Friday, March 20, 2020
Fortress Introduction The To New Testament Religion Essay Example
Fortress Introduction The To New Testament Religion Essay Example Fortress Introduction The To New Testament Religion Essay Fortress Introduction The To New Testament Religion Essay This is a book reappraisal on Fortress of the New Testament by Theissen. In this reappraisal I will research the manner of authorship, construction and flow of different subdivisions. Theussen is the professor of the New Testament at the university of Heidelberg Germany. He has contributed to a figure of scholarly books and is besides co-edited ( With Wolfgang Stegemann and Bruce J. Malina ) of The Social Setting of Jesus and the Gospel ( 2002 ) . Theussen says the purpose of the book is to sum up briefly the most of import characteristics of the New Testament, giving information about single authorship in the NT and the overall image of its history, literature and Religion. Harmonizing to the book, looks at the two basic signifiers of the NT, the missive and Gospel were brought a literary line together in the Johannine Hagiographas. Then there is a historical line along with a reclamation motion within Judaism, which gained its independency and became a separate faith. Finally, is the theological line which had emerged from Hebraism Chapter 1 The New Testament and its literary signifiers: The New Testament or new compact is a aggregation of Hagiographas of a little spiritual subculture in the Roman Empire, These were formed because of a new reading of the Judaic faith. Prompted around 27-30 AD by Jesus of Nazareth who was executed by the Romans for being a trouble maker. The 27 books in the OT are made up of four Gospels, 21 letters, Acts of the Apostles and the Revelation of John: These were foremost written in Greek, the Holy Scripture of the Jews in their Grecian interlingual rendition called the Septuagint. The Jews were the first to develop the thought of Canon, which impressed the content and the strong belief of a Religion on the cultural memory of a community as something sanctum, in order to forestall the community from of all time burying them. Theussen claims that Christians developed their expanded canon on the theoretical account of the Judaic canon. The Judaic Bible became the OT merely to separate it from the NT.Both NT and Jewish bible together organize the new faith Christian Bible. The book says, Christianity is a missive written non with ink but with the spirit non on the tablet of rock but on the tablet of bosom. Chapter 2 Jesus of Nazareth, narrated in Gospels. The book says it is a discrepancy of the ancient life , which was broad spread in the non-Jewish universe. The oldest Gospel is Mark. Luke and Mathew are the first to add narrations about Jesus childhood and to round off the Gospel with the visual aspect of the risen Christ. Chapter 3 Jesus Tradition in the First Coevalss: The Logia Source and the Oral Tradition of Jesus, The beginning of the Gospel: the synoptic inquiry, Tradition of the itinerant character: the logia beginning Traditions of the local communities: the passion and the synoptic apocalypse Popular tradition of the local communities, the miracle narratives Chapter 4 Paul of Tarsus: After the decease of Jesus, there was a struggle between Hebrews and Hellenist. Their leader Stephen was stoned for knocking the temple. They besides spread to Samaria Antioch distributing Christianity and began to win non Jews to Christianity ( Act 11:20 ) , Paul and Barnabas became the leader of the community. Paul wrote letters as the 2nd basic literary signifier of crude Christianity ; he used it as an instrument for act uponing his communities in order to support himself against Judaizing oppositions. Chapter 5 THE BEGINING OF THE LETTER LITERATURE IN THE FIRST GENERATION: THE LETTERS OF PAUL Theussen has written that, the missive is the 2nd chief signifier of literature in the New Testament, written 50 and 56 A D, before the Gospels in 70 and 110 AD. Thirteen letters of Paul are addressed to single communities and people, though the missive to the Hebrews does non advert Paul as the writer is counted as the fourteenth, and the seven Catholic letters are addressed to all Christians. : Theussen says, the letters comprise of those of James, two letters of Peter, three letters of John and the missive of Jude. The letters bear informant to Jesus in a different manner from the Gospels. They contain few fragment of the tradition of Jesus of Nazareth. In them Jesus appears as a supernatural being sent from God s preexistent universe who became adult male, suffered decease and the rose from the dead to be exalted as swayer over powers. Announcement of Christ as distinct from Jesus tradition. 