How the Black Death Changed the World - Free Essay Example

The focus of my essay is on the Bubonic Plague also known as the Black Death that struck Europe in 1348, and its many effects on the daily lives of European people. Understanding how the churches came to lose their influence over the European people due to the epidemic and the medical advances that came from this. It is interesting to see how drastically peoples beliefs changed from something that they so deeply believed in, and to see the many effects that were caused by the Black Death. The Black Death brought many consequences to the peoples daily lives and brought many changes which will be analyzed thoroughly in this essay. I hope to learn the kinds of effects that were brought upon by the Black Death and the modern medical changes that came of this. Analyzing how this devastating global epidemic came to be is important to understand and to be aware that it not only brought death to people, but many changes came because of this. In this essay, I will be exploring some of the changes that came from the Black Death which are identified as either positive or negative, and I will be analyzing thoroughly. The positive changes being that it improved European society specifically in their standards of living, and the advancements that were made in both technology and medicine. The negative changes were depopulation, shortages of labor, and the disrupted customs of their daily life. By exploring these changes, I will be determining whether most of the changes that were b rought upon by the Black Death were short term or long term in the way that technology was made to improve medicine. A long-term effect would be the living conditions, such as trading opportunities, and the education that came after the Bubonic Plague that brought negative consequences in the long run. Some of the short-term effects would be that most of the population died, there was famine, and the fear of death that struck people as the Black Death was happening rather than in the distant future which is what a long term effect would be. It is also interesting to see how the Black Death brought many developments towards the future that may have improved the lives of the European people, as well as changing their lifestyles. The spread of the Black Death brought consequences and huge impacts in areas such as cultural, religious, and economic influences. The sources I will be using are secondary sources such as academically high level books, and history books. In addition, I will b e using primary sources such as a chronicle written in 1314 at the cathedral, and some writers wrote accounts such as documents. Furthermore, I will ultimately be analyzing the separation between state and church as Europeans began to become secular and the medical technologies that improved due to the faith that was lost in the churches, and whether this was ultimately caused by the Black Death. The Start of The Black Death: The Black Death came to Europe in 1348 greatly causing many changes ever since. It struck Europe where 12 ships from the Black Sea docked at the Sicilian port of Messina. After this first encounter, it eventually came to be known as the Bubonic Plague or even the Black Death. In Europe, there occurred around 20 million deaths being (?) of Europes population was deceased. According to historian William H. McNeal, the arrival of the Black Death lasted for several years and shifted from town to town or region to region with the seasons. Long before the Black Death even came to Europe people heard rumors about a disease that was affecting the trade routes of the Near and Far East (McNeal, 198). People knew that there was a deadly epidemic that was spreading around but they never could have imagined how deadly it truly it was. The Black Death is thought to have come from a population of black rats of the kind whose fleas were liable to carry bubonic plague to humans (McNeal, 176). It is s till today being questioned how this disease came to truly impact so many people. In which at the time people were not entirely sure how the Black Death was spreading so rapidly, it was assumed that humans were the ones spreading the disease. Many people became paranoid because one day a person could be healthy and the next day they could be dying from the plague. They ultimately came to think that the disease was spread through others coughs and sneezes, while others had thought that it was being transferred by something in the air. This installed a huge fear of death because in the end nobody was sure how people were truly becoming infected with the plague. The plague was hitting people hard and quickly. According to a 14th century article, People lay ill a little more than two or three days and then died suddenly. He who was well one day was dead the next and being carried to his grave,† writes the Carmelite friar Jean de Venette in his 14th century French chronicle. The sy mptoms that came with the Bubonic Plague were very deadly as it caused different symptoms to different people and even death to many. It was later concluded but still being questioned today wether the Bubonic Plague was a disease caused by the bacterium in Yersinia pestis coming from rats who become infected and lived close to people. Before the Black Death occurred in Europe, the daily lives of the people were under the influence of the Catholic church. The churches held an important role as they were leading people in knowing what was right and what was wrong, making the church an important aspect in the daily lives of the Europeans. This was such a devastating phenomenon that brought upon many modifications to the Europeans daily lives, the towns, and the medical technological advances that also came from this epidemic. The Black Death showed that the medical system in Europe was flawed as the doctors were not able to treat the disease that was killing people. The changes that we re brought upon by the Bubonic Plague may not have happened without it. The Changes brought upon: The Bubonic Plague brought many changes to the Europeans as well as other parts of the world where the outbreak had occurred. The changes that came with the plague were positive or negative and changed the way society came to be afterwards. According to historian, William H. McNeal human populations adjusted to confluence of the various infectious diseases in earlier times that were developed differently in different parts of Eurasia and Africa† (McNeal, 169 ). People had to learn to adjust to the new ways of life after the outbreak that came from the Black Death occurred due to the many changes that needed to be addressed. The plague caused many people to fear for their lives because it had been an unfamiliar infection that attacked a population for the first time who had never been expunged from European memory. (McNeal, 131 ). The Bubonic Plague was usually not completely gone because it would at times return to places where it had