Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Problem of Evil Augustine and Irenaeus Essay Example

The Problem of Evil: Augustine and Irenaeus Paper Explain how the theodicy of Irenaeus differs from that of Augustine. One of the main arguments used by non-believers against the existence of God is the presence of evil and suffering in the world. The term ‘evil’ is often used to describe something that is morally wrong. Philosophers make a distinction between moral evil and natural evil. Moral evil results from human actions that are morally reproachable, and Natural evil results from the malfunctioning of the natural world, which produces entities such as disease and famine. St Augustine (354 – 430CE) based his arguments on the Bible, especially the accounts of the creation and the fall in Genesis. His influential theodicy rests upon two major assumptions; evil did not come from God since God’s creation was faultless and perfect, and evil came from elsewhere and God is justified in allowing it to stay. Augustine started from the assumption that God is wholly good and that God created a world free from faults. Following the teaching in Genesis 1, Augustine emphasised that ‘All God has made pleased Him’; suffering and evil were therefore unknown. He made the logical point that it is not possible for God to be responsible for evil since evil is ‘not a substance’. Instead, evil refers to what is lacking in a thing; it is a ‘privation of good’. Augustine used the analogy of blindness, which is not an entity in itself but an absence of sight. If God cannot have created evil, Augustine traced its origin to those areas within the world that have free will; specifically, angels and human beings. These abused God’s gift of freedom and chose wilfully to turn their attention away from God, the supreme good, and to idolise instead ‘lesser goods’. We will write a custom essay sample on The Problem of Evil: Augustine and Irenaeus specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Problem of Evil: Augustine and Irenaeus specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Problem of Evil: Augustine and Irenaeus specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In keeping with the story of the fall in Genesis 3, he argued that the desire for power proved too much for Adam and Eve, who were tempted by Satan, a fallen angel, to break God’s command and to eat the forbidden fruit. Having explained the origin of evil, Augustine went on to show that all suffering is a fully deserved consequence of human sin. Natural evil originated from the loss of order within nature following the first sin. This destroyed the delicate balance of the world. From then on, there was to be hostility between humans and other creatures. Humans would have to battle constantly to grow enough food. Pain, such as that resulting in childbirth, entered the world, along with death. The first sin also caused the world to become distanced from God. In this new and damaged environment, remote from God, moral evil flourished and spread. Augustine concluded his theory with a reminder of God’s grace: if God was simply just, everyone would go to their rightful punishment in Hell. Through His grace, however, God sent His son to die on the cross so that some might be saved and go to Heaven. This shows that God is merciful as well as just. Irenaeus (c. 130 – 202CE), as with Augustine, traced evil back to human free will. He differs in that he admits that God did not make a perfect world and that evil has a valuable role to play in God’s plan for humans. Unlike Augustine, Irenaeus admitted that God is partly responsible for evil. His responsibility extends to creating humans imperfectly, and making it their task to develop to perfection. This idea is based upon Irenaeus’ interpretation of Genesis, where God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. ’ Irenaeus concluded that at first, humans were made in God’s image and only later would develop into His likeness. For Irenaeus, being in God’s image involved having intelligence, morality, and personality, yet it lacked completion. Completion would only be gained upon transformation into God’s likeness. It was Irenaeus’ claim that evil was an essential means to this transformation. Irenaeus explained that humans did choose evil, which is why the fall occurred. But although evil clearly makes life difficult, it nevertheless is beneficial in that it enables us to understand what good is; â€Å"How, if we had no knowledge of the contrary, could we have instruction in that which is good? † – Irenaeus. Having explained the necessity of both potential and actual evil, Irenaeus looked ahead to Heaven, where everybody will have completed the development into God’s likeness, and where the sufferings on Earth will have been long forgotten.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