1Thessalonians- A missive originating out of the state of affairs: Founded in crisis at a clip when the community felt that Christians were a political danger, which could discredit them publically. The anti-Judaizing letters: Galatians and Philippians ; consists of Galatians, Philippians and Philemon. The anti-enthusiastic letters: the letters to the Corinthians, Paul and the community in Corinth, 1 Corinthians and 2Conrithians. The theological synthesis: Romans as Paul s Chapter 6 The Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles: The New Form of Literature in the Second and Third Generations. The Gospel of Mark, Mathew, Luke and Acts composing the Gospel and directing the community. Chapter 7 Pseudepigraphical Letterss: The continuance of the literature of the First Generation. The Origin of the pseudepigraphy of crude Christian religion The Deutero-Pauline Letters 2Thessalonians ; Colossians, Ephesians, the Pastoral missive The Catholic letters 1 Peter, James, Jude, 2 Peter, Hebrews Chapter 8 Johannine Hagiographas: The nexus Between Gospel and Letter Literature. The Gospel of John The Johannine missive 1John, 2 and 3 John The apocalypse. Harmonizing to the book, the tradition in the synoptic Gospel about the workss of Jesus and the Christ announcement of action of God in the letters of Paul first come together in the Johannine Hagiographas. Chapter 9 Is the treatment on the way to the New Testament as a Literary integrity. Evaluation This book has fulfilled it intent of supplying a fortress debut to the New Testament its authorship is academic, with mentions to other bookmans and the Bible. The book is logic with chapters, good the manner of authorship, construction flow. Decision The book is really enlightening, I think it has achieved its purpose and has summed up briefly the most of import characteristics of the New Testament as it said. The letters bear informant to Jesus in a different manner from the Gospels I now know the most of import characteristics of the New Testament and would urge it to theological pupils or anyone who serious and wants to cognize the fortress of the New Testament.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
How to Pick Your College Classes
How to Pick Your College Classes The main reason youre in school is to earn your degree. Picking good courses at the right time and in the right order is, therefore, critical to your success. Talk to Your Advisor No matter how big or small your school is, you should have an adviser who helps make sure you are on track to earning your degree. Check in with them, no matter how sure you are about your choices. Not only does your adviser most likely need to sign off on your selections, but he or she can also help alert you to things you may not even have considered. Make Sure Your Schedule Has Balance Dont set yourself up for failure by thinking you can handle more courses than you usually take, all with labs and heavy workloads. Make sure your schedule has some balance: varying levels of difficulty, varying subject matters (when possible) so you arent using one part of your brain 24 hours a day, varying due dates for major projects and exams. Each course may be fine in and of itself, but when combined to create a killer schedule, they all may turn out to be a big mistake. Think About Your Learning Style Do you learn better in the morning? In the afternoon? Do you learn better in a huge classroom, or in a smaller section setting? See what options you can find within a department our course section and pick something that matches best with your learning style. Aim to Pick Strong Professors Do you know you absolutely love a certain professor in your department? If so, see if you can take a course with him or her this semester, or if it would be wiser to wait until a later time. If youve found a professor with whom you intellectually click, taking another class from him or her can help you get to know him or her better and possibly lead to other things, like research opportunities and letters of recommendation. If youre unfamiliar with professors on campus but know that you learn best from a professor who engages a class (instead of one who only lectures), ask around and check online to see what experience other students have had with various professors and their teaching styles. Consider Your Work Schedule and Other Commitments Do you know that you absolutely must have an on-campus job? Do you need an internship for your major? If so, will it require you to work days? Consider taking a class or two that meets in the evenings. Do you know you work best when you can plop yourself down in the library for eight hours straight? Try to avoid taking classes on Friday so that you can use it as a work day. Planning around your known commitments can help reduce your stress level once the semester is moving ahead at full-steam.