already previously affected, but most of the people were already immune to it so it wouldnt affect them as much as it had before. People were somewhat becoming susceptible to the plague. There was a 60% decline in Europe’s population, which in turn affected their agricultural prices because of the low demand that was coming from it. Another problem that was encountered was that there had been a shortage of labors, causing the system of serfdom to end. The wages had improved although the prices for food and goods fell as they decreased. Since there was a small population of workers it gave Europeans more opportunities to be more free and choose a job that they preferred to be in. The Black Death set the stage in helping improve towards more modern medicine and also made changes to the public’s health. There was a greater emphasis on medicine that was based on science rather than their own faith and intuition. The medieval medicine in Europe slowly took a turn towards modern medicine as the doctors noted that t hey were not able to help treat the plague. The plague came to the Europeans as a realization that they were behind in there modern technology/medicine due to the lack of help as they were not able to provide any of it. As the church was becoming less influential in the daily lives of Europeans they began to question their own faith and looked for a reason as to why so many people were dying. The Black Death also drove a development in a much higher education than there had sustained before. Without the Black Death, many of the substantial changes that occurred may not have happened this early on. The Catholic Church The Bubonic Plague had a huge impact on the way the Catholic Church ran. Before the Black Death hit Europe, the church’s power had been absolute, it was basically it’s own government that had been ruling over all the European people. The church was a religion and a mindset that had been in all of the Europeans heart. The church would massacre people who chose to oppose them in any way and drove them away from their society. There were times when the secular state would try to assert their control from the churches power, but the churches were much more powerful and influential. Before the Black Death came to be in Europe, the churches had been the center of influence for many people. Europeans believed that hospitals were more focused on one’s soul than their own body since disease and sickness were something that was regarded as a punishment for sins committed. This shows that everything had been centered around the Church, it was something that was truly signif icant to them that they did not feel the need to believe in medicine but rather rely on their own faith. When the Bubonic Plague first hit Europe, the churches had explained that the plague had been an act from God who was punishing their sins. The church was calling for people to pray while also organizing religious marches, pleading to God to stop the plague. Even before the Black Death had made it’s huge impact on the Europeans they still prayed and believed that God could treat their sickness during the medieval medicine time period due to the lack of science and research that was being done. God had shown himself on their side, and each new outbreak of the infectious disease that had been imported from Europe ( McNeal, 138). So at this point, Europeans believed that God would be their savior, and they did not feel the need to rely on any medical assistance but prayed to God that they will be saved. As the Bubonic Plague became worse, and it was affecting many Europeans t hey began to question their own faith. Nobody was entirely sure how anybody was becoming ill so they came up with their own conclusions. A theory that some people had come up with was that the Jews were responsible for the plague in an attempt to kill Christians and to dominate the world, this led to a conflict between both Jews and Christians. Pope Clement VI had been the fourth pope to reside in Avignon, during the Black Death and managed to survive the worst disease to have happened in Europe. According to History and Culture, he had constantly offered protection to the Jews when many of them were being persecuted under the suspicion of starting the disease that was spreading and killing many people. Pope Clement VI announced a religious order to stop the brutality against the Jews, because he believed that they were not responsible for the plague but it was God who was striking at Christians for their sins. As the Christians started to calm their anger towards the Jews, they en ded up turning their anger towards the Catholic Church that did not seem to be any help when it came to curing the Black Death. Since the Church was not able to save the people from the disease, it lead to many Europeans to question their beliefs. During this time period people did not necessarily believe in doctors or science, leading them to deeply believe that God could save them but since people were not being saved from the disease it lead to many Europeans to question their beliefs. They began to believe that the plague had been a punishment from God. Flagellation, is a process of self-mutilation where a person would injure/beat themselves in order to make amends for all their sins. They would whip themselves with a stick that had three knotted thongs hanging from end, two pieces of needle-sharp metal which ran through the center of the knots from both sides and formed a cross in the end. Using these whips, they beat and whipped their bare skin until their bodies had been bruised and swollen and occasionally blood rained down. I have seen, when they whipped themselves, how sometimes those bits of metal penetrated the skin so deeply that it took more than two attempts to pull them out ( Herford, 17). They would do this un til one of them fell to the ground even then they would still continue and keep on going till the next day. In October 1349, Pope Clement VI announced publicly that the Flagellants were not supporting the regulations and principles of the Church. They were excluding people from being involved in the sacraments and services of the Church. By the following years the Flagellant Movement began to disappear. Not only during the Black Death was there a rise in the Flagellant Movement but there was also a widespread persecution of Jews due to the paranoia that was happening. People began to believe many different things when they were hit with this epidemic, that destroyed most of its civilization. Their views began to change over time because they started to realize that praying was not doing much in stopping the Bubonic Plague which led to the creation of modern medicine. The plague left many damaging consequences and left the churches reputation to suffer as well. As Europeans began to calm down and stop blaming the Jews, they turned their anger towards the Catholic Church who seemed to not be helping out in stopping the Bubonic Plague.