When Do ACT Scores Come Out ACT Score Release Schedule

When Do ACT Scores Come Out ACT Score Release Schedule SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You've taken the ACT and are now waiting for your scores. This can be a tense time, but knowing when exactly to expect your ACT results can help you plan ahead. When do ACT scores come out exactly? In this article, find out when your test scores will become available, how to get your ACT resultsas fast as possible, and what to do once you have them. Will your ACT scores be good enough? When your scores come out, it's critical for you to understand whether your scores are good enough. The ACT score that's good enough for you is unique to you, based on your goals. Download our free guide to figuring out your ACT target score. How Long Does It Generally Take to Get ACT Scores? ACT results normally start to come out online around 10 days after your test date. Because the ACT is always taken on a Saturday, your scores will usually come out on the second Tuesday after your test date. Occasionally, ACT scores might take longer than 10 days to come out.The official ACT website offers a range of possible score release dates for each test. Generally, the earliest possible release date is 10 days after the test date, and the latest possible release date is six to seven weeks after the test date. If you took theACT with Writing, your multiple-choice scores will become available online around the same time as everyone else's; however,your essay score will typically take an additional two weeks. In other words, your complete ACT scores will come out, at earliest, a little more than three weeks after your test date. When Exactly Do ACT Scores Come Out? ACT score release dates will vary depending on your test date. We created the tables below for you to see when you can expect your ACT results to become available. 2019-20 ACT Score Release Schedule ACT, Inc. has confirmed itstesting schedule for the 2019-20 testing year. This allows us to come up with estimatesfor future score release dates: ACT Test Date Multiple-Choice Scores Release Complete Scores (w/ Essay) Release Sept 14, 2019 Sept 24, 2019 Oct 8, 2019 Oct 26, 2019 Nov 5, 2019 Nov 19, 2019 Dec 14, 2019 Dec 24, 2019 Jan 7, 2020 Feb 8, 2020 Feb 18, 2020 Mar 3, 2020 Apr 4, 2020 Apr 14, 2020 Apr 28, 2020 June 13, 2020 June 23, 2020 July 7, 2020 July 18, 2020 July 28, 2020 Aug 11, 2020 Have a feeling you'll need to take the ACT again? Download our free guide to improving your ACT score by 4 points. Note that these are the earliest possible dates for your ACT scores to come out. Many students have their scores delayed by a few days as ACT, Inc. gets all the scores together. Don't be too alarmed if your test scores are delayed by a week or so. Beyond that point, though, it might be a good idea to call ACT, Inc. and ask about the status of your test. ACT Writing scores usually come out about two weeks after your multiple-choice scores are released. ACT, Inc. does a great job of getting its scores out as early as possible instead of waiting for all students to be ready before releasing them in a batch. What Time Do ACT Scores Come Out? ACT scores are released in batches and are usually posted once a day at around 12 am Central Time (10 pm Pacific Time, 11 pm Mountain Time, and 1 am Eastern Time). If your test scores don't show up after this time on a particular day, you'll have to wait a whole day and then check if they come out the next day. This information will hopefully help with your stress and keep you from compulsively checking for ACT scores throughout the day! When Are ACT Scores Available to Schools? After taking up to a week to process your score report request, ACT, Inc. will batch up your score report with others going to the same school. Colleges receive ACT score reports at least once every two weeks, but some schools get them more frequently. UVA has stated that it gets score reports electronically at least once a day- but gets scores even more frequently closer to application deadlines. If you put down a school as one to receive one of your four free score reports, that school might even be able to see your ACT scores before you candepending on how frequently it gets scores from ACT, Inc. It’s also important to note that ACT, Inc. will not send out your ACT scores until your whole test has been scored. So if you’ve taken the Writing section, your scores won’t go out until your Writing scores, too, have been determined. Opting for a priority report(instead of a regular score report) shortens the initial processing time to two working days after your request and typically gets your ACT scores to schools three to four business days after your request has been processed. Note that ACT, Inc. cannot send out a score report until your test has been scored. Unless you've gotten your ACT scores and have a college application deadline fewer than seven weeks away (or three weeks for the ACT without Writing), ordering priority reporting isn't worth it. Note: If you took the ACT through State and District, School, or DANTES testing, your online scores will likely not become available until after you get your paper score report in the mail. How Do I Check My ACT Score? The fastest way to view your ACT scores is to go online to your ACT account. Once you log in, you'll see a list of the ACT test dates you have scores for: Next, click on "View Scores" for the test date for which you want to view your ACT scores. You'll be taken to a screen on which you have to reenter your password (for security's sake): Once you enter your password again, you'll be taken to a page with your ACT results. For a more detailed explanation on how to get your scores, check out ourstep-by-step guide. Why Does It Take So Long to Get My ACT Score? It might seem as though grading shouldn't take long since ACT tests are scored automatically. But remember that hundreds of thousands of students take the ACT on each test date.What's more, all of these things need to happen for each student taking the test: Each test is shipped to the ACT, Inc. scoring headquarters. Each test is scanned to calculate araw score. Each test receives a scaled score from 1 to 36, depending on the curve for that test. Each ACT Writing essay is evaluated by two human graders. All of this happens on a nationwide scale, so clearly ACT, Inc. has a significant logistics challenge to deal with! When all's said and done, though, ACT, Inc. strives to get test scores out as soon as possible so students like yourself can plan ahead for college. ACT Results: 2 Options for Next Steps Once you get your ACT scores back, you have a couple of options for what you can do next. Option 1: Retake the ACT If you're not happy with your scores, you might want to consider retaking the ACT. You can refresh your memory on how to sign up for the ACT with this article. Whether you retake the ACT ultimately boils down to two factors:what your target score isand how likely you are to improve your score.Your ACT target score is determined by the average ACT scores of the schools you want to get into. If your ACT scores are a lot lower than your target score is, it might be worth retaking the test. It’s not enough, however, to look at your ACT results and say, "Well, I didn’t do as well as I wanted, so I’d better take it again." As we discuss in our article on ACT score decreases, there’s about a 50-50 chance that if you retake the ACT, you’ll score the same or lower than you did before.And the odds of a score decrease are even higher if you don’t put in much studying time. To improve your composite ACT score by 1 to 4points, you’ll need to put in around40hours of smart prep. Increasing your score by more than this requires even more time and energy. This doesn’t mean just brute-forcing it by doing as many practice tests and quizzes as you can get your hands on; instead, you'll want to use a system that focuses mainly on your weaknesses and helps you improve them. Keep in mind, too, that if you're applying to a school that requires all ACT scores be sent, you'll likely have to send this test's score as well unless you delete it from your record. The bottom line: if you're able to put in the time and energy to improve your score, then it's worth retaking the ACT. Otherwise, it's just a waste of money and a Saturday morning! Option 2: Send Your ACT Scores to Colleges If you're completely satisfied with how you did on the exam, then your next step is to send your scores to all the colleges you're applying to. We've also got a complete list of school and college codesyou can use to send your ACT scores. What's Next? Know you want to retake the ACT but not sure when to do it? Check out all upcoming ACT test datesto find out when you can take the test next. For tips on the best time for you, read our article on the best ACT test dates. What ACT score do you need to get into college?Get the answer to this question by reading our guides towhat the average ACT score for college isand the minimum score you'll need to get in. When's the last date you can take the ACT and still have your scores get to schools in time? Find out with these articles about the last ACT dates forearly admissions deadlines and regular admissions deadlines. Also, check out our free guide on the 5 most important strategies you need to know to improve your ACT score by 4+ points.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The differences between Americas mass incarceration rates compared to Research Paper