Monday, February 17, 2020
NASA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
NASA - Essay Example These are all good things but they do not necessarily bring about good results. The case study shows that the administrators and the systems need to be geared to solving real problems, and not just sustaining the system itself. There is no point in having an excellent health and safety system, for example, if it the accidents still happen and people still lose their lives. Another key role of public administration is to decide what needs to be done, and plan for that. Wilsonââ¬â¢s comparison of the French and German armies at the start of World War 2 shows that it is possible to have excellent organizational systems, with everything working to plan, and yet, in the case of the French, have a plan that is not suited to the particular problems facing the organization. This means that public administration which is strong is not enough. It has to be facing the right direction and aiming for the right goals so that it can be effective at bringing about the desired outcomes. In some pu blic organizations there are very large resources devoted to the operation and so it is crucial that the senior teams think through very carefully what the priorities are, and what kind of change needs to be faced in the future. Simply maintaining the procedures that have always worked in the past is not enough. This may have been enough before, but because there are many variables in society, and because things change unexpectedly, an effective public administration needs to be flexible and able to take on board new ideas all the time. The example of the German army, and of some school head teachers, shows that highly committed individuals who can manage teams are an essential part of an effective administration. There has to be an ability to keep to an overall plan, but at the same time some small group independent thinking and action is absolutely vital. Public administration is often criticized because it is too slow moving, and over cautious. Society needs an administration tha t can respond quickly to crisis, and can break through all the red tape to take decisive action when there is a real threat. In the Centralia case study it is clear that the administrators all kept within their own narrow boundaries, and no-one stepped out to demand immediate and decisive action. Society needs this kind of leadership in public administration to identify crisis areas and respond immediately. Public administration has a very important role in society because it adds a professional dimension to community activities. Someone has to have a view of the big picture, and someone has to ensure that all the different branches of activity in society meet together for the good of all. I think Wilsonââ¬â¢s description of the German army is a good one, because it shows that discipline and order can be matched with innovation and independent thinking. If everything was left to private individuals and companies, then there would soon be chaos and exploitation of the weakest memb ers of society. Public administration sets the standard for fairness and consistency, and it is the job of public administration managers to keep a good balance between following the rules and driving through change where it is needed. Question 2. On the basis of Longââ¬â¢s essay on administrative power and your analysis of ââ¬Å"The Columbia Accidentâ⬠what specific factors can you identify that can strengthen or detract from an organizationââ¬â¢
Monday, February 3, 2020
Interview 1 member of the clergy and 1 academic counselor who both Assignment
Interview 1 member of the clergy and 1 academic counselor who both interact with college students Research strategies for self-m - Assignment Example Most college students face various life challenges, especially when they are fresh in college because college life is a transition phase from dependence to independence. It is during college life that new students have to make independent decisions, manage finance and time, interact with people from various social backgrounds and develop their identity. Therefore, college students face emotional, psychological and spiritual challenges. In the two interviews that involve one member of the clergy and an academic counselor, I will evaluate emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of college students. Information obtained from research on strategies for self-management, time management, and learning for college students will be incorporated with the information obtained from the two interviews to create a plan that will meet the emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of college students. What are the Spiritual Needs of College Students? In an interview with a member of the cle rgy on the emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of college students, it was revealed that college students have various spiritual needs. The clergy, having worked in the institution for several years, has been interacting with college students. ... He confirmed that freshmen need a place to worship. The clergy further said that the place of worship that most college students need should enable them to connect with people with whom they share their faith. This is because college students need enhance their spiritual growth while in college. Do senior college students also have spiritual needs? The clergy respondent to the question by emphasizing that senior college students also have spiritual needs, only that the location and details about place of worship is not a challenge to them because they have stayed for sometime, and they have sufficient knowledge. Given that most people in college have upgraded their thinking, and have learnt some abstract new concept, as students interact with others and instructors, their previous religious beliefs may be challenged and put on inquiry. As result, these senior college students need a place where they can learn about spiritual truth to enhance their spiritual health and overcome any ch allenges to their spiritual beliefs that may be misleading. Senior college students also need to know the truth so that they can make right decisions on the spiritual paths to follow, upon getting sufficient information. The clergy further noted that during his long term service in the institution he had made significant observations. During his interactions with college students, the clergy observed that college students need a stable environment and people to explain and show them the love of Jesus so that they feel they have a place to belong, when it comes to spirituality. What are the Emotional Needs of College Students? My main objective was to
