Respond to the following prompts in the Experiencing Racism discussion forum:
How does data inform outcomes related to equity?
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
The Role of Data in Informing Equity Outcomes
Data plays a crucial role in informing outcomes related to equity, particularly in the context of combating racism and promoting inclusivity. By collecting and analyzing relevant data, educational institutions and stakeholders can gain insights into disparities, identify areas for improvement, and develop evidence-based strategies to achieve equitable outcomes. This essay will explore how data informs outcomes related to equity and contributes to creating a more inclusive and just society.
1. Identifying Disparities
Data allows educational institutions to identify disparities in academic achievement, disciplinary actions, access to resources, and other areas that impact equity. By disaggregating data based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language proficiency, and other relevant factors, schools can uncover inequities and understand the specific challenges faced by marginalized groups. This identification is the first step toward addressing and rectifying these disparities.
Setting Baselines and Targets Data provides a baseline against which progress in achieving equity can be measured. By establishing benchmarks and targets, educational institutions can track their performance over time. For example, tracking graduation rates, college enrollment rates, or academic achievement levels among different racial and ethnic groups can help measure progress in closing achievement gaps and achieving equitable outcomes.
Informing Policies and Practices Data informs evidence-based decision-making when it comes to policies and practices that promote equity. By analyzing data on student outcomes, discipline rates, attendance records, and other relevant metrics, educational institutions can identify areas where policies or practices may contribute to inequities. This information helps inform the development of targeted interventions and initiatives designed to address these disparities effectively.
Resource Allocation Data plays a crucial role in guiding resource allocation efforts aimed at achieving equity. By analyzing data on resource distribution across schools or districts, educational institutions can identify discrepancies in funding, access to technology, quality of facilities, or availability of qualified teachers. This information helps inform resource allocation decisions to ensure that all students have access to the necessary resources for success.
Monitoring and Accountability Data allows for ongoing monitoring of progress toward equity goals and holding educational institutions accountable for achieving equitable outcomes. By regularly collecting and analyzing data on various indicators of equity, stakeholders can assess the impact of interventions and initiatives. This monitoring helps identify areas of success as well as areas that require further attention or modification to ensure equitable outcomes.
Transparency and Advocacy Data promotes transparency and supports advocacy efforts aimed at achieving equity. By making relevant data publicly available, educational institutions can foster transparency and accountability within their communities. Additionally, stakeholders can utilize this data to advocate for policy changes, resource allocation decisions, or other reforms that address inequities and promote fairness in education.
In conclusion, data plays a vital role in informing outcomes related to equity within educational institutions. By identifying disparities, setting baselines and targets, informing policies and practices, guiding resource allocation decisions, monitoring progress, and promoting transparency, data contributes to achieving equitable outcomes. It allows stakeholders to understand the current state of equity, identify areas for improvement, and develop evidence-based strategies to create a more inclusive and just educational system. Through the effective use of data, we can work towards mitigating the impacts of racism and fostering a more equitable society for all students.
