you, anyway. ‘ The boy, who already faces challenges in school, where kids bully him relentlessly, was smart enough to take this message to his mother and thankfully was given the proper help for him to deal with the bullying and did not take his own life (Finn). Due to the lack of face-to-face contact with the victim, an online bully may not know the effects they are having on the other person. Therefore, online bullies are less likely to feel guilt about the things they have said. In his or her anonymity these kids are more likely to say something even more hurtful through technology then they would normally say to someone’s face (Kersting). These cruel messages are not only free to be seen by any one on the Internet, but they can easily be distributed quickly and to a mass audience, such as a whole student body, leaving the victim with few or no people unaware of the mean, and probably false, comments that are being said about he or she. Making it impossible for the target of the bullying to avoid the negative things that are being said. The ease of access to social allows cyber bullies to attack other people at any time, leaving their victims to feel trapped by the things being said to and about them. It is not like it was for previous generations, where at 3:00 o’clock a person was free from whoever was bullying them at school and could go home to a safe, bully free environment. Social networking allows this generation’s bullies to harass their victims at any time. Because they are attacked round the clock, some victims feel that suicide is his or her only way to be free of the hurt. Someone might argue that for someone who feels suicide is his or her only way to be free of pain that there are plenty of resources to help them. The problem is that a majority of these resources are online, on the very social networking websites where these people are receiving abuse. The resources that will supposedly help them to feel better come from the place that is causing them the most pain, and therefore causes victims of bullying to avoid accessing them. They have the mindset that the social media websites will only cause them pain, making the information unavailable to the people who need it most. In the creation of fake profiles, dangerous people are able to pursue whatever type of target they are seeking. According to Jacob Palme, â€Å"Anonymity can be used to seek contacts for performing illegal acts, like a pedophile searching for children to abuse† (Palme). While there are certain websites that inform people if there is a pedophile living in their area, so they can protect their children from them. There is no such way to warn people of those same hazardous people all over the web, because it is impossible to detect them over the Internet. These dangerous people use anonymity to say what ever they need to in order to get an impressionable person to do what he or she wants. Parents need to have guidelines for how technology is used within the household in order to raise well-rounded citizens that will grow into successful people that will participate in the road to a prosperous society. To have this functioning culture, the community needs children that will grow into adults that are capable of functioning on their own. From a young age, Americas children need to learn about being responsible and not relying on other people or the Internet to gather information For example perhaps have young people share a cell phone that has to be checked out from the parent by the child. This type of rule would require the young adults to be involved in other activities such a reading, sports, or clubs with others and not have the dependence on technology, that so many people ages 18-32 suffer from. Another possible way to monitor social media is have hours of the day where its not allowed. For instance, having to check phones, tablets, and laptops in at night. This will allow kids to connect with people in real life and not just over Wi-Fi. Modern technologies can very well be a double-edged sword, they offer a person an abundance of knowledge at their fingertips, but also can be the cause of intense destruction to another. When improperly used, social networking has an enormous harmful affect on a person’s wellbeing, sometimes even leading to death as stated above. The dependence American culture has on technology is negatively impacting young peoples development. If awareness of the inevitable destruction from the unceasing use of technology does not become more widespread, then American culture has no chance of staying a superpower in the world. People will be in constant fear for what an anonymous person might say about them through social media, hindering them from saying anything at all. The intelligence levels will continue to decline as the use of social media increases and America will be raising a dysfunctional community full of feelings of disconnection and depression. Albert Einstein once famously said, â€Å"I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots. † This quote begs the question, has that day already come? Works Cited Bergman, Shawn M. , Matthew E. Fearrington, Shaun W. Davenport, and Jacqueline Z. Bergman. Personality and Individual Differences. Vol. 50. N. p. : Elsevier, 2011. 706-11. Web. 4 May 2013. Cosby, Chris. â€Å"The Effects of Social Media on Teenagers. † SociallyActive. N. p. , 22 Nov. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. . â€Å"Cyber Bullying Statistics. † Bullying Statistics. N. p. , n. d. Web. 04 May 2013. . Einstein, Albert. â€Å"I Fear the Day That Technology Will Surpass Our Human Interaction . † Web. 05 May 2013. . â€Å"Facebook Statistics– Statistic Brain. †? 2012 Statistic Brain Research Institute, publishing as Statistic Brain.? 18 May 2012. 29 April 29, 2013. . Finn, Lisa. â€Å"Teen Suicide On The Rise? † The Independent. N. p. , 20 Oct. 2010. Web. 4 May 2013. Kersting, Kristina R. â€Å"Technology and Youth Suicide. † Kids Under Twenty One. PowerPoint. 5 May 2013. Lenhart, Amanda. Teens and Social Media. PEW/INTERNET. N. p. , 10 Apr. 2009. Web. . Lewis, Sarah, Roy Pea, and Joseph Rosen. â€Å"Beyond Participation to Co-creation of Meaning. † Beyond Participation to Co-creation of Meaning. SAGE Journals, 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. . Meckles, Jennifer. â€Å"Sleep Affected by Late-night Cell Phone, Technology Use. † Wbir. com. N. p. , 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 05 May 2013. O’Keeffe, Gwenn S. , MD, and Kathleen Clark-Pearson, MD. â€Å"The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. † The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. American Academy of Pediatrics, 28 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. Palme, Jacob, and Mikael Berglund. â€Å"Anonymity on the Internet. † Anonymity on the Internet. N. p. , 30 Feb. 2007. Web. 05 May 2013. Rooney, Ben. â€Å"The Debate Over Online Anonymity. † The Wall Street Journal. N. p. , 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 4 May 2013. Thomas, Taylor. â€Å"30 Statistics about Teens and Social Networking. † TopTen Reviews. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.