The differences between Americas mass incarceration rates compared to one other country - Research Paper Example This essay compares US and Canada incarceration rate and the costs, in an attempt to provide viable recommendation on how the government should conduct its incarceration. Incarceration refers to the arrest of suspected criminals before their conviction and to confine them from the public. Incarceration in US was started as a security measure that aimed at safeguarding the public from potential criminals. The US imprisons many types of criminals including drug offenders and non-violent offenders. This situation is different in Canada as the government imprisons only those with high risk of violence. Statistics shows that the US has five times higher the rate of incarceration as compared to Canada. Approximately, the US incarcerates about 750 people per every 100 thousand which is much than the rate Canada which about 117 people per every 100 thousand individuals. In total, there are about 1.6 million prisoners in America. 90% of the prisoners in the US comprise young males at the age bracket of 20 to 30 years. In Canada, 70% of males of young age are in prison, and the rest is composed of women. By race, the percentage of blacks and Latinos in prison is much higher than that of the whites. Per every 100 thousand people in US, 3,074 blacks, 1258 Latinos are imprisoned while only 459 whites are victims (Cox, 2012). This is different in Canada where the ratio of whites to blacks in prison is fairly balanced. From the statistics, it is clear that the incarceration rate is much higher in US and more biased than the case in Canada. Evidently, the US spends a lot in maintaining their prisons as compared to Canada. Many scholars have come up to criticize the hefty spending of the US in maintaining prisons. The average cost of maintaining a prisoner is between $20 thousand and $30 thousand each year. Canada prisoner maintenance cost is much lower by 30%, which ensure that the nation spends little on incarceration. This shows that the US