Essay on Online Piracy The Folly of a Blacklist - 879 Words

In the time since the internet has become mainstream, the means to distribute copyrighted material have grown not only in size, but in ease of use as well. Whether it is a new CD, a best-selling novel, or a fake Louis Vuitton handbag, each can be found on the web with a little effort and some know-how. Criminal enterprise run rampant. The business world is now fighting back. Steve Tepp is one of the fighters. He is the Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The U.S. CoC was integral in pushing the now failed legislative actions known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA). These bills would have enabled the government to block access to websites identified by businesses as†¦show more content†¦They can be in any place, in any country. This unique facelessness is unprecedented and Tepp is correct to believe the needed statutes are lacking. On the other hand, Tepp’s argument that SOPA and PIPA are the answer to these issues is flat out incorrect. Gregory Mead of analysis firm Semetric offers clues to why this is, â€Å"Data around the blocking of [websites] in the UK last April showed little negative impact on file sharing, which would have been due to the slew of copycat sites set up on proxy servers† (Mead, (as cited in Farivar, 2013)). Given the scope of the internet, this ineffectiveness is hardly a surprise. The use of a copycat proxy server, as mentioned by Mead, is just one of many circumvention tools that can effectively nullify any government blacklist. With further methods only a simple Google search away. There will always be someone out there doing their best to fight the system and take advantage of anonymity. Simply putting out what amounts to a small road-block offers no real threat to any of these enterprising criminals. It is with that in mind that we question Tepp’s next point. It is true that granting some form of recourse against these criminals will serve to protect businesses, workers and consumers, but based on the nature of the internet, the impact of the proposed statues would be minimal to non-existent. Businesses will always want to be

Comparative Perspective

Definition: The comparative perspective is based on the idea that a society or social system cannot be fully understood without comparing it with other societies or systems. The main limitation of this perspective is that societies differ in so many ways and therefore may not always be compared meaningfully.

Smoking Smoking And Smoking - 1615 Words

Project Summary Smoking in Bushwick Cigarette smoking affects nearly all organs in the body. Smoking leads to negative health outcomes such as various kinds of cancers and chronic diseases and reduces the overall health of individuals. Some diseases caused by smoking are - oral cancer, lung cancer, chronic diseases such as - stroke, blindness, cataract, periodontitis, COPD, diabetes, smoking during pregnancy causes pregnancy complications. (Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking, 2015) Cigarette smoking and mortality- (Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking, 2015) ââ€"  Cigarette smoking leads to more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is approximately one in five deaths. ââ€"  Smoking causes about 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and women. ââ€"  About 80% of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are caused by smoking ââ€"  Cigarette smoking increases risk for death from all causes in men and women. Risk factors for smoking - (Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking, 2015) ââ€"  Social access and availability ââ€"  Family Norms ââ€"  Peer pressure ââ€"  Low enforcement of anti-smoking policies ââ€"  Tobacco Marketing Strategies ââ€"  Stress Smoking and other health risks- Smoking harms almost every organ of the body and negatively affects a person’s overall health. Smoking can make it difficult for a woman to conceive. It also affects the baby’s health prior to, and after birth. Smoking also increases the risk for - Preterm birth, stillbirth, low birth weight,Show MoreRelatedSmoking And Smoking - Stop Smoking920 Words   |  4 PagesStop Smoking I. Attention A. Take a deep breath. Allow the fresh air into your healthy lungs and then exhale. Now, stand near a smoker. Take a deep breath. Allowed your lungs to take in the same amount of air as you did the first time, then exhale. Did you cough? When you took a deep breath next to the smoker, you breathed in the smoke from the cigarette. That smoke has the same harsh chemicals that are entering in your lungs. â€Å"Acetaldehyde is in tobacco smoke. Acetaldehyde is a hazardous air pollutant†Read MoreThe Dangers Of Smoking And Smoking861 Words   |  4 PagesConversely, some individuals make choices that turn into habits, which are unhealthy. In the eyes of society, smoking is one of the worst habits a person can have. Through the analysis of smokers’ routines, it may be possible to find ways to help them curb their unhealthy practices. Cigarette smokers who seek advice from professionals to help them quit smoking are often told to throw away all smoking paraphernalia, which could include, lighters, ashtrays, and cigarette cases. These items can trigger theRead MoreSmoking And Smoking840 Words   |  4 Pagesmost affected by smoking you may experience lung cancer or even COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known cancer causing ingredients and 400 other toxins that are bad for the human body nicotine is the chemical that is most harmful and dangerous. Nicotine has so many side effects and is also is very addictive substance. This type of tobacco is addictive for most people. Thats why many people are still smoking in spite of theRead MoreThe Dangers Of Smoking Tobacco Smoking1547 Words   |  7 PagesDISCUSSION Since you cannot tackle what you are unaware of, the first step in decreasing tobacco smoking is to identify who the smokers are. These could be potential or current users of tobacco and tobacco products or people who are affected by environmental smoke also known as secondhand smoke. Health care providers cannot stop or reduce usage in a patient if they do not know whether the patient is a beginner or a current user. 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Qualitative Data Analysis-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignment

Question: Discuss about the International Business Teams by the Organizations. Answer: Introduction In this assignment, the purpose of the business research is finding out ways for generating as well as maintaining a dream team, which will assist in harvesting more success and doing the preservation as well as promotion of better environment. The goal of this business research is evaluating the ways to manage a virtual team effectively. The nature, process and strategy of the business research The research work is mainly delving with the building of the international business teams by the organizations. The major challenge that the business managers within the global teams are facing is associated with the capability for accessing and utilizing the strengths of each member and doing the minimization of the losses that Research design and planning the research process I did the designing of the research process by offering the reader with certain information as well as strategies towards the implementation and management of the virtual teams. For planning the research process, certain research questions have been cited. I have also performed several studies to build and manage virtual teams to focus on the factors regarding trust as well as technology (Bryman 2015). Literature Review and Writing Business Research I did the preparation of the literature review by stating that development of the team in addition to teamwork is considered being a bigger challenge in respect of any company. In respect of navigating the leader of the team successfully in the correct direction there is an absolute requirement to understand the several developmental stages regarding the team as well as their role towards all the developmental phase within the team (Ott 2015). I had considered the ethical and legal conditions relating that was associated with the aspect of business research due to various reasons. Primarily, they are assisting in the promotion of aims of research that are based on the information and ways to avoid committing mistakes. Then, there will be the promotion of the values via the ethical standards that are essential regarding the collaboration of the work (Miles 2013). In two stages, I have conducted the qualitative research such as the basic level and superior level. I will take into consideration the method regarding coding and data sorting in respect of the substance relating to the investigation. Moreover, I did the consideration of the participant observation tool towards the collection of data in respect of individuals, methods as well as cultural scenarios concerning qualitative research. In addition, data collection methods in respect of qualitative research will include the interview process, inspection process as well as assessment process regarding various documents. (McMillan 2014). To undertake qualitative research method, I focused on the two processes that include the interview process and the focus group process. In respect of designing the structure of the interview, the questions that I have framed were done in such a manner that it provided adequate research knowledge and did the addressing of research objectives and plans. I have designed the question structure towards being open-ended, having clarity as well as being impartial. (Hair 2014). Moreover, to do the generation of information that was depending upon shared aspect, I did the utilization of the focus groups. This will take into consideration the condition for research that was associated with the types of group, different processes, as well as exploration of a topic or collection of narratives, which will be used later. Qualitative Data Analysis I did the design of the research study and determined whether participant observation tool will be used as the method of data collection. The various qualitative techniques for analyzing the data has been used in the research study such as content evaluation, grounded evaluation, social network evaluation, discourse evaluation, and so on. In addition, data collection methods in respect of qualitative research will include the interview process, inspection process as well as assessment process regarding various documents (Good 2013). Quantitative research sampling and its nature In respect of quantitative research, I have conducted the method of sampling to provide an explanation regarding the target group, selecting a sampling structure, determining the selection of a method of sampling that based on probability or non-probability technique. In addition, to plan the selection process regarding the sampling units, I have determined the sample size, made the selection of actual sampling units and ultimately conducted the fieldwork. Regarding the selection of the sampling methods, I have considered the probability sampling and non-probability sampling methods. (Glesne 2015). Designing of Questionnaire In majority, I did the using of non-structured interviewing process that comprised of open-ended questions and the use of structured interviewing method was very much restricted, as because there will be close-ended questions in such questionnaires. (Friese 2014). Evaluation of the content In respect of the data collection process, I have utilized the method of structured observation, which comprised of two key traits. Moreover, there