I Believe Essay Example for Free

I Believe Essay Belief, according to www. freedictionary. com, is the mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another. It can also mean the mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something. Religion and science come in mind when belief is the topic. There are these things we call faith and fact. Other topics appear like the strength of a family bond, friendship, effect of a teacher on a student, and relationships. Religion and science appear to be the most outstanding when it comes to topics like this. There are too many people who question the things that they believe in and there are also a lot of people who firmly hold on to their beliefs as well. If asked, I would most likely write about religion and science and put them together, if possible. I believe in some of the scientific facts that we have so long held on to. For one, I believe that the theories and laws pertaining to physics are entirely accurate at the least, if not true in all instances. My every day experiences continue to reaffirm my beliefs in some of the most basic scientific facts. For example, the Earth’s gravity keeps everything in the planet bolted to the ground, in a manner of speaking. I walk every day and I am certain that the Earth’s gravity prevents me from aimlessly floating in the air. The scientific fact that there is always an opposing reaction to each force is also evident in everyday life. From the moment I step on the concrete pathway to the moment I return to bed at the end of the day, each force of the movements that I make have corresponding opposite reactionary forces which I thoroughly believe with no doubt. There is this question whether we believe in God or not. In science, there is this question on where the universe has all started. As for me, I do believe in God and I believe that He created the universe. I believe that God has no beginning and has no end. There are not too many occasions where I can relay a story where I can defend my belief in God and the creation of the universe. Although religion and science do not agree with each other all the time, there is something in me that bonds them together in my mind. When I say I believe in God, I do not reject my belief in science. I know that God created the universe, and the way He did it, that’s where, I think, science enters. On one occasion, I was asked by a close relative if I truly believe that God created the universe. Apparently, I responded on the affirmative. He then asked if my reply meant that I do not believe in science. Not necessarily, I told him. I explained that even though science seeks to quantify and establish facts through a rigid scientific method, one that prevents personal bias from getting involved in the identification of truthful facts, it does not necessarily mean that science also seeks to dispute religion. I told my relative to think of his body as an example. I told him that the human anatomy is composed of complex vital organs and processes that medical science has sought to explain and describe in purely scientific ways. Certainly, human evolution has played a key role in the development of our complex bodily organs and processes, and that his body is the product of the millions of years of evolution. However, I asked him if he thinks that something can come from nothing. Puzzled for a brief moment, he replied that it is impossible for something to come from nothing for nothing has â€Å"nothing† in it to cause anything. I then asked if he believes in the Big Bang Theory, to which he responded that he is still thinking about it to this day. Regardless, I said that the Big Bang Theory can be reconciled with the idea that God created the universe. Personally, I find it rather amusing that some people are having a difficult time thinking that the universe began with a â€Å"Big Bang†, and that beginning is God’s way to create everything that we can now experience. A masterful creator that God is, even the human body, I told my relative, has its roots from the image of God, and that human evolution is God’s way of helping the human species adapt to the changing environments of the planet which God created purposively in that manner. I believe in God and that it was in His power that created the universe. But because there is belief, one cannot help but doubt as well. Doubt can weaken the belief, but sometimes it can strengthen it too. I believe in God and the theory that the creation of universe started from Him. But where is the proof that these even existed? As people typically say, there is no proof enough to transform the non-believer. For the believer, his belief are always enough to safeguard his religious thoughts. Although one may find it difficult to reconcile religion with science, there is no reason to believe that the two should always clash. On the contrary, religion can reaffirm scientific facts while these facts can also serve to reaffirm religious beliefs. That science seeks the truth is enough to think that it ought not to be bias against religion because the quest for truth requires an open and critical mind without having to first establish a divergence from what religion espouses. That religion seeks to spread the same truth to humanity is enough to think that it ought not to dispose scientific facts as well. One can find plenty of common grounds between the two, and those are where people may begin to find their way into believing that science and religion can coexist in harmony.