Sunday, January 26, 2020
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ Classicism in ââ¬Å"The Lamentation over the Dead Christâ⬠The Renaissance Era was an epoch of artistic resurgence in the history of Europe. This period was marked by developments in Italian Renaissance paintings with the renewal of classical forms, motifs and subjects. In edict to discern the Classicism that prospered during this age, conceivably without need, from the Classical architecture of the ancient Romans. The exploration for cerebral legitimacy through art set apart the period. During this period, contemporary Classicism was described as the ââ¬Å"proper techniqueâ⬠. Methodically, this set in motion a blitz against Baroque art, which, with its highlighting of embellishment and delusion, was considered to be distinctly fictitious. Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506), in particular, modeled his work entitled ââ¬Å"The Lamentation over the Dead Christâ⬠(c.1480) in rudiments of Classicism. Mantegna used mainly foreshortening, a perspective used for compressing objects from a definitive viewpoint and chiaroscuro, the contrast between light and shadows bring this painting to life with essentials of Classicism. In this period, Classicism took on more visibly structural insinuations of the use of perspective, chiefly by the use of Foreshortening. Foreshortening occurs when an object appears compressed when seen from a particular viewpoint, and the effect of perspective causes distortion. Foreshortening is a predominantly constructive creative mechanism, used to give the sense of three-dimensional capacity and generate emotion in a picture. To sensationalize the supine Christ in perception, Mantegna paints his light source higher up the horizon line, to create illusion that the viewer will appear to be looking at an angle. The more askew the vanishing point, the more slanted the icon will be, as seen in the painting. Because the body of Christ is supine and symmetrical, the vanishing point is diametrically in the core of the perspective line. Because the spectators plane is parallel to Christs head at this point, the base perspective line appears to be horizontal. This imaginary line gives the fundamental, foreshortening perspective. The farther away the image is from the viewer, the nearer the illusion is to being perpendicular to the portrait plane, as seen in the Dead Christ. The position of the mourners (The Virgin Mary and St. John) are on the horizon line, to th e left the desertion point (Christs Head), as another foremost model to carry this position of foreshortening. The expanse from this point to the center of the perspective line denotes the distance within the painting for the viewer. If the point is isolated from the vanishing point, the mourners will appear condensed, and distant. If it is too close, they will emerge lengthened, as if it is too close to the observer. Essentially distorting the ray of light traveling from its origin to the onlookers judgment and ruining the illusion within the painting. This element is key to understanding Mantegnas brilliance of perspective in this fresco. In the case of the holes in Christs hands and feet; the perspective of the light source that illuminates (at an angle) the area of the holes also represents the use of foreshortening on the picture plane. When the light source hits the area of the holes, it hits at the appropriate angle on the picture plane. In order for the resulting image to ap pear identical to the intended scene, the eyewitness of the perspective must scrutinize the image from the exact vantage point used in the geometric calculations comparative to Christ. This proper use of foreshortening abandons visual imperfections that what would appear to be alterations in the painting when analyzed from a discrete point. These conspicuous distortions in foreshortening are more evident when viewing Christs thorax; as the perspective estimated from the surroundings, to the spectator becomes more finely tuned and comparative to the portrait base. In application, unless the viewer desires a radical perspective, like viewing the body of Christ from the base, the perspective on the whole, is in all probability accurate. It has been recommended that a painting in standpoint still seems to be in perspective at other spots because the individual still distinguishes it as a painting, because of the quality in its profundity of field indications due to the use of foreshortening. For a emblematic perspective, conversely, the field of view in the Dead Christ is tapered to the point, that the distortions are negligible and the fresco can be viewed from a site other than the tangible designed vantage point without seeming distorted, which in turn, buttress Mantegnas conclusion to paint the feet of Christ less significant than the customary individuals. While speaking at a summit on Greek mathematics and philosophy, Plato (429-347 B.C.E.) was quoted in repute to artwork, as stating, Thus (through perspective) every sort of confusion is revealed within us; and this is that weakness of the human mind on which the art of conjuring and of deceiving by light and shadow and other ingenious devices imposes, having an effect upon us like magic And the arts of measuring and numbering and weighing