will occur content analysis via the texts that are considered being written, oral, audio-visual and so on. Regarding the sampling process, I have considered two sampling methods, which are known as probability sampling as well as non-probability sampling. Four kinds of random samples have been selected in this regard such as random, stratified random, cluster and methodical. In addition, I will be using the non-random sampling method that will comprise of quota sampling, purposive sampling and convenience sampling. (Erikkson 2013). Amalgamation of quantitative and qualitative research I have undertaken the scenario of combining the data via the consideration of two characteristics regarding the amalgamation of quantitative and qualitative research, such as integrated design and component design. The scenario of component design included the aspect of data collection independently and then I combined it at the end for interpreting as well as concluding (Rustici 2013). Conclusion From this assignment, it can be stated that the business research has been conducted in respect of the global economy and for this reason the qualitative and quantitative approaches have been considered. Regarding the sampling process, I have considered two sampling methods, which are known as probability sampling as well as non-probability sampling. Four kinds of random samples have been selected in this regard such as random, stratified random, cluster and methodical. References Bryman, A. and Bell, E., 2015.Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA. Eriksson, L., Byrne, T., Johansson, E., Trygg, J. and Vikstrm, C., 2013.Multi-and megavariate data analysis basic principles and applications. Umetrics Academy. Friese, S., 2014.Qualitative data analysis with ATLAS. ti. Sage. Glesne, C., 2015.Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction. Pearson. Good, P.I. and Good, P., 2013.Resampling methods: A practical guide to data analysis. Springer Science Business Media. Hair Jr, J.F. and Lukas, B., 2014.Marketing research. McGraw-Hill Education Australia. McMillan, J.H. and Schumacher, S., 2014.Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry. Pearson Higher Ed. Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M. and Saldana, J., 2013.Qualitative data analysis. Sage. Ott, R.L. and Longnecker, M.T., 2015.An introduction to statistical methods and data analysis. Nelson Education. Rustici, G., Kolesnikov, N., Brandizi, M., Burdett, T., Dylag, M., Emam, I., Farne, A., Hastings, E., Ison, J., Keays, M. and Kurbatova, N., 2013. ArrayExpress updatetrends in database growth and links to data analysis tools.Nucleic acids research,41(D1), pp.D987-D990

Business Values Assessment Report Free-Samples Myassignmenthelp

Questions: 1.Identify and Describe the two Companies you have researched; the countries and/or Industries in which they Operate. 2.What differences are evident between the two companies in terms of the range of issues dealt with in their Social Reports and the depth of Coverage on Specific issues?3.To what extent can these Differences be Explained by the country or industry differences? What other Explanations might there be? 4.Assess the apparent quality of the Social Accounting Approach utilized by each company according to Zadek et al.s (1997) criteria. 5.Discuss the extent to which the Social reports provided by these Companies reflect their stated values. Answers: 1.Both coca-la and Nike are companies based in the United States and each operating in its industry. Coke is in the beverage industry while Nike is in the footwear and apparel industry. The two companies reports on their CSR progress each year and the reports made public through their individual websites. The sustainability reports of the two companies show that they present a span of issues ranging from environment, social well-being and economic problems. However, there are differences in the contexts of their reporting with each company choosing what to prioritize in their CSR programs. Although both companies disclose their reports on CSR, they have been challenged about their practices in the industry. Nike Inc. has faced criticism from many organizations regarding its labour practices. As at 2011 July, the company reported that some of its contracted factories had not met the international standards of workers treatment. It is at this time that the Associate Press highlighted the issues of the Indonesia plant where supervisors were verbally abused (Associate Press, 2011). Furthermore, the issue of sweatshops in China, Vietnam, Mexico and Indonesia were highly criticized widely. Other controversies that raised concerned on the company practices are child labour, strike in the Chinese Factory and Gatlin Sponsorship (Bloom, 2015). Coca-Cola on the other hand has in the past faced criticism for their practices. The issues raised included water use, packaging, and air pollution. In 2013, the company was criticized for litigation that led to the invalidation of bottle recycling in Australia. They won a court case despite the environmental concerns raised due to their packaging materials used. Furthermore, in 2014, the company was accused of violating the Clean Air Act at their minute maid plant in Michigan (Shane O'Halloran, 2014). The two companies have faced a lot of criticism in different areas that has led them to concentrate more on the highlighted issues in their CSR reporting. Judging from the reports of the two companies, Coca-Cola focuses on four aspects including, water, women, well-being, and giving back to the society (Coca-Cola, 2017). Through their 5by20 program, the company has reached out to 1.7 million women in the world. They believe in empowering women as one way of growing the economy of the country and the well-being of the whole society. By the year 2020, the company estimates to have reached out to 