An Ecological Model of the Trinity Essays

An Ecological Model of the Trinity Essays An Ecological Model of the Trinity Essay An Ecological Model of the Trinity Essay An Ecological Model of the Trinity Within The New Cosmology Advancement of modern technology and scientific discovery, as well as the sociological developments of the past century, has changed the way humanity relates to the world. Human culture, particularly American culture, has developed a predominant world-view of earth’s resources and human relationships as things to be used and manipulated for personal gain. Scientists are warning with increasing urgency that the survival of the planet is at risk. Global warming caused by depletion of the ozone layer is negatively affecting climate change and the polar ice caps are melting at previously unimagined rates. Pollution, deforestation, manipulation and indiscriminate consumption of the planet’s natural resources have also contributed to an ecological crisis. Much of the environmental destruction can be directly connected to exploitation of people and cultures by business and industry for purposes of economic gain. Science alone cannot persuade the human community to make the swift and pervasive changes needed to begin repairing damage done to the earth. Human consciousness must begin to understand the interrelatedness of people and ecological systems that sustain life on the planet. The injury done in the name of scientific and economic progress can begin to be mitigated by a response from communities of faith. Contemporary ecological theology establishing creation as a revelation of the divine is a starting point for promoting the need for reconstruction of environmental and cultural systems. Humanity needs more than ever to discover the direct relationship of God’s intimate relationship with the universe as well as God’s being in intimate relationship with the individuals. Collaboration of current theological and scientific philosophies can help reveal a God â€Å"so intimately present in the world that the world can be regarded as an incarnate expression of the Trinity, as creative, as expansive, as conscious, as self realizing and self-sharing. † An ecological theology based on a relational model of the Trinity creates a paradigm allowing the contemporary Christian a way of relating and responding ethically to the world and to each other. Scientific theories of the universe Basic scientific descriptions of prominent contemporary theories of the origin and composition of the universe are helpful in beginning to construct an ecological theology. A foundational description of differentiated life forms existing within larger organic systems illustrates aspects of a trinitarian model of mutual relations found in the physical universe. Current theories of the scientific origination of the universe rely heavily upon what has been called â€Å"the Big Bang theory. This theory, credited to Edward Hubble posits that approximately fifteen million years ago, a tremendous explosion occurred from which all matter and energy originated. As a result of this explosion the universe, galaxies, stars and planets were created and the universe continues to develop and expand. The earth is the result the cooling process of a minute amount of matter from this explosion over the millennia enabling a process of evolution in which the rich diversity of plants and animals emerged and grew. Unanswered questions in regard to the Big Bang remain as development of theories in quantam physics progresses. Science continues to discover and revise its hypotheses and theories about the origin and organization of the universe. However, from the Big Bang theory, two basic conceptualizations of matter appear. The first idea is that all created matter is derived from the same source and therefore interrelated. The second is that from the same particles and energy, a multitude of specific and differentiated life forms occur. Both sameness and difference play major roles. Like the One and the Many, they will be with us through the whole development. Protons are all alike, but put different numbers of them together, and you get completely different substances. Or, take a certain number of carbon atoms, a number of hydrogens, oxygens, and nitrogens, and, without varying the numbers of each, just put them together n different arrangements, and again you’ll get very different subs tances. † The organization of substances at the atomic level created conditions in which biological ecosystems have evolved. Scientific work in biology, microbiology and genetics support the seminal work of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution as the basis for life in its ongoing transformation and diversification in nature. But science cannot and does not presume to answer questions of why the universe came into being or how and why we exist. That is the work of philosophy and specifically for this paper, the discipline of theology. The place of human beings in the history of this evolving universe, as it has been charted by modern sciences, can only be seen in its complete reality in the light of faith, as a personal history of the engagement of the triune God with creaturely persons (art. 62). † Traditionally, the Christian begins by seeking answers about the origin of the universe and nature of God in the written word of scripture. â€Å"And God saw that it was good† Ge n 1:12 NRSV- A Biblical interpretation of creation The story of Genesis provides a rich description of the creation of the universe by God. Judaeo-Christian creation accounts, actually two separate stories interwoven in the book of Genesis, describe an ordered process initiated by God. A reading of the creation stories in fact reflects the same process of development that modern science proposes; from light energy to the formation of galaxies and solar systems to the creation of the earth and from it plant, animal life and finally the human species. But the task of these original creation narratives was not so much to tell how and when the universe was created. The purpose of the authors of Genesis was to attempt to respond to questions about the meaning of existence and the nature of God. These are concepts beyond the realm of science. In the Genesis account, God speaks and the universe, whose origin is love, comes into being. The origin of the substance of the cosmos is not what but who. Then, desiring reciprocity of love, God creates the human being. Out of loving desire for relationship the universe and humanity are born. In biblical terms, â€Å"God’s being cannot be sought in a rudimentary divine â€Å"stuff† of some sort, but rather in the hunger for relationship to which the doctrine of the Trinity witnesses. † Relevance of the Trinity for Contemporary Christianity One of the first things a Catholic child is taught to pray is the sign of the cross. â€Å"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;† the Trinity