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Kanban Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Kanban Systems - Research Paper Example This system was introduced in Toyota car plant in Japan as a means through which the company would smooth their produce throughout their production process. Through this system the company aimed at improving productivity of their system. This system will also ensure that the company secures its involvement and participation in realizing its aim of high productivity by acting as a better means of keeping on check flow of products through the production system. Kanban therefore provides highly visible means of keeping on track the build-up of inventory levels with a production system. The system is made up of cards with all the information of what is required to be done on a product at each stage of production. The cards also explain what parts should be inserted in the subsequent process. Through this cards a firm can therefore control a work in progress, its production and smooth flow of its inventory. Through Kanban system therefore a firm can achieve the following objectives among others Kanban systems was invented twenty years ago by the vice president of Japanese car giant Toyota. The main aim was to smoothen the flow of products in the car plants throughout the production system of the firm. Since then the system has gone through vary many modifications as a means of production activity control. As a measure of activity control Kanban system have helps firms to achieve goals of Just-in-time and manage operations of the same. Further, Kanban system helps in relaying crucial information for monitoring and controlling the quantities required by the firm according to its production plans. An effective Kanban system provides a better way for employees of firm to understand how the management want their time to be spent (Louis, 2006). This means a firm can identify where idle time lie easily and make further adjustment as fast as possible. This may come interns of

Monday, November 18, 2019

Kellner and Kahn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kellner and Kahn - Essay Example lots of persons rely on the internet for information Among the users of the internet are the politicians, who are also not spared from meaningful contribution to the society. With the campaigns of the hactivists as Durham &Kellne indicates, one would argue that a lot still needs to be done to deal with hacking on the internet that leads to the spread of negative information (599). Since the internet is being used by the politicians, politics is spread on the internet, notably the Bush administration that used the internet to spread capitalism ideologies (Durham &Kellne 599).The internet has also been responsible for creating a community of opposition politics that represents a group of people that feel that their views are not listened to by the present governments. Technopolitcs is at its peak with the internet providing a chance for every individual to air their views. Through massive circulation the internet, there emerged an internet community that is well versed with the on-goings in the present day political world (Durham &Kellne

Friday, November 15, 2019

Task Centred Practice And Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Social Work Essay