5 million women and empower them economically. Most of the considered women are entrepreneurs who have are well acquainted with business (Callahan, 2017). About water, the company reports on its stewardship and replenishing in which Africa and India are the greatest beneficiaries of the program. Its aim is to achieve a sustainable environment with efficient water and sanitation. Through the report, it is revealed that the company plan to reach out to as many countries as possible raising awareness on collective action for water with WWF. The company wishes to improve the well-being of the community as a whole. Due to this reason, they have invested in both agriculture and sports. Most of the programs under this company revolve around ensuring the people in the society lives happier lives and have sustainable incomes. In their move to giving back to the society, the company works towards ensuring all people are treated with respect and dignity. Actually, they uphold all the human rights regulations. Furthermore, they have invested in climate protection through replenishing of water bodies and enhancing sustainable agriculture. On the other hand, Nike primarily focuses on the community with various issues like education and sports. They also report on environmental and labour issues. Through the active school program, Nike is partnering with different schools in China, Russia, Turkey and Brazil to provide children with a safe environment for practicing sports and other activities even when the schools are close (Nike, 2016). Furthermore, the company has invested in producing footwear that is environmentally friendly and made of materials that produce less waste. Their motive in doing so is to reduce the amount of waste the company provides through its activities. Indirectly, they are conserving the environment without investing much effort. In fact, the company aims at lowering the emissions to minimize pollution (Nike, 2016). 2.The possible explanation for the differences in social reporting for the two companies is based on the differences in sectors they operate from. Coca-Cola being in the beverage industry utilizes water and agricultural products in as their raw materials. Therefore, to protect the interests of its business and at the same time giving back to the society, their major CSR programs are focused on replenishing and conserving water bodies. Further, they have ventured into sustainable agriculture especially in Africa and India. The fact that success goes handily with empowerment has made company develop a program that supports entrepreneur women to succeed more in their businesses for a sustainable economy. In this regard, their CSR reporting covers the community and its well-being in different dimensions entirely. As for Nike, a manufacturing company emits carbon and other solid wastes in their activities. Furthermore, following the many controversies surrounding the company in relation to labour, the company have highlighted how it is promoting labour laws. For instance, due to pressure mounted on them by an organisation called CorpWatch, the company has now disclosed information concerning its contracts in their corporate governance report (Associate Press, 2011). On matters of environment, Nike reports differ from Coca-Cola since its primary targets is reducing GHG emissions by 10% and fully utilizing renewable energy by the year 2025 (Nike Inc, 2015). This is according to the sustainability business report produced by the company in 2015 for the financial year 2014/2015. 3.Assessing the approaches used by the two companies in their corporate reporting, Zadeks criteria give a clear understanding of the approaches as discussed below. Inclusivity: Both companies engage their major stakeholders in developing the reports making it possible to address different aspects as per the requirements in social reporting. In the case of Nike Inc., they collaborate with the community, investors, employees and the government id streamlining the reports in order to obtain an all-inclusive perspective of the corporate social responsibilities. Coca-Cola, on the other hand, involves the different parties in their development including health experts, manufacturing and food quality assurance organisations, environmental bodies and its key investors. They all access the quality and the contents of the reports in details to gauge the authenticity of the information. Completeness: Although there are always deficiencies in reporting, the companies have managed to achieve completeness in their reporting through different aspects. They report on their core positive outcomes as well as their weak areas and provide their plan for improvement in such sections of their operations. Evolution: both companies are embracing technology in their reporting. Lately, there has been an increase in the number of people who can access the internet. These companies have capitalized on this opportunity and are now posting their reports on their websites where the public can easily access. Again, in their blog sections, they have included a real time update of their CSR projects that are being undertaken and their locations. Continuous Improvement: Although Coca-Cola has achieved this milestone in its social reporting, Nike still has lagged behind in improving its reporting. In some instances, the company withholds some crucial information that is critical to the development of the company. Such issues include labour policies and employee satisfaction with the working environment (Todd, Mottus, Mihlan, 2008). Disclosure: both companies have complied with this and are documenting their reports and posting them on their individual web pages. Transparency in sharing assessment, impact, and performance reports is present in the two companies. External Verification: Both Nike and Coca-Cola have embraced the endorsement