The Benefits of Ethnographic Research

The Benefits of Ethnographic Research To get to know your subject, one must be immersed with the subject in order to gain valuable information regarding the customs, culture, and systems of life from another culture other than your own. Immersing oneself can be a tedious project that lays ahead. But, if you are careful and well educated regarding the study of ethnography, then this task at hand should not be as tedious as one may think. Ethnography is the study of other cultures with clear and critical rules to engage interaction among non-Western societies. We will first describe the study of ethnography in this paper to form the basis of what ethnography really is as opposed to what the study could be. The study of ethnography has had three important changes in the formation of ethnography which will also be a focus in this discussion in this paper so that we can better understand and use the study of ethnography as anthropologists. There are similarities and differences between the three changes which will examined to fully gather the importance of the changes. We will also review an example of a real life ethnographic study to provide the discussion with evidence that the ethnographic study has clear rules and guidelines to describe other cultures. To add to our discussion, we will take an evaluation of ethnography whereby we will look at the pros and cons of using this method of inquiry. The purpose of this paper is to review the importance of learning the study of ethnography to do the best way to study other cultures other than our own which includes the participant observation method. The next section will define what ethnography is, how anthropologists use ethnography, and carefully discuss why anthropologists use ethnography when studying other cultures. The Study of Ethnography? We often take for granted the importance of learning about other cultures and peoples who live outside our communities, however, if there are efforts to learn about others, we can begin to understand the importance of similarities among human civilizations and societies. There is a study that studies the importance of other cultures as well as during the process we learn about ourselves. We come from a place of extravagance, where the modern world allows us Westerners to have everything at our disposal; therefore we must be cautious when we learn about other cultures especially from places with non-Western ways of doing things. There are however certain forms and guidelines that are used for this purpose specifically. These guidelines are developed by anthropologists who use these guidelines to study other peoples cultures in non-Western nations. Anthropologists determined that the study called ethnography would be the basis for studying other cultures than their own. Ethnography is the systematic study of other cultures by use of observation, participation- observation, and what I will coin the term, participation-observation-inclusion. Ethnography is mainly used to gather in a scientific manner the evidence to show that how and why groups of people chose to live as they do. Ethnography is more importantly used in purposes to perform a logical and laid out script to guide all ethnographic work. Some examples were provided in our textbook by Schultz. Ethnography is essentially the form of observation, whereby the anthropologist observes the actions, rituals, and customs of a society. Three Changes in Ethnography We have now examined and defined what ethnography is and why we use such a method of inquiry when studying other cultures that may differ vastly from our own ways. Early founding anthropologists used specifically observation to study cultures around the world which laid the foundation for learning about human culture, which lead to the first change in ethnography. The first change involved not being exclusively objective, rather they became aware of their biases. These early anthropologists knew that there were forms of subjective-ness in their works produced and published; therefore, partly tarnished. This first change also involved not being able to be completely invisible. The subjects were aware of the anthropologist studying them from afar (Schultz:2005). The second change come from the first change where the subjects were studied as above but the anthropologists also included participation of the subject. They were now aware of the benefits of asking questions in order to compare to the actually actions of the subjects. When we ask the participants, we are including the subjects with the research which is more sophisticated than just learning from a distance. Anthropologists using this method of inquiry became more susceptible to more information that helped them understand the similarities and differences of other cultures among ourselves. Lastly, the third major change in ethnography was the usage of multiple sites for locations of gathering information. Many anthropologists were unaware of the multiple sites of locations that participants participated in that this information of multiple sites may have been gathered when anthropologists asked participants questions of daily living. We have reviewed the three changes in ethnography and we can conclude that there are significant changes that led to the modern day ethnography that is still being perfected as we speak. Similarities and Differences of the Three Changes in Ethnography There are several similarities and differences among the changes of ethnography. The similarities are they all require the study of the subjects, they all still gather evidence to support their arguments, and the last similarity is that they all try their best to study the best way possible. The differences were lightly touched above but to get further in discussion, we can view the differences as ways of improving.   One major difference is that the first change and the second change came out of misleading society about other cultures.   