Task Centred Practice And Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Social Work Essay This assignment will focus on two approaches of intervention: Task-Centred Practice (TCP) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Along the theories interventions description, it will take note on any issues of anti- discrimination practice. It will also point out, the similarities and differences; the advantages and disadvantages of the approaches and finally bring a conclusion. Accordingly to Marsh (2002, p.106) cited in Trevithick (2005), task-centred is a practice approach given that it does not have knowledge based unlike other approaches. However, Doel alleges that t is a practice with knowledge based and one of models of problem solving emerged from both system and learning theory (Trevithick, 2005, p276). Trevithick (2005) states TCP originated from the study done by Reid and Shyne (1969) and Reid Epstein (1972) who allege task-centred practice undertake within the time-limits is effective compare to long-term interventions. TCP deals with problems recognised by service users; problems clients can solve outside hours of sessions; obviously defined problems; problems result from life issues that clients want to change and finally; problems from unacceptable desires by service users (Payne, 2005) It is a most effective practice that tackles individuals and families problems with the process based on the empowerment and partnership work between practitioner and clients who have to work on the agreed tasks based on one task at a time, achievable goals and objective task that can successfully be completed within time-limited (Parker and Bradley 2007). However, task-centred practice has five stages which in relating to scenario one; first, professional, Tom, Mary and Matt have to identify their behaviours problems. Second, they have to agree on the specific tasks with expected changes. For example Tom and Matt, have to agree tasks that will help to modify their anxieties. Mary also needs to agree tasks to help to lessen her fear so that she re-engages with her friends and families. In addition, Mary needs parenting skills to enable her to handle Matts unwanted behaviour. Third, they have to devise tasks based on the agreed goals. Fourth, signed contract on the achievable tasks and lastly, end tasks (Coulshed 2006). Moreover, task-centred practice required social worker in addition to the selective agreed targets within time-limited; to use tasks to improve obvious problems; re-assess tasks and finally negotiate with clients (Stepney 2000). Hence, professional has to work with Mary, Tom and Matt within time schedule to identify their obvious maladaptive behaviour and to review and continue negotiation them to realise what changes have been made. Stepney Ford (2000) cited in Howe (2009) describe task-centred as a method that can be easily modified to use in the various circumstances to solve individuals problems but it doesnt focus on the clients unconscious mind. However, Reid Epstein (1972) argue that Task-centre model is effective to a particular problems of interpersonal conflict within families; disaffection in social relationship; problems in dealing with formal organisations; difficulties in role performance; problems of social transition; reactive emotional distress and problems in securing adequate material resources including behavioural problems (Stepney Ford, 2000, P.52) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy was emerged in 1950 1960 to counter the primacy of the psychoanalytic practice however; it was originated from social psychology (Coulshed 2006). It is also an approach that deals with humans thoughts, images, beliefs and attitudes that human have and how humans behaviour are impacted by and influenced these (Lindsay, 2009). Moreover, Cognitive Behaviour practice focuses on modifying individuals environment whereby behaviours arise, cause, prompt, provoke and its consequences (Parker Bradley, 2007) as well as describing and pointing out clients behavioural problems of social phobias, anxiety and depression (Payne, 2005). According to Coulshed and Orme (2006) behaviour is learnt and can be unlearned then new one can be learned to replace an existing behaviour therefore, they state four types of learning: respondent conditioning whereby humans unconscious behaviour can be controlled; operant conditioning whereby behaviour is modified as a result of its consequences for instance the reward. Next, observational learning in which human being can adapt new attitude by learning from other people. This could be a case of Matt with Tom who is a fathers figure in the family. Finally, cognitive learning whereby humans attitudes are controlled by the environment as their feeling and thoughts are attached to an event (Coulshed 2006). Moreover, CBT is a model that deals with anger, depression, anxiety, conduct disorders such as phobias as well as helping the individuals to manage their anxiety and offending behaviour by challenging the unacceptable behaviour and negative thoughts (Howe 2009 P.70). Coulshed Orme (2006) suggest eight stages in CBT. Stage one: is the engagement whereby clients and professional have to explore expectations and be clear about roles and who should do; stage two: is problem focus whereby worker is required to identify and clarify problems that troubled clients and dealing with it in the chronological order; stage three: is problem assessment whereby practitioner have to ask open question to enable clients to openly discuss his behaviour, feeling and thoughts on event so that worker find out how clients would behave differently; stage four: required professional to equip clients with cognitive therapy skills and then make observation whether clients have understood and responded positively to the thoughts; stage five: target and challenge the associated assumptions; stage six: use of questions to motivate