of their reports by third parties other than their respective CEOs. This increases the validity of the information presented in the reports (Fortanier, Kolk, Pinkse, 2011). Comparability: While Nike refers to G4, Coke refers to G3 assessment criteria. For Nike, it compares it past four years to the current year to gauge their improvements in the weaker areas. Coca-Cola also compares its performance on CSR using its previous three years reports. The comparison charts are always designed to give the public a summary breakdown of the achievements of the company in the past years. Management policies and systems: Nikes operations are guided by their values and corporate culture which is essential in ensuring that the staff follows they existing system for the company to prosper and meet its organizational goals. Coca-Cola has a board that is mandated with ensuring Business Codes of Conduct is adhered to within the company. All the staff and the stakeholders are expected to conform to the cultural practices of the company which encourages accountability, integrity, and transparency (Coca-Cola Company, 2017). Concerning principles, both companies have met the systematic principle in reporting. They annually produce documented and complete social reports to the public and its stakeholders. They also allow public participation through considerations of their feedbacks from the reports as well as allowing a comparison between different consecutive years. The companies will then aim at restoring the weak areas of their performance before the next reporting period reaches. 4.Generally, to a large degree, the social reports are reflecting on the core values of the two companies. According to Coca-Cola, its mission statement is refreshing the world in body mind and spirit (Coca-Cola Company, 2017). Their seven-core value includes: Leadership: The Company is guided by the policies enforced by the leaders. They are courageous in shaping the future of the company through compliance with the existing corporate culture and government regulations Collaboration: Coca-Cola has collaborated with many organisations to enhance its activities and delivering on their CSR. This has helped the company to expand its market to almost all the countries in the world (Coca-Cola Company, 2017). Integrity: Such a unique virtue within this company is their ability to be real. This is guided by their integrity in social reporting. In fact, most of their reports obtain positive feedback from the public and other external auditors verifying the authenticity of the information provided in Accountability: Coca-Cola has always been accountable for its actions. All the information contained in their social reports is because of their doings. They believe that If it is to be, it's up to them. The success the company has achieved over the past years is founded on this particular value. Their response to issues is spontaneous, and the approach is upbeat. Passion: Coke is committed in the heart to become a sustainable business and making a difference in the society through its programs and product qualities difference. Quality: Among the top Priorities of the company is providing its customers with quality products as services. Such is an admirable value that some companies have struggled to maintain their operations without much success (Soyka, 2013). Diversity: The company is not only interested in making profits from their sales. It also ventures into societal aid programs and agriculture. They have diversified their activities beyond the beverage industry. Such a move by any organisation widens the market and improves the loyalty of the customers to their brand (Khan, Muttakin, Siddiqui, 2012). Regarding Nike Inc., it does not have core values but operates with two core principles; unleashing human potential and Invent better. These two aspects have helped the company to implement their strategies and champion for innovations effectively. Actually, the frequency at which they implement new footwear designs is enough evidence of how their core values are applicable in their operations (NIKE, Inc., 2015). 5.The choice of the two companies was based on an agreement between the group members who saw it best to use the two. It was not an easy task to settle on the named companies since the adoption based on the facts and the availability of supportive information that would ensure the research is valid and accurate. Although we disagreed on some aspects, we used the data available on the long sustainability reports from the companies to harmonize our thoughts. From the discussion, I concluded that both companies use the community-based approach in reporting but touches on different issues with the various depths in contents. For Coca-Cola, their reporting mainly covers water, well-being, women, and general environmental issues. As for Nike, its social reports mostly dwelt on labour practices, environment, and employee welfare. However, there were some other aspects, which each company addressed depending on their CSR programs. References Associate Press. (2011). "Nike still dogged by worker abuses",Japan Times, p. 4. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Press Bloom, B. (2015). "Justin Gatlin not only threatens Usain Bolt he threatens athletics."The Daily Telegram. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/11496111/Justin-Gatlin-not-only-threatens-Usain-Bolt-he-threatens-athletics.html Callahan, A. (2017). Gender and Macroeconomics: Whats Next?. The Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved 3 May 2017, from https://www.coca-colacompany.com/coca-cola-unbottled/gender-and-macroeconomics--whats-next- Coca-Cola Company. (2017).Our Mission Statement Company Values | Coca-Cola GB.Coca-cola.co.