The ramifications occurred due to the discriminatory practices from the outcome of the anthropologists.   Another difference is that the third change became more inclusive than the other previous two changes in ethnography. Both similarities and differences are important to outline to provide a critical overview of the topic of ethnography and its changes to improve the method of inquiry. Impacts of the Three Changes There were impacts of the three changes in the study of ethnography, which include having a more sound method of inquiry, more elaborate detailed descriptions of the societies they studied, and there is more sensitivity towards subjects.   The method of inquiry, participant observation, was improved with the three changes by ways of including participants themselves.   This allows the researcher/anthropologists to fully engulf their selves into the society they are studying. Previous anthropologists who laid the groundwork for anthropology were Malinowski and Varandeh (Classnotes:2010).   They both developed ethnographical fieldwork to better study the cultures they were interested in.   One major impact was the introduction to Reflexivity.   When an anthropologist is reflexive, they are more aware of their assumptions and position they are working and imposing on (Classnotes:2010).   An Example of Ethnography that should have utilized the Three Changes The anthropologist, Jean Briggs, studied the Utkuhikhalingmiut (Utku, for short) in northern Canada in efforts to gather ethnographic research (Schultz; 2005). She was inducted into the community however there was a misunderstanding that prevented her from proceeding with her ethnographic study.   The Utku were unable to fully communicate with the anthropologist and thus became frustrated with the anthropologists actions and misunderstandings.   In short the anthropologist had a very difficult time in gathering valuable information that she ended up seeking help from a local Utku who could help her with the communication process.   The anthropologist needed more than just the study of ethnography; Schultz suggests that there should be more work like this (2005).   The Utku is a great example of how the anthropologist should have utilized the three changes in ethnography, which are participant observation and multiple sites.   The example of the ethnographic study above was provided in this essay to provide a detailed explanation of how ethnography can still require improvements.   The use of sensitivity is critical to understand others regardless of different cultures or races.   The use of sensitivity allows researchers to understand that we are human beings with feelings, responses, and thoughts that the anthropologist would act very suspicious if there were no human effects of doing such research. For example, Briggs, the anthropologist discussed above, was not sensitive to the fact that these people of the north do speak a native language that would never have the same meanings in English.   So there should have been some sort of awareness of this prior to going out and doing fieldwork in ethnographic methods of inquiry.   Soon there will be educated native people performing ethnographical studies who enter into their own communities speaking their own languages that will make the ethnographic research more viable.   These three changes have had a great impact on ethnography. Critical Evaluation of Ethnography We have learned that there are three major changes in the way anthropologists conduct ethnographic research and that there must be an understanding from all areas of the research spectrum. Ethnography is the study of other cultures and there were significant changes in the way anthropologists perform observations of the other cultures.   These changes benefited mostly the society the anthropologists were studying but the anthropologists also gained a modified form of gathering information.   The impacts are important to study as well as the history of the ethnographic study whereby the impacts are also ways to improve the method of inquiry of other nations from the perspective of the anthropologist who happens to be subjected to Western ways of life.   The perspective of the anthropologist is now a function in the reflexive process.   Reflexive is the key to successful ethnographic research as now the research has a foundation to build on.   When the anthropologist includes their view of life and how it differs from the group they are studying, the work that is produced is more truthful.   Let me explain so that there is no confusion.   This is what we learned in other classes that there is a method called grounded approach.   The researcher goes back and forth between the researchers assumptions and the subjects evidence in order to compare and modify the results that are being recorded and published.   The grounded approach is a sensible way of conducting research by constantly checking and rechecking the data that is developed out of observation.   The grounded approach verifies information as it is being recorded, as there is no other way to take apart a cultures complex systems of living.   Overall, the ethnographic study of other cultures has many points that the evaluation of the three changes only proves that the study is improving. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper has examined the use and benefits of utilizing the study of ethnography to better understand the world we live in and the people who live in this world.   There were three major changes that occurred over the course of the period of the development of ethnography, which included participant observation and multiple sites for gathering data.   These three changes gave ethnography the substance to continue as a valuable and trustworthy method of inquiry that all anthropologists should be aware of these three changes.   For a final thought, we should ask the subjects themselves which is the best method to inquire learning about their culture.