is invoked at the beginning and conclusion of almost every experience of prayer from childhood through adult life. Liturgical sacramental celebrations and the Liturgy of the Hours are filled with trinitarian formulas and doxologies. Christians proclaim their faith in the Trinity each time the creed is recited. Yet most people asked to define the Trinity cannot explain anything more than, â€Å"The Trinity is one God, in three persons. † More than one priest asked to preach a homily on the Trinity has been known to quip, â€Å"It’s a mystery of faith. What more is there to say? † Yet the theology of the trinity has been one of the core doctrines of Christian faith since its early history. Although the theology of the Trinity remains a central doctrine of faith, the average person remains unaware of any real impact of the Trinity upon their lives. What difference does the doctrine of the Trinity make in the lived experience of twenty-first century Christians? In an attempt to answer this question, theologians of the twenty and twenty-first centuries have begun renewed interpretations of the doctrine of the trinity and its relevance in contemporary Christian life. History and Development of Trinitarian Theology In order for create a foundation for contemporary scholarship to construct a relevant ecological theology of the Trinity grounded in mutual relationship between the Creator and creation, it is helpful to provide a brief overview of the development of trinitarian theology in the course of Church history. Trinitarian theology appeared early in the life of the Church. The patristic Church first addressed controversies concerning the nature and exact relationship between the three persons of the Trinity the Arian controversy. The resolution of the debate was to proclaim the Jesus as being of the same substance or homoousios, with the Father at the Council of Nicea in 325 C. E. and that the Holy Spirit was coequal with the Father and the Son at the Council Constantinople in 381 C. E. This cemented an orthodox Trinitarian doctrine of the Church. However, understanding and explaining these concepts remained a challenge. Augustine of Hippo in the fifth century developed a detailed Trinitarian theology explaining the unity of the three divine persons of the trinity. Augustine then describes separate consciousnesses between the three persons and the process of interaction between them. In this model known as a psychological analogy, â€Å"God is fully conscious and knows and loves God-self and creation. † The psychological analogy was reinterpreted and expanded by Thomas Aquinas one thousand years later. Thomas refined the theology of Augustine, adding a technical systematic approach with specific terminology describing the â€Å"processions and relationships between the three persons, ad intra, and then to the ivine missions, ad extra,† which dealt with the external mission of each person of the Trinity. This organized comprehensive definition of the mystery of the Trinity seemed to articulate a thorough treatment that left little need for further investigation until the twentieth century. The great twentieth century theologian, Karl Rahner is often quoted as saying, â€Å"one could dispense with the doctrine of the Trinity as fal se and the major part of religious literature could well remain virtually unchanged. Yet Rahner’s work, along with other modern theologians such as Jurgen Moltmann, began exploring deeper dimensions and modern implications for a revitalized Trinitarian theology. Modern Trinitarian scholarship reaches beyond simple debates between immanent or economic models and addresses a relational theology that implies ethical behavioral praxis for the Christian community. Two Contemporary Relational Interpretations of the Trinity Two contemporary theologians who have made significant contribututions to a revived relational model of Trinitarian theology are Leonardo Boff and Elizabeth Johnson. Emphasizing cultural anthropology and the documents of the Second Vatican Council, directing the Church to live in greater relationship with the wider world, liberation theology developed in the Church of Latin America. Liberationist theologian Leonardo Boff develops a distinctively perichoretic model of the Trinity in which â€Å"Each divine Person permeates the other and allows itself to be permeated by that person. This interpenetration expresses the love and life that constitutes the divine nature. It is the very nature of love to be self-communicating; life naturally expands and seeks to multiply itself. Boff accentuates the equality of persons within the immanent trinity and uses the concept of the Trinity as Perfect Community to criticize unjust social and political structures which subjugate and oppress people based upon class, race and economic status. Elizabeth Johnson has constructed a Trinitarian theology within a feminist theological framework. Johnson, approaches the p roblem of patriarchal language and imagery of the Trinity by presenting language based upon the study of Wisdom literature imaging the persons of the Trinity as Spirit Sophia, Jesus-Sophia and Mother-Sophia. Johnson reclaims the translation of Thomas Aquinas to translate YHWH, the name God gave Moses at the burning bush as â€Å"Qui est† or The One Who Is. â€Å"Johnson argues that, if God is not intrinsically male, if women are truly created in the image of God, then there is cogent reason to name Sophia-God â€Å"the one who is,† the one whose very nature is sheer and exuberant aliveness, the profoundly relational source of being, wellspring of life, dynamic act, She Who Is. In this way Elizabeth Johnson attempts to present a vocabulary that images God and the Trinity without the masculine biases implicit in past theologies and scriptural interpretations. The feminist theological model for a Trinitarian theology presented by Elizabeth Johnson expands the Christian imagination and helps to lay a foundation for exploring dimensions of the imago Dei, and the persons of the Trinity that surpass an understanding of God that is exclusively male. â€Å"Many theologians, and pa rticularly feminist theologians, have identified the power of language for naming God as a critical issue. Johnson’s question concerning the right way to speak about God can be situated within the rising concern of all people who have begun to recognize the profound implications of speech about God both for the future of life on this planet and for the human person‘s capacity to know and relate to God. † Johnson’s Trinitarian model is that of a God of mutual relations who is not a removed observer of human suffering but in the person of Jesus-Sophia becomes vulnerable and able to share in the suffering of humanity. This compassionate God suffers with creation and wishes to draw all humanity and creation into loving union and to heal the world of suffering and evil. Both Boff and Johnson emphasize the imago Dei, the face of