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2017, from https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/about-us/mission-vision-and-values Fortanier, F., Kolk, A., Pinkse, J. (2011). Harmonization in CSR Reporting. Management International Review,51(5), 665-696. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11575-011-0089-9 Khan, A., Muttakin, M., Siddiqui, J. (2012). Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures: Evidence from an Emerging Economy.Journal Of Business Ethics,114(2), 207-223. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1336-0 Nike Inc. (2016). Unleash Human Potential. Nike News. Retrieved 3 May 2017, from https://about.nike.com/pages/people NIKE, Inc., (2015). Sustainable Business Report. Retrieved 3 May 2017, from https://www.nikeresponsibility.com/ Nike Inc. (2015).FY14/15 Sustainable Business Report(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/56356/NIKE_FY14-15_Sustainable_Business_Report.pdf Shane O'Halloran. (2014). Coke, EPA to reach a settlement in Clean Air Act ammonia violation charges".Food Engineering Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/92039-coke-epa-to-reach-settlement-in-clean-air-act-ammonia-violation-charges Soyka, P. (2013). The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) Integrated Reporting Framework: Toward Better Sustainability Reporting and (Way) Beyond.Environmental Quality Management,23(2), 1-14. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tqem.21357 Todd, L., Mottus, K., Mihlan, G. (2008). A Survey of Airborne and Skin Exposures to Chemicals in Footwear and Equipment Factories in Thailand.Journal Of Occupational And Environmental Hygiene,5(3), 169-181. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1545962070185334

Opposing Views Of The Savior In Gnossisism And In Orthodoxy Essays

Opposing Views Of The Savior In Gnossisism And In Orthodoxy I am attempting to write one coherent essay discussing questions three and two. I propose to first characterize the opposing views of the savior in Gnosticism and in Orthodoxy. Secondly, I will compare the Valentinian and classic Gnostics in how they differ and how the Gospel of Truth exemplifies the features of Valentinian Gnosticism. The Orthodox view the church as a necessary medium between the laity and god; they argued that without the church and the hierarchy of clergy, the congregation would not be able to attain god on their own. They saw the coming of god's kingdom as a literal event. They also saw it preposterous thought to separate the body from human life. That is, they saw Jesus as both flesh and spirit that were inseparable. The Orthodox considered the crucifixion of Jesus as a historical account. They viewed Jesus as a martyr that sacrificed his life so that we may live. It was believed that the martyrdom of Jesus allows for the forgiveness of sins and ensures resurrection and our life everlasting; this sacrifice allowed us to release our guilt and receive forgiveness for our sins. On the matter of what Jesus was, the Gnostics vehemently disagreed with the Orthodox Church. Gnostics believed that Jesus was more than a human martyr; Gnostics believed that the Holy Spirit (Christ) and Jesus of Nazareth were two separate entities. They felt that Jesus was a man of flesh who, at baptism, received the Holy Spirit and became Christ. They looked at it as though the spirit of Christ was occupying the body of Jesus until the crucifixion, where the spirit was transfigured and released so that we may attain salvation. Gnostics and the Orthodox Church also argued over the point of the suffering, or the passion of Jesus. Gnostics felt that Christ only appeared to suffer and die, it was the body that suffered and when Jesus passed, the spirit was transfigured and released. Gnostics and the Orthodox also disagreed on the point of the existence of God. The Gnostics rationalized that the god of the old testament-a god of creation and punishment was clearly a separate entity from the god of Jesus, who was a loving and forgiving god. How could such a loving god reach out to us with salvation and forgiveness be the same god who created pain, punishment and suffering. The Orthodox believed in one god, the father almighty creator of heaven and earth. In fact this was the major claim of the creed that the orthodox Christians proclaimed as part of their faith. Another point of argument was how to attain salvation. Orthodox Christians felt it was necessary to proclaim, out loud, their belief in one god. This was the discerning factor that allowed them to separate themselves from the Gnostics-who were now considered heretics and a threat to the church. Gnostics believed that as long as one lived in faith and held good conduct throughout their entire life they would achieve salvation. Gnostics felt their approach was superior to that of the Orthodox Christians because even hypocrites could proclaim the creed, not believe in it and still reach life eternal and salvation. After Jesus died, both Orthodox Christians and Gnostics claimed to witness the resurrection of Christ. The orthodox claimed that they saw the physical reappearance of Jesus Christ and expressed the importance of this type of sighting as the truth. Gnostics had the belief that the relationship between salvation and themselves was on a more personal level. Gnostics insisted that it was merely an encounter between the witness and the spirit of Christ that had been transformed. This follows the Gnostics belief that religious enlightenment came from introspect and self-knowledge. Once one had achieved this gnosis they were considered to be of mature knowledge and a member of an elite group ready to receive the secret knowledge of the spirit. Gnostics believed that they belonged to the true church of an elect few who were worthy; the orthodox Christians would not be saved because they were blind to the truth. Ignatus took the idea of the father, son and the Holy Spirit to an extreme. He