come to the rescue of the human understanding (Plato qtd. in Kahn) The applied use of the expression ââ¬Å"chiaroscuroâ⬠, is the outcome of light representation in painting, in which three- dimensional capacity is advocated by the measure of color and the systematic partition of light and shadow contours on a two dimensional plane in a model of artwork. The creation of these belongings in the West, Skiagraphia or shadow-painting to the primeval Greeks, was attributed to the celebrated Athenian painter of the 5th century BC, Apollodoros. In the print of the Dead Christ, the light is approaching in from one encoded course exceeding Christs body, then light and silhouette will match to a set of natural conventions. An underscore of luminosity on Christs shroud symbolizes the summit where the brilliance is being revealed most unswervingly. This is most often attributed as a lightened white area, as seen in the shroud in Figure 1. As the viewers eye moves away from this emphasis, radiance strikes the article less candidly and consequently broadcast s a darker assessment of hues on the shroud. This changeover continues until the onlooker reaches the point where the darkness of the piercingly drawn material meets the lighted portion of the shroud. Here, there is a more abrupt conversion to darker values since no light is salient between Christs feet. Some oblique light is offered on the underside of Christs feet as the muted side does not turn unyieldingly dark. This is the product of reflected and refracted daylight that logically become apparent within the painting. As the viewer looks at the intense frame of the body of Christ, it is noticeable that it is patently lighter than the shadowed area of the mourners. Light in the environment is illuminating the background. The throw shadows are at odds, with separate values as well. Then, as light becomes more available, the same cast shadow lightens in increments until it reaches the shadows circumference. Craigie Aitchison (1923-2009), a Scottish painter and one of the better kno wn critically esteemed Royal Academians (Members Royal Academy of Arts have a exclusive position in being recognized as reputed artists and architects whose sole objective is to endorse the creation, pleasure and awarnessof the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate), recalls the Dead Christ as his favorite painting, stating, ââ¬Å"I like it because it tells a Story Its a wonderful reddy colour and terrifically drawn If ever a painting was clear, its this one. Its fantastically clear about the story its telling theres no muddling about. It couldnt be any other way.â⬠(Aitchison). Mantegna dominates and operates this modus operandi to generate a inventive sense of pathos in the mourners and character in the Dead Christ. The Mantegna painting, with light entering from above, illustrates a faint modeling of chiaroscuro to give quantity to the body of Christ, which in turn, confirms the strong stimulus of Greek inspired Classicism in this fresco. The contrasts betw een light and shadows bring this painting to life with essentials of Classicism. The Renaissance Era was an epoch of artistic resurgence in the history of Europe. This period was marked by developments in Italian Renaissance paintings with the renewal of classical forms, motifs and subjects. In edict to discern the Classicism that prospered during this age, conceivably without need, from the Classical architecture of the ancient Romans. The exploration for cerebral legitimacy through art set apart the period. During this period, contemporary Classicism was described as the ââ¬Å"proper techniqueâ⬠. Methodically, this set in motion a blitz against Baroque art, which, with its highlighting of embellishment and delusion, was considered to be distinctly fictitious. Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506), in particular, modeled his work entitled ââ¬Å"The Lamentation over the Dead Christâ⬠(c.1480) in rudiments of Classicism. Mantegna used mainly foreshortening, a perspective used for compressing objects from a definitive viewpoint and chiaroscuro, the contrast between light and shadows bring this painting to life with essentials of Classicism. Mantegnas version of the Dead Christ, is regarded as an indispensable art piece exemplifying the use of Classicism. Thus, he deserves the acclaim for the merit of these essentials in his work of art.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Hypertension: Normal Blood Pressure
Hypertension is a chronic or persistent medical condition also known as high blood pressure. This condition causes the arteries to consistently elevate blood pressure. When high blood pressure is normal, the blood flows through smoothly because the artery wall is smooth. However, when an individual is diagnosed with high blood pressure, the blood flows through the arteries with too much force. Eventually, high blood pressure can cause serious damage to the arteries if it goes untreated. Also, high blood pressure causes the heart to have to work much harder than normal to keep up the flow of blood through the arteries.Hypertension can lead to damaged organs and several illnesses such as kidney failure and strokes. About 33% of people arenââ¬â¢t aware that they have high blood pressure. This ignorance can go on for years. For this reason, it is important to do periodic blood pressure screenings even if there are no symptoms present.The normal blood pressure for an individual is 120/ 80 where 120 represents the systolic measure (peak pressure in the arteries) and 80 represents the diastolic measure (minimum pressure in the arteries). Blood pressure of between 120/80 and 130/89 is called pre-hypertension. Blood pressure of 140/90 or above is considered hypertension.There are two classifications for hypertension, which are essential or secondary. Essential is the term used for high blood pressure when its cause is unknown. Unknown causes for hypertension accounts for about 95% of cases. Alternatively, secondary