God, reflected in the faces of God’s people. God that bears the image of the suffering and oppressed demands a response of compassion and restoration of just social systems from God’s people. The Universe as the Imago Dei Similar to the theologies of Boff and Johnson, Denis Edwards further explores the ecological model of the Trinity in light of Christology. Christianity is par excellence the religion of the incarnation and, in one sense, is about nothing but embodiment. † Jesus, the Word made flesh is the ultimate expression of the imago Dei. In the person of Jesus Christ, the Christian, experiences the incarnate presence of God seeking loving union with humanity. An ecological theology expands the Christological metaphor of imago Dei, to include a cosmic Christology. â€Å"Joining in the creative work is really central to the whole contemplative enterprise. Cosmogenesis – the generation of the cosmos – can be seen, as Teilhard de Chardin saw it, as â€Å"Christogenesis,† the growth of the â€Å"ever greater Christ. † This Christ has been â€Å"growing in stature and wisdom† (Luke 2:52; read â€Å"complexity and consciousness†) these last dozen or so billion years and is nowhere near finished yet. † The Universe as God’s Body Another ecological theologian, Sallie McFague also constructs a model of God based upon an ecological theology. McFague’s concept of the universe as the body of God is accentuates an incarnational Christology stating, â€Å"We know God – we have some intimation of the invisible face of God – through divine incarnation in nature and in the paradigmatic Jesus of Nazareth, in the universe as God’s body and in the cosmic Christ. † McFague distinguishes this image of the universe as God’s body as metaphorical. It is intended as a vehicle to expand and explore contemporary understanding of the nature of God. This paradigm is not to be understood literally as a reinterpretation of pantheistic theology. Since we now know that our bodies and spirits (or minds, souls) are on a continuum, is it so odd to think of God as embodied? Remember that we are thinking analogically or metaphorically. † McFague emphasizes the presence of God in the universe existing as a communion of diversity. â€Å"To contemplate divine transcendence as radically and concretely em bodied means, of course, that it is not one thing: divine transcendence, in this model would be in the differences, in the concrete embodiments, that constitute the universe. For McFague, knowledge of God is found in understanding the diversity and specificity of life-forms existing within the body of the universe. Using the language of the body enables us to re-imagine the human encounter with the Divine as experienced in and through all creation. In God â€Å"we live and move and have our being,† Acts 17:28 NRSV. The presence of God sacralizes all created matter and establishes the entirety of the material world as the imago Dei. Accepting the universe as the embodiment of God necessitates our intimate relationship with ecology. As we treat the universe, we treat the real presence of God. An Ecological Trinitarian Theology The ecological crisis has increased universal human consciousness about the fragile balance that exists in the worlds environmental communities. Because of this theologians have begun to ask questions about the nature of God embodied in creation and humanity’s relationship with the universe. Many scientists and theologians are beginning to find areas of commonality between the two disciplines rather than seeing one as exclusive of the other. Australian eco-theologian, Denis Edwards has created an ecological theological conceptualization of Christian cosmology for the twenty first century using Christian revelation in conjunction with current theories in physics and evolution. Denis Edwards builds this model upon a trinitarian God as â€Å"Persons-in-Mutual-Relations† beginning with the creation stories of Genesis and from Christian scripture, particularly in the Gospel of John. In The God of Evolution: A Trinitarian Theology, Edwards illustrates John’s use of the word abiding or â€Å"indwelling† over forty times in the gospel and twenty-seven times in the Johannine letters referring to the relationship between the persons of the trinity or God’s relationship within human beings. â€Å"According to John, the love of Jesus and the Father in the Spirit, is a dynamic relational life of mutual indwelling, which reaches out to embrace us, catching us up in the open circle of divine love. In addition, Edwards is heavily influenced by the Wisdom Christology of Elizabeth Johnson connecting Wisdom literature with God at work in creation. â€Å"Wisdom is clearly concerned with the whole of creation and with the interrelationships among human beings, the rest of creation and God. † Rather than relying only on classical Trinitarian categories and definitions, Edwards retrieves the work of Richard of St. Victor (d. 1173) as well as the Trini tarian theories of St. Bonaventure. Edwards, in describing the theology of Richard of St. Victor of the twelfth century â€Å"suggests that it is friendship which is at the heart of things. I find this a fruitful way to approach an understanding of the God of evolution. † The friendship described by Richard of St. Victor is the friendship built upon an Augustinian â€Å"social approach to the Trinity, the trinitarian model of the lover, the beloved, and their love. † Richard describes the self-transcendant loving union of human friendship as the human model for understanding the relationship between the persons of the Trinity. The fullness of love shared between the Father and the Son â€Å"ecstatically breaking out beyond the two to include a third. † Edwards also revives some elements of the trinitarian theology of Bonaventure â€Å"in which the world is a vast symbol of the Trinity and the economy is ontologically grounded in the immanent trinitarian mystery of God. † For Bonaventure creation is the self-expression of God. Edwards states, â€Å"It is divine community that constitutes reality as it is and as it becomes. It is divine love that enfolds all creatures and enables them to be. It is this sheer relationality, this communion in diversity, which sustains and empowers biological evolution. † The ecological theology constructed by Edwards, recognizes the permeation of Divine Love in the presence of every particle of created matter, emanating from the source of the Creator’s love and infused with life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Denis Edwards writes, â€Å"the foundation for a theology that takes evolution seriously can be found in the trinitarian vision of God as a God of mutual relations, a God who is communion in love, a God who is friendship beyond all comprehension. This community of self-transcending donation of love is a paradigm illustrating the nature of the Trinity, a conceptualization of the universe, as well as a paradigm for Christian living. Yet