IQ Tests Are Appropriate as a Part of a Job Interview Essay example --

William Stern in the 1912 took the mental age of an individual, divided it by the chronological age and obtained the ratio, which he called an intelligence quotient. Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a score used to express the relative intelligence of a person. In the modern society with high competition in different areas intelligence tests are widely used. IQ tests starting to appear in job interviews as a part of the application process as well. This is still a controversial issue about whether IQ tests should be included in the employability process, but due to the increasing rivalry for job placements worldwide, IQ tests are one of the options to be brought up. IQ tests are standardised tests, which signifies that the tasks appearing in the examination are the same for all participants, the conditions, given instructions and amount of time for completion are equal for each applicant. Standardised tests help prevent stereotypical errors, for example, there is no preconception related to ethnic or cultural background, age or appearance differences. Although it is argued that there are noticeable differences between genders’ performance on various tasks, it is widely acknowledged disparity, particularly in mental rotation of three-dimensional objects tasks (MRT). (Linn, 1985) Males tend to perform slightly better than women, although females tend to score to a greater degree at verbal skills, for instance linguistic reasoning. IQ tests are administered properly and being evaluated using means and standard deviations - normal distribution measures – which carries no effect on the performance of different genders. IQ tests are meas ured in a standard manner which allows to evaluate every individual retaining their anonymity and rely o... ...Mills, C. (1997). Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities: A Review of the Issues. Kaufman J.C., Plucker J.A. (2011). Intelligence and Creativity. The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence. Cambridge University Press; Cambridge. Linn, M. C., & Petersen, A. C. (1985). Emergence and Characterization of Gender Differences in Spatial Abilities: A Meta-Analysis. Child Development, 56, 1479–1498. Roid, G.H. (2003). Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition: Technical manual. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing. Sattler, J. M. (1992). Assessment of Children (3rd edition). San Diego, CA: Author. Wechsler, David (1939). The Measurement of Adult Intelligence. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. Wechsler, David (1944). The Measurement of Adult intelligence (3rd edition). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. Stern, William (1912). The Psychological Methods of Intelligence Testing.

Yanomamo Tribe :: Yanomamo Indians Culture

The Yanomamo My name is Eric Dunning and this is my proposal to go and study the Yanomamo tribe in the rain forests of Brazil. I have compiled a historical outline of the Yanomamo tribe and some of their religion and culture, ranging from marital status to the type of food they eat. I have chosen this tribe because according to many anthropologists the Yanomamo are perhaps the last culture to have come in contact with the modern world. The Yanomamo people of Central Brazil are one of the oldest examples of the classic pre-Columbian forest footmen. The Yanomamo live in almost complete seclusion in the Amazon rain forests of South America. The Yanomamo live in small bands or tribes and live in round communal huts called shabonos, which are actually made up of individual living quarters. The Yanomamo language consists of a variety of dialect, but no real written language. Clothes are minimal, and much of their daily life revolves around gardening, hunting, gathering, making crafts and visiting with one another. These small tribes hold their men in high ranks. Chiefs are always men who are held responsible for the general knowledge and safety of the group's women. The men are able to beat their wives if they feel the need to and are able to marry more than one woman at a time. This loose form of polygamy is a way of increasing the population of the tribe. Yanomamo people rely heavily on a system of political alliances based upon relationship. As part of that system, they have incorporated a complex feasting and trading system into their culture. One of these methods of forming political alliances is feasting. Feasting is when one village invites another village for a feast or dinner. During the feast there is a lot of social activity. The Yanomamo dance and mingle with each other along with eating a different variety of foods. The only catch is the other village must reciprocate a feast by one village. This feast is more like an American dinner party in which members of family or social group invite others to attend. A feast however can be dangerous and or fatal for those who attend. The Yanomamo can be very conniving and deceiving. They pretend to be loyal friends and invite the other village for a feast. The other very village very trustfully attends the feast not knowing that this might be their last meal.

Global Warming - How Republicans are Endangering Our Earth Essay exampl

Imagine the world's major cities completely underwater. Imagine storms so violent that parts of the world became unlivable. Theses are images that one would expect to find in movie house, but environmental scientists tell us what is now a good setting for science fiction could soon be reality due to global warming. Environmental scientists warn that humans are not only making the Earth inhabitable for animals and plants, but that if humans continues with their current practices, the Earth will soon be inhabitable for humans as well. Environmental scientists warn that if the Earth's citizens do not act swiftly and decisively the damage maybe irreversible for humans.   American politicians have consistently rejected proposals for environmental reform. When President Clinton took office in 1993, he promised to become an environmental leader both internationally and nationally, and the proposals that he put to the floor of congress seemed to be the United States's first positive step toward reversing environmental policy. Unfortunately both his call to reduce greenhouse gases and to protect the world's biodiversity were blocked by Republicans in Congress. Since the Republicans have gained control of both the House of Representative and the Senate they have dramatically slashed and or eliminated the little environmental regulation that has taken place in the United States. 1   There clearly is a rift between environmental science and the Republican party, and it is this ideological divide that that is the largest threat to the future of environmental policy in the United States. Opponents of the GOP argue that Republicans are against environmental regulation because of their desire to protect businesses, while others argue that R... ... The Greenhouse Effect (http://www.iinetau/ ecna/info/greenhous.htmle) - This site was helpful in giving background information on the greenhouse effect. 2. Global Warming: Understranding the Forcast (http://www.edf.org/pubs /Brochures/GlobalWarming) - This site examines how scientists think the Earth's temperature will change. 3. What isthe Greenhouse Effect (http://www.marin.k12.ca.us/ kenthtp/kentms.htp/warmiong/greenhs_ref.html) - This site was helpful in giving background information on the greenhouse effect. 4. Forest Today: The Greenhouse Effect (http://www.nafi.com.au/faq.greenhouse.html) - This site examines how the greenhouse effect effect the Earth's shrinking forests. 5. Greenhouse Effect Visualizer (http://www.couis.nwu.edu/GEV/GP_3_6_87_5.html) - This website had temperature maps which predicted the effects of Globa Warming.

Equus Essay

Peter Shaffer’s play, Equus, tells a young man’s story of faith and struggle. Through Alan, Shaffer explores man’s relationship with God and himself, the concept of pain and passion, and eventually, shame. Indeed, Alan blinded the horses because he was shamed, not merely of his inability to perform, but more so because Equus, through the horses’ eyes, witnessed how he gave in to temptation and betrayed his god. Alan is like any man who is brought up to his parents’ beliefs. In his case, his mother was a devout Christian who read to him verses from the Bible, where he learned of God and Jesus. His father, on the other hand, was an atheist, and seeing Alan’s growing interest in religion tore the picture of the crucifix Alan had and replaced it with a picture of a horse. This is a powerful act of symbolism. The young Alan was confused because of his parents’ differing religious beliefs. He could sense that his father did not approve of the kind of fervent religion his mother is practicing, and but Alan has already been raised to love God. He could have just become a nominal Christian; instead he turned his intense beliefs towards a substitute god, a god that his father does not hate. Hence, Equus is born – his conception of a deity embodied in every horse. Yet, essentially, his faith remains traditional orthodox Christian. Like God, Equus sees everything, like Jesus, Equus suffers for the sins of the world. Alan’s devout love in Equus culminates to his riding the horse Nugget naked and barebacked, flagellating, riding to the point of sexual/mystical/religious climax, when he screams of his love and his desire to be one with the horse. This image illustrates Alan’s intense religious beliefs that he wants to share the pain, the passion or the suffering of Equus, and be one with him, akin to the intense devotion of saints. In the next part of the play, Alan goes with Jill to a pornography theater where they accidentally run into his father. This leaves an impression to Alan that sexual desire is common to all men. It can be said that since he found his father there, he made the logical conclusion that it was something that his father does not disapprove of. So when Jill suggests they have sex in the stables, he acquiesces. But the presence of the horses makes him nervous, and he is unable to get an erection. He becomes frustrated, and he threatens away Jill. He is more than just ashamed because he was not able to perform. He was ashamed because he could feel Equus’ eyes on him, and he knows that he has sinned. Alan felt guilty about his act, about his giving in to temptation, his attempt to do it with Jill, because he perceived it as an act of betrayal to his god. He declared his devotion and desire to be one with Equus, and yet he found himself a sinner, one of those who cause Equus’s/Jesus’s pain and suffering that he professed to want to share intensely. Whereas before he devoted himself body and soul to Equus, now he has succumbed to his body’s desire and suddenly he is aware of his nakedness. His nakedness is metaphorical with his nakedness on stage and the nakedness of Adam and Eve in Genesis. Literally he becomes aware of his nakedness, when previously he rode the horse naked anyway. This awareness brings forth shame, and since his depiction of god is within reach in the form of the horses, he lashed out at them. Consumed by shame, he vents out his anger and puts out the horses’ eyes, so that he they, and Equus, through them, could no longer see him naked, nor would they be able to see his sins.

Philippine Rice Farmers Socioeconomic Status Essay

Rice farmers’ socioeconomic status better when they venture into other businesses. The economic and social status of Filipino rice farmers and their families has steadily improved during the last decade, not because they depended on rice, but because they ventured into other activities that supplemented their income from rice. This was shown by a study conducted by the Socioeconomics Division of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). The study group, led by Divina Gracia Vergara, focused on trends transpiring in rice-based farm households and rice lands, and among farmer operators in 33 provinces for the last 10 years. â€Å"This intensive study captures the farmers’ image from 1996 to 2007,† Vergara said. The study shows that the rice-based farm household income is increasing, as gross household income went up from P68,974.85 in 1996-97 to P127,799.95 in 2006-07. The finding is also consistent with the result showing that almost 60 percent of the hou seholds are above poverty level (57 percent) in the 2006-07 period. Furthermore, the share of nonfarming activities as a source of income had steadily been increasing, as the study found that rice and rice-based farmers are now engaged in other businesses, such as rubber production, wood craft, welding and work overseas. â€Å"This finding implies an important question. The question in the long run will be about the presence of household members who are willing to pursue rice farming in the future or dependence of rice-farm households on hired labor for the management of their farms,† Vergara said. Aside from improving the status of rice-based households and increasing their income, Vergara also learned that the number of farmers owning rice land had been increasing by 10 percent for the last 10 years. Moreover, there is also an increase in farmers’ yields regardless of season from 3.30 ton per hectare (t/ha) to 3.72 t/ha during the wet season, and 3.37 t/ha to 3.94 t/ ha during the dry season. Across three survey rounds, most villages are located in irrigated areas, and results show that irrigation is expanding from 60 percent to 66 percent. The current trend revealed by the study also suggests that highly educated persons are venturing into rice farming, although the majority is modestly educated or with elementary education only. There is a 2-percent increase in the number of farmers with at least a college education venturing into rice farming. In terms of organizing farmers, however, results show that more than 50 percent of the respondents are not affiliated with rice or rice-based organizations. Most of them have not also undergone training since 2004. Noting that half of the farmer-respondents have been farming for 20 years, Vergara also said farmers’ households are benefiting from the technologies and services that are being provided by the government. Despite the interventions, however, average yields gained during the dry and wet seasons are still below the experimental and on-farm trial yields of 7-9 t/ha. Gaining insight from the study, Vergara and her coauthors recommended that training should be sust ained to continuously update farmers’ skills and knowledge. She also stressed the need for the government to encourage farmers to form or join organizations as through organization, farmers can pool resources and have easier access to government incentives. She also suggested the expansion of irrigation areas, as this creates â€Å"a more favorable environment for rice farming in particular and agriculture in general.† To attract more people to be involved in rice production, Vergara proposed that technologies lessening the drudgery of rice farming should continually be developed. â€Å"It is important that the government continue to monitor the rice-based farm household to determine or approximate the impact of their interventions. This will also give them enough knowledge on the direction of the policies that they would formulate to improve the countryside,† Vergara said.