How are the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors and the Baker article helpful in terms of creating goals and evidence-based practice in schools?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Ethical Standards for School Counselors and Evidence-Based Practice in Schools
Introduction
The role of school counselors is vital in fostering the educational, social, and emotional growth of students. To ensure the well-being of students, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has established ethical standards for school counselors. Additionally, the article written by Baker further emphasizes the importance of evidence-based practice in schools. This essay will explore how the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors and the Baker article contribute to the creation of goals and evidence-based practice in schools.
ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
The ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors provide a framework and guidelines for school counselors to maintain professional conduct and ethical behavior. These standards promote the well-being and success of students by ensuring that counselors act in their best interests. By adhering to these ethical standards, school counselors create a positive and supportive environment that facilitates the achievement of academic and personal goals.
Creating Goals
- Student-centered approach: The ethical standards guide counselors to prioritize the needs and goals of students. This ensures that goals are aligned with students’ individual strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations.
- Collaboration: The standards encourage collaboration between school counselors, students, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders. This collaborative approach allows for the identification and development of goals that encompass all aspects of a student’s life.
- Culturally sensitive goals: The ethical standards emphasize cultural competence and respect for diversity. School counselors are encouraged to create goals that are sensitive to students’ cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and values.
- Holistic development: The ethical standards promote goals that focus on the holistic development of students, including academic, career, and personal/social domains. This ensures that students receive comprehensive support to achieve their full potential.
Evidence-Based Practice
The Baker article emphasizes the significance of evidence-based practice in schools. Evidence-based practice is grounded in research and utilizes interventions that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation. By incorporating evidence-based practice, school counselors can ensure that their interventions are based on sound research and have a higher likelihood of success.
Importance of Evidence-Based Practice
- Effective interventions: Evidence-based practice enables school counselors to implement interventions that have been shown to be effective in addressing specific student needs. This increases the likelihood of positive outcomes for students.
- Efficiency: By utilizing evidence-based practice, school counselors can focus their efforts on interventions that have been proven effective, avoiding wasting time and resources on approaches that may be less successful.
- Accountability: Evidence-based practice promotes accountability by requiring school counselors to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions. This ensures that counselors are continuously improving their practices and providing the best possible support to students.
- Professional growth: Engaging in evidence-based practice encourages school counselors to stay informed about current research and best practices in the field. This promotes ongoing professional development and enhances the quality of counseling services provided.
Conclusion
The ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors and the Baker article both play crucial roles in creating goals and promoting evidence-based practice in schools. The ethical standards provide a foundation for ethical behavior and student-centered goal setting, while evidence-based practice ensures that interventions are based on research and have the potential to yield positive outcomes. By following these guidelines, school counselors can enhance their effectiveness in supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional growth, ultimately contributing to their overall success.