clients to recognise oneself in order to change their personal negative view; stage seven: setting behavioural homework task for clients whereby wo rker have to keep records of the positive progress; stage eight: ending task by enhancing clients skills so that he is able to handle future problem (Coulshed, 2006) Moreover, CBT helps clients to manage their anxieties and to realise when they are getting angry by teaching them the relaxation methods as well as requiring practitioner at the same time to identify problems in order to make an accurate evaluation in detail by taking notes of when, with whom and how often it occurs (Howe 2009 P.70) [According to Scott and Dryden (2003), CBT is underpinned by knowledge about how we learn and it is divided into four main areas of increasing coping skills, problem solving, cognitive restructuring and structural cognitive therapy (Lindsay 2009, p.68)] There some similarities between two models, they focused on the specific problems, follow particular structures and they are experimental to problems and practice within time-limits (Coulshed, 2006). Both approaches have problem-solving characteristics and their practices are based on partnership and agreed tasks between worker and clients to plan and implement achievable goals; they also use motivation to encourage clients so that they obviously and precisely detail the disturbed experiences (Payne, 2005). Moreover, Nezu et al. (1989) allege, TCP and CBT as problem-solving; they motivate clients to recognise their existing problems in order to describe it and find alternative solutions and by choosing most successful solution to plan and implement it and then re-examine their progress (Lindsay 2009) However, they are some differences. TCP was initiated and developed on its own merit for particular work in social work whereas CBT was originated from psychological approach (Lindsay 2009) In CBT, the support offer to clients can go beyond intervention schedule whereby client has setback but TCP, is more structured and practice within set time-limits. Moreover, in CBT practitioner make use of observations, assessments and evaluations to weigh up the level of the problem by relying on the behavioural learning theory and techniques whereas in TCP; client is requested to describe and discuss their problems on their own (.) Task-centred model has numerous advantages making it to be very popular in most social work practices. It is a practice that encourages partnership work between worker and clients which contributes to solve other parts of clients problem (Parker Bradley 2007) As a problem-solving practice, its intervention is based on short-term; clear distinct tasks and dealt with problems in the chronological order; clients are motivated to help to boost their self-esteem and strengths to succeed goals (Lindsay 2009] In addition, Task-centred model has more power to deal with anti-discriminatory because of its acknowledgement of the environment demands; clients are empowered and; it also deals with oppression issue Ahmad (1990) and OHagan (1994) cited in (Payne, 2005). Furthermore, Task-centred approach elicits a series of problems and tempts to enhance clients capability to handle their difficulties and focuses on the practical achievable tasks to help bring solution to the problems in order to assist clients emotions. Payne 2005) Task-centred practice is disadvantaged because it also deals with reluctant clients and those who have inability to consent or sign contract given that this practice is based on collaboration between practitioner and clients who both have to discuss and agreed specific tasks to be done (Payne, 2005). This is shows an anti-discrimination practice as Thompson (2006 argues that, discrimination practice leads to oppression in the way that people with prominent position can in their roles or relation with powerless people discriminate against them. The intervention of the task-centres model based on the time-limits and partnership between worker and clients constitutes barriers as professional might not evidenced clients full recovery as tasks success are rely on the relationship between worker and client (Payne 2005). Moreover, the results of the task-centred practice intervention might bring clients to accept a certain standard or norms of behaviour and at its worst time; the practice might be seen as the behaviour modification and also the need of the organisations management and performance to meet their targets might also hindered clients needs (Coulshed, 2005). Disadvantages of CBT: The application of CBT has ethical issue grounds given that service users do not take control of behaviour other than worker controlling clients behaviour which could lead practitioner to impose his desires on service users who might not prior consented as this is in the favour of social or political policies. This can sometimes lead to excess of power of control and particularly when techniques are badly applied by other practitioners (Payne 2005 p.129) that can be oppressive and anti-discriminatory. It is also a practice that deal with individuals because its procedures omits the feelings of clients and doesnt recognise clients past events as well as denying human its integral part (Parker Bradley 2007).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Historical Significance of Puerto Rico Essay -- History Puerto Ric

The Historical Significance of Puerto Rico For most of its history, Puerto Rico has been controlled by an outside power, and its people oppressed. While Puerto Rico is currently a U.S. territory, Spanish colonialism has had a significant impact on the island’s development and identity. The history of the island itself is proof of this fact, demonstrating each step Puerto Rico took to reach its current state. By examining the stages of Spanish control that Puerto Rico experienced, we can determine how each stage affected the structure and