these abstract concepts are sometimes difficult for the average Christian to grasp. Edwards suggests, If it is accepted that God is communion and that the universe itself is a created com munion existing from the divine communion, then this raises the question of how we think about the relationship between the divine communion and the community of creatures. We cannot think about this relationship without some kind of imaginative picture of God’s interaction with the universe. A Story of Trinity and the Universe Long ago in a small village lived a woman. She became known far and wide as the finest cook in the land. An invitation to her home for dinner was coveted by all. Her pastries and main courses were culinary delights but she was best known for her soup. When asked by aspiring chefs for her recipe, she simply smiled and said, â€Å"I put love into everything I make and that’s what makes the difference. Every night lucky visitors were treated to an experience they would savor for a lifetime. The woman was very happy. One night a young girl longing to possess the ability to recreate the recipe for the woman’s famous soup secretly hid in the old woman’s cupboard and watched through a knot hole in the door as the next day’s soup was prepared. The girl took careful note as the old woman selected each i ngredient, measuring, chopping, mixing with such great reverence and skill it seemed as though if the girl was watching a ballet. Then the young girl was startled as the chef kissed each ingredient just before adding it to the soup. Next even more alarmingly, the young girl watched in amazement as the woman carefully selected and sharpened one of her knives. She proceeded with great care to place a small slice in her finger and hold it above the soup. Slowly, a few bright red drops fell into the cooking liquid among the rest of the ingredients. Finally, the old woman singing quietly, it seemed to the pot, leaned over the soup and breathed deliberately as she stirred the mixture. The novice cook stole out of the cupboard and ran home. She immediately repeated the steps she had just witnessed. One: carefully choreograph preparation and kiss ingredients. Two: prick the finger and add a few drops of blood. Three: blow into soup while stirring. The young girl was giddy with delight. She could now make the exact recipe that had made the old woman both famous and loved. Now with such a valuable recipe she could sell her soup and become rich and famous throughout the countryside! However, the next day as she set up shop and sold her soup to passersby, the young girl’s soup met with limited approval. Her soup hardly left the taster yearning for more. Those who tasted the soup did not express the same praise and satisfaction that the old woman daily received. No one pleaded for permission to return the next day for more. What could she have left out or done wrong? It simply did not make sense. Plagued by her inability to recreate the woman’s soup, the girl decided to go to the old cook and confess her attempt to steal the recipe in order to coax the woman to tell her what went wrong. After the wise old woman listened to the story of the greedy girl, she simply smiled and with a sigh, agreed to share her secret. â€Å"You see,† she said, â€Å"I have no magic recipe. But the three steps you thought you saw were not what they seemed. The first step is that I love what I am creating. The second step is that I summon the love within myself and physically insert it into my creation. Finally, I share all my energy and love with those who eat my soup. † The young woman went away still perplexed by the crazy old cook. God As Loving Communion The story presents a possible image of God’s body as the universe. Within this paradigm, the physical substance of the universe is important and even holy because the Creator has willed it and loved it into being. The substance of the created world and its differentiated life-forms may be interpreted as the ingredients lovingly used by the old cook. Each ingredient measured and added precisely is necessary to the recipe. Yet, their true value does not reside in the substance of the ingredients. Their real value resides in the fact that each ingredient reflects God’s intentional self-gift of love. God As Incarnate Being Using a metaphor of the universe as God’s body, all of creation assumes an incarnational identity. Just as the Christian experiences Jesus as the Word made flesh, the Christian also believes that creation came into being from the expressed will of the Creator. If the first person of the Trinity, is the Giver of life and the Creator of the Word, the second person, Jesus, is the personification of Gift and Creation. â€Å"Through the Incarnation of God’s Word in Jesus Christ, the gift of God’s love, God’s very life is immutably turned toward us creatures with whom God has freely and irrevocably entered into the covenant. † The old chef was not satisfied in merely creating a perfectly delicious soup, she desired to share her very life-blood with those who would partake in her creation. Jesus, the Word made flesh joins God and humanity in intimate union. In the Incarnation, God takes part in the pain and sorrow, joy and love present in our lives. Jesus is the ultimate gift, God’s self-giving love. The second person of the Trinity, the Gift is the â€Å"piece de resistance† of God’s creation. Not set apart from the universe but fully immersed, part and parcel of creation. The spirituality of the Christian is defined, nourished and empowered by Jesus Christ. The Spirit, The Giver of Life The Incarnation is possible through the power of the Spirit, the ongoing presence of love at work in the world and within the deepest core of the human being. Witin the human soul exists the indwelling of God, the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity completes the circle of God’s love. Expressed in three divine persons within one being, the Trinity can be defined as the Creator, the Incarnation and the Spirit. Trinitarian spirituality espouses that God’s self-gift of love is incarnated in Jesus Christ that comes to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Denis Edwards states, â€Å"the distinctive work of the Spirit in the ongoing creation of all things can be understood in terms of the power of becoming and the gift of divine communion with each creature. The Holy Spirit is the energizing force within the Trinity. It is the regenerative power of God’s love that enables life to be maintained and proliferated throughout the universe, in the human community and even at the core of the individual human soul. God’s greatest gifts to the human spirit; faith, hope and charity through the prompting of the Holy Spirit are called into human consciousness. The Holy Spirit works in and through the Word. â€Å"In the Son and the Holy Spirit, God is speaking and breathing the divine life in the world. Indeed, throughout Christian history the Holy Spirit has been referred to as the Breath of God. This is a metaphor with which we can easily identify. For in the human organism without breath there is no life. When we are breathless, we are unable to speak. In imagining God, we can extend this metaphor in saying that without God’s Breath, the Word could not have become present. In further contemplation of cosmic reality, we understand that the breath of the Holy Spirit â€Å"empowers all life and ? gives direction to the teeming life of creation. Returning to our story, the cook breathed into her soup (which we can now explain allegorically as the universe) because she longed to share her life-giving energy with her friends. The final product of the soup was made of love with the desire to share intimately with those in relationship with the cook around her table. And finally, the old woman gave her energy born of love to those sharing her meal in order that they could be sustained and energized after being fed. Communion of Loving Relationship This story imagines the Trinitarian concept of God’s loving self-communication, expressed distinctly in the three Divine persons. The Trinity is an inextricable unity of loving relationship found in the God we call three and one. Each person of the Trinity exists in a unique individual reality, yet are united within one God. Greek Orthodox theologian, John Zizioulas asserts, â€Å"There is no other model for the proper relation between communion and otherness either for the Church or for the human being than the Trinitarian God. If the Church wants to be faithful to her true self, she must try to mirror the communion and otherness that exists in the Triune God. The same is true of the human being as the â€Å"image of God. † Being as Communion Denis Edwards states, a â€Å"foundational concept is that God is a relational God, a God of equal and mutual friendship, and that all of created reality is to be understood as relational. To be is to be in communion. At the most fundamental level, being is communion. † The human being exists as unified combination of the organism and soul. The two are inextricable. The human being â€Å"is not a creature composed of two elements but is a single being in whom matter and spirit are essentially united. † Human beings seem to have an on-going struggle with integration. Separation of body and mind, assigning evil to things of the body and goodness to the spiritual realm is prevalent in past and present history. This duality has been the struggle of theological controversy over the church’s history. The church has continually held that the essence of the human person is not matter versus spirit, the fully human person exists as matter in cooperation with spirit. In other words, we ought to love and honor the body, our own bodies, and the bodies of all the life-forms on the Planet. The body is not a discardable garent cloaking the real self or essence of the person; rather, it is the shape of form of who we are. † It is complete interdependence of both body and soul that makes us fully human. Beatrice Bruteau uses scientific method ology in the areas of physics, biology, chemistry and mathematics in combination with philosophy and theology to explain the nature of cosmic being and reality and applies these theories to the individual. Bruteau uses complex scientific and mathematic formulas in conjunction with theological analogies to create a unified picture of the reality and being within God that is reflected in a Trinitarian communion of persons and in the cosmos. The personhood is reflected in the ability to transcend the self. The unseen untouchable energy of pure love that works in and through the world Judeo-Christianity calls God. As we read in the Gospel of John, â€Å"God is love. † John : , NRSV Christianity defines love (God) as the source of all creative life-giving energy. Each person experiences the origin of creative love as God at work within their being. The presence of God within the human soul imparts Divine love that allows human beings to function in loving relationship with each other, with God and with all of God’s created universe. Practical Application Of A Relational Trinitarian Model In contemporary theological discussion, relationality and communion in diversity are the essence of the Trinity within the economy of salvation. The Christian of modern times is able to comprehend the concept of the tripersonal God as persons in mutual-relationship with each other and the universe. A this model of God impacts all interpersonal relationships between human beings, relationships between entire cultures and our relationships with the entirety of the created universe. For, if all things exist in communion with God, we are inextricably related to each other and all creation. Therefore, the Christian is expected to act responsibly within these communal relationships. This communio is what the human being is called to image and participate in ecclesially, extending to participation in the Body of the Church and beyond to the wider community. The person seeking authentic conversion and deepening union with God must take a new approach toward all relationships. A truly Trinitarian spirituality demands recognition of being in relationship with God in every aspect of existence. Trinitarian spirituality is relational and inclusive of all people and creation. â€Å"It is also inclusive of all forms of non-human life and all of creation, indeed the whole world. This communion of the Trinity, in relationship with the human being, the church and the entirety of creation demand an expanded definition of relationship for the Christian. Beatrice Bruteau asserts, â€Å"If the world is the Body of God, then it must be both honored as God and also dealt with in worldly terms. If we are members of the incarnate Deity whose essential nature is to be sharing comm unity, then we must express this reality in appropriate community-sharing arrangements. † The theologies of liberationist and feminist theologians consider the socio-cultural dimensions of an understanding of Trinitarian theology. Gaudium et spes, The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, called upon the people of God to read the â€Å"signs of the times. † This anthropological perspective â€Å"called for critical reflection on people’s lived realty in the light of faith and its contemporary experience of society and culture. † As part of the human community, Bruteau asserts that all people share in God’s ecstatic reality and so the human community must be fully immersed and participative in social, scientific, artistic and religious aspects of life. As Bruteau puts it, â€Å"If what we discover by such culture is our membership in the Incarnate Transcendent Community, then we must live this out in terms of deep appreciation of ourselves, of our social communities, of our material, technical, informational, aesthetic, and meaningful world. † The Trinitarian theologies of Elizabeth Johnson and John Zizioulas are different in their approach yet each arrives at a communal model of Trinity. Orthodox Patriarch John Zizioulas’ work recalls the patristic concepts of the trinity and the psychological model of Augustine and defines the Trinitarian formula as â€Å"three Person’s in equal relation [he] recovers a key understanding that the being of God is communion. † Zizioulas’ trinity accentuates ecclesial communion and is most perfectly celebrated in the liturgy. â€Å"At the table of the eucharistic liturgy the many- the gathered community joined with the rich diversity of the whole of creation- are constituted by the Spirit into the one Person of Christ. It is as the body of Christ that the many-become-one are offered to God the Source of all being, and are drawn into the communion of the triune God. † Although these two theologians have very different perspectives both arrive at a conceptualization of the trinity as God in intimate loving communion with humanity which presents a way of being and a model for Christian life. â€Å"They point to how this central symbol of Christian faith can work to facilitate the participation of believers within God’s life, within the human community, and with non-human creation. Relational understanding of an immanent, yet transcendent God in relationship with all of creation and all people demands a radical response from the Christian. Theologians such as Denis Edwards, Beatrice Bruteau and Sallie McFague have expanded our perception and understanding of the Trinity as relational and communal. If God exists not only within the human soul but also throughout every particle of creation, humanity then must begin to view itself in individual relationship with God and also in a communal relationship with all humanity. Christians that fully embrace the immanent presence of God within and moving through a sacral universe, must now begin to make judgments and act in loving just relationship with the ecological systems in which we live. Elizabeth Johnson’s Trinitarian model presents the idea that â€Å"to contemplate the mystery of the one Trinitarian God as a living mystery of personal relations at the heart of the universe is to come to know Holy Wisdom, the triune God. This one-God-who-is-three suffers with us and prompts us to ethical action. The movement to ethical action is the dimension that modern theology contributes to a revitalized understanding of the theology of the Trinity pertaining to individual and societal praxis. The Vatican Document, â€Å"Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God† states, â€Å"The triune God has revealed his plan to share the communion of Trinitarian life with persons created in his image†¦Created in the image of Go d, human beings are by nature bodily and spiritual, men and women made for one another, persons oriented towards communion with God and with one another. †(art. 5) And, â€Å"In effect, no person is as such alone in the universe, but is always constituted with others and is summoned to form a community with them. † (art. 41) The human person does not live independently but exists within social ecological communities. The document calls the human person to responsibility within these communities â€Å"by gaining scientific understanding of the universe, by caring responsibly for the natural world (including animals and the environment), and by guarding their own biological integrity. (art. 61)† The place of humanity in the created universe is â€Å"front and center. Not because the human being is placed in charge of creation as some older cosmological explanations might assert, but because we are intimately related both in matter and being with the universe. â₠¬Å"Human persons are one with the universe because they and the universe are held through the ongoing act of creation, not merely in the abstraction â€Å"in being†; they exist in a universe â€Å"located† in the secret recesses of the mystery of Trinitarian communion. Human persons and the universe are one, since together they are eschatologically â€Å"one body† in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. † In Conclusion In the age of the Industrial Revolution at the turn of the twentieth century, humanity had come to view our natural resources and ecological systems as being at the service of humankind. Indiscriminate consumption and depletion of the earth’s resources without regard for long-term consequences to the environment or the moral implications of the misuse of natural resources has placed the planet and the future of humanity in great jeopardy. Belief in human supremacy on the planet and unchecked attempts to dominate and dissect our habitats and ecological systems has produced catastrophic results. Moltmann believes that â€Å"the ecological crisis has reached nothing less than apocalyptic proportions. † In viewing the universe as a community in which we live and participate, humanity can begin to relate to creation with regard to maintaining integrity of persons and systems. Aldo Leopold, the famous conservationist once said, â€Å"We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. Retrieving a Trinitarian theology based upon the economy of salvation and within the framework of an ecological cosmology, will allow â€Å"the restoration of communion among persons and all creatures living together in a common household. The articulation of this vision is the triumph of the doctrine of the Trinity. † God’s divine self-giving love expressed in creation, revealed within the human through the power of the Holy Spirit and embodied in the Incarnate Word allows us to see a way of being persons in complete communion with other humans, with creation and with God. The Trinity is no longer an irrelevant exercise in scholastic theological debate but a living reality that communicates God-self to us and empowers us to image that communion of being, sacramentally, ecclesially, socially and ecologically. The essence of the Trinity is all about relationship. Love poured out freely and shared unconditionally. â€Å"At this time of â€Å"taking stock† at the beginning of the new millennium, there is a challenge to recover the delicate ecology of the human soul along with the fragile ecosystems of the earth. † What is the greater mystery, the Creator or the Creation? They are in fact inextricable. We only can begin to imagine the immensity of the mystery of God revealing God-self to us. But this mystery continues to unfold in time and space. Reflecting on the contemplative implications of this new understanding of cosmology, the human being and the nature of God, Beatrice Bruteau concludes in her book God’s Ecstasy, â€Å"You are a participant in the Trinitarian Life Cycle, for you are doing the incarnating and the creating and the realizing and the rejoicing. God’s ecstasy creates the world, and the world’s ecstasy realizes God. And you are right in the midst of it all. † Bibliography Boff, Leonardo. Holy Trinity, Perfect Community. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2000. Bruteau, Beatrice. God’s Ecstasy: The Creation of a Self-Creating World. New York: The Crossroads Publishing Company, 1997. Christiansen, Drew, S. J. and Graze, Walter, ed.. â€Å"And God Saw That It Was Good†: Catholic Theology And The Environment. Washington, D. C. : United States Catholic Conference, 1996. Downey, Michael. Altogether Gift: A Trinitarian Spirituality. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2000. Edwards, Denis, ed. Earth Revealing, Earth Healing: Ecology and Christian Theology. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 2002. ______. The God Of Evolution. New York: Paulist Press, 1999. Fatula, Mary Ann, OP. The Triune God of Christian Faith. Collegeville, Minnesota: Herder and Herder, 1970. ________. The Holy Spirit: Unbounded Gift of Joy. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1998. Foley, Edward and Schreiter, Robert, ed. The Wisdom Of Creation. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2004. Gottlieb, Roger S. ed. , This Sacred Earth: Religion, Culture, Environment. New York: Routledge, 1996. Hunt, Ann. What Are They Saying About The Trinity? New York: Paulist Press, 1998. Johnson, Elizabeth A. She Who Is. New York: Crossroad, 1992. LaCugna, Catherine Mowry, ed. Freeing Theology: The Essentials of Theology In Feminist Perspective. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. ________. God For Us: The Trinity Christian Life. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1973. McFague, Sallie. The Body Of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993. Metzger, Bruce M. and Murphy, Roland E. editors. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. O’Collins, Gerald, S. J. The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity. New York: Paulist Press, 1999. Rahner, Karl, S. J. The Trinity. Translated by Joseph Donceel. New York: Herder And The Liturgical Press, 1990. ________. Opportunities For Faith: Elements of a Modern Spirituality. Translated by Edward Quinn. New York: The Seabury Press, 1970. ________. The Christian Commitment: Essays in Pastoral Theology. Translated by Cecily Hastings. New York: Sheed And Ward, 1963. Ratzinger, Joseph, ed. International Theological Commission, â€Å"Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God. † Rome: 20002 vatican. va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cit_documents/rc_con_cfaith_docu/ Streeter, Carla Mae. Foundations in Spirituality: A Systematic Approach. Preliminary Text, 2003 Zizioulas, John. â€Å"Communion and Otherness† (a lecture given at the European Orthodox Congress given in October, 1993. ) Reprinted from Orthodox Peace Fellowship’s Occasional Paper nr. 19, summer 1994. incommunion. org/Met-john. html/

Portfolio Assessment

Portfolio Assessment Introduction There are many ways of assessing and evaluating ELL students. However, in a multicultural setting, students’ performance based assessment has been successfully achieved through portfolio assessment mode. Portfolio assessment is an authentic student reflection under appropriately a, especially in high schools. A teacher develops portfolio assessment based on his/her interest.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Portfolio Assessment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Portfolio assessment has five main characteristics, which makes it the best methods to be used among diverse learners. These include; its comprehensiveness, systematic and predetermined, tailored nature, and its authentic. Assessment Mode The comprehensive nature of portfolio assessment makes it useful as it incorporates lot of learning elements. When developing portfolio assessment plan, many people are involve that ensure that all learning element are covered. Portfolio assessment will identify structural language components to be used to assess student. Materials such as charts, boards, sticks, pictures can be applied in assessing student literacy level and skills. A student language mastery, can also be tested through an arrangement of more complex learning materials. As a result, this assessment tool becomes vital in traditional reading view. A student can also be tested over reading and answering comprehensions skills. On the other hand, a student can be given word puzzles , and word construction assessments to check their language mastery. Self-reflection tests have also been applied as a test on traditional reading view (Peregoy Boyle, 2008). Testing ELL student reading cognitive view has successfully been achieved by assessment portfolio. A student ability to construct ideas during their reading can be assessed through exposing them to tests such as graphic organizers. Students can be made to draw story maps o r develop a story plot following the work they have read. Self-reflection essays can be applied to assess how much the students have gained in class. Time records of reading and understanding a material can also be used to measure the competency of a student (Elizabeth Donald, 2010). Metacognitive assessment is based on the ability of the student to draw a summary of a reading material through a systematic analysis of their text. Testes such text can be achieved by developing portfolio that assesses ability of the student to relate their learning and the real life situation.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Student metacognitive tests should be administered through exposing a student to a reading material then assessing how they can relate it to problems in the society. Additionally, metacognitive reading reviews should test the ability of the student to integrate ideas and develop solutions in the text (Elizabeth Donald, 2010). Developing Portfolio Assessment When developing portfolio assessment criteria, the following need to be considered. Items to be used in the portfolio should meet the needs intended The portfolio should be systematic and predetermined in purpose, relevancy and consistent. The portfolio should be very informative to the people carrying out the test. The portfolio should be tailored to study objectives. It should be authentic i.e. assessment need to be taken from natural learning ground, such as class room. Conclusion ELL assessment and evaluation should as well consider cultural diversity to come up with successful results. Cases such as students from family backgrounds where the parents do not speak English should as well be considered. Rubric scores can be developed based on such indicators as oral skills, interpretation capacities, ability to write and comprehend, and the student mastery of the topic. References Elizabeth, A., Donald J. (2010). The New Literacies: Multiple Perspectives on Research and Practice. New York: Guilford Press. Peregoy, S., Boyle, O. (2008). Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for Teaching K-12 English Learners. Boston: Pearson Allyn and Bacon