hypertension is the term for high blood pressure with causes related to kidney disease, tumors or birth control pills. Although the exact causes of hypertension are unknown, there are several factors that are often associated with this condition such as:Smoking Obesity or being overweight Childhood obesity Diabetes Sedentary lifestyle Lack of physical High levels of salt intake Insufficient calcium, potassium or magnesium intake Vitamin D deficiency High le vels of alcohol consumption Aging Stress, Medications such as birth control pills Genetics (a family history of hypertension) Clinic Kidney Disease Adrenal or thyroid problems or tumors.Symptoms associated with severe hypertension are severe headaches, fatigue or confusion, dizziness, nausea, problems with vision, chest pain, breathing problems, irregular heartbeat, and blood in the urine. You can find out whether or not you have hypertension by visiting a health professional who measures blood pressure. Remember, if your blood pressure is over 140/90 you will be diagnosed with hypertension. However, you can treat hypertension medically or by making lifestyle adjustments such as weight-loss, quit smoking, eating a healthy diet, reducing sodium intake, exercising regularly, and eliminating alcohol consumption. Medical options for treating hypertension include several classes of drugs that your health professional would prescribe based upon your specific condition and needs.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Diabetes-Related Mortality - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1547 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/05/17 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Diabetes Essay Did you like this example? A product of Chinas rapid economic development is the transition in public health issues from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases. Not only has urbanization changed Chinas economy, but it has also led to changes on the individual level. Personal lifestyle, diet, and social norms are a few of the main aspects that have led to diabetes taking priority over other non-communicable diseases that currently need serious attention (Yang, et al., 2012). Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Diabetes-Related Mortality" essay for you Create order In fact, China is experiencing the worst epidemic in the world, with 10% of its population (over 110 million individuals) in 2016 being diagnosed with full-blown diabetes. The CDC reported that the rate in rural areas is increasing faster than in urban areas. This epidemic has placed enormous stress onto rural health care facilities through a high utilization of hospitals, as well as rising insurance costs (Wang F. , 2016). Living with diabetes is a huge financial burden, especially those covered by the rural health insurance plan, where 24% of household income will go to treatment (Liu, Vortherms, Hong, 2017). There is also a huge economic burden that is placed on the country itself, with medical expenses for diabetes being one of the main leaders of poverty. Therefore, this issue is important because not only does it directly affect public health in rural areas, but its consequences also reach other key systems of society. There seems to be a harmful reinforcement between poor health and low socioeconomic status in rural provinces that is crippling Chinas health care system (Le, Jun, Zhankun, Yichun, Jie, 2011). A nationwide study conducted by the Epidemiological studies unit of the University of Oxford in 2017 found that despite prevalence rates being higher in urban areas, mortality rates were actually higher in rural areas. Looking into cause-specific deaths related to diabetes, the authors found a drastic difference in the risk ratio for chronic kidney disease, which was 18.69 and 6.83 for rural and urban areas respectively (Monaco, 2017). Currently, the demographics show that adults over 35 years of age with low income make up the majority of individuals that are diagnosed (Wang, et al., 2017). However, the age bracket for acquiring diabetes has been continually decreasing. The American Diabetes Association reported that there has been an increasing rate in young individuals in rural areas. This is significant because they have a higher risk for chronic complications which lead to mortality (Hu Jia, 2017). This also speaks to a lack of proper health education and schooling in rural provinces. Currently, there is a large focus on treating the symptoms and outcomes of diabetes. The government spends the equivalent of $50 billion annually on diabetes alone. That is 13% of the total national health care expenditures. However, this has had minimal effect so far in rural areas. 84% of it goes to treating the disease through hospitalization, thus inpatient treatment (Wang F. , 2016). This is the main way rural individuals receive health care. Despite the large monetary investment into treatments, only 13% of the diagnosed population have their blood glucose under control. This is because the biggest issue is that 60% to 65% of the rural population are unaware of their disease (Wang, et al., 2017). Those with lower income, whose insurance translates into high medical bills, wait until they have their first heart attack to go to the hospital and get diagnosed. This delay has a huge impact on mortality rates (Wang F. , 2016). Moreover, it is clear that prevention and awareness are lacking from the current strategy that is in place by the key players who are working on this issue. The key players involved in the diabetes epidemic in rural areas are all in the direct circle of public health influence. They include provincial hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, big universities, key ministries and the Chinese Insurance Regulatory Commission. In terms of key ministries, there are two that play a crucial role in drug accessibility for the low SES population. These are the National Health Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The former is responsible for determining which drugs get included into an Essential Drug List that is covered by the rural insurance plan (Liu, Vortherms, Hong, 2017). The latter has direct control over prices of both drugs and medical services. Both coordinate with the Chinese Insurance Regulatory Commission, who are responsible for the lack of coverage and high treatment cost of diabetes in the rural insurance plan (Mossialos, Ge, Hu, Wang, 2016). The pharmaceutical industry along with top universities (Peking university and Shanghai Jiao Tong University) are important for the research and development of treatment (Mossialos, Ge, Hu, Wang, 2016). Overall, there is a clear mirroring of who the key players are to what is currently being done about the issue. Reiterating what has been previously established, the main focus is on treating the outcomes and not on prevention. Actors who should be involved are those in the public health sphere as well as outside of it who can effectively work on prevention and awareness. This includes village doctors, smaller town clinics, local teachers, and the Ministry of Agriculture. Village doctors are fundamental players because of their relationship with the rural community. As a result of practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine, they are the most trusted actors in health care and can directly provide healthcare services in a way that far-away hospitals are unable to do (Li, et al., 2015). Moreover, smaller town clinics need to be strengthened to replace hospitals as the primary gatekeeper (Mossialos, Ge, Hu, Wang, 2016). Increasing health education in a school environment is unfortunately not as feasible in rural areas compared to urban settings because 60% of students drop out before high school (Partner, 2018). However, because of the increasing mortality-rate among young rural individuals, elementary school teachers are nonetheless important in educating children on prevention, as well as providing useful teaching skills in other settings. Due to farming being the most common type of work in rural provinces, the Ministry of Agriculture will also be important for raising awareness as well as implementing new policies (Westmore, 2015). The intervention that I propose is an education initiative. This is arguably the most effective type of intervention because the fundamental problem lies in a lack of awareness and education in the rural community, which leads to later diagnosis and an earlier generational onset of diabetes that results in mortality. The education initiative is comprised of two steps: firstly, establish accessible health education classes as primary prevention, and secondly, promote open discussions through the utilization of Chinese Traditional Medicine culture for screenings on a secondary prevention level. This initiative will be funded by expenses already being invested by the government on this epidemic. Most rural families use agriculture as their primary source of income, acquiring a large plot of land and often using the help of their young children for labor (Westmore, 2015). Therefore, The Ministry of Agriculture should implement a new policy that as part of acquiring or renewing an agricultural land license, all households must take a free information class on diabetes. Moreover, it should be stated that all members who participate in agricultural activities must take it. This ensures that children who drop out of school to work will still receive the proper health education they need. The class will be a collaborative effort between key players, led by the local physicians and teachers. The information would focus on prevention, including proper nutrition and dieting, healthy lifestyle and behavioral activities. The goal is to stimulate awareness about the main causes of diabetes and how these can be addressed through proper self-management. The information can be put into action with simple, take-home tools for the participants, including weekly food charts to track eating habits, simple local recipes, and setting exercise goals. This first step can be seen as addressing the socioeconomic factors which contribute to high mortality, which according to Friedens health impact pyramid has the biggest impact (Frieden, 2010). Part of educating the rural population on diabetes surrounds changing the social stigma which hinders individuals to get diagnosed early on. This can be addressed through offering free screenings at local traditional medicine facilities operated by village doctors. This is important because the second step in this education initiative would be to promote open discussions through its integration into traditional Chinese medicine culture, which is highly prevalent in rural provinces (Li, et al., 2015). These traditional facilities are already highly utilized by the community for other purposes. Diabetes screening does not require high levels of training, thus it would be more effective to train traditional practitioners who are readily available instead of providing inpatient treatment in distant hospitals. Village doctors can talk about the condition during screenings through a lens of culture that is already widely accepted. The second step is arguably changing the context of rural life to make individuals default decisions healthy since they would have to expend significant energy not to benefit from the free screening (Frieden, 2010). Its purpose would thus be to balance the issue of distrust in modern medicine and techniques that the first step might experience. In conclusion, the two steps reflect the yin and yang of health education, balancing opposing cultures of public health to reach an effective solution. Building a holistic understanding of diabetes can improve the information that is currently available to rural populations. Increased knowledge will have a large impact on reducing diabetes-related mortality by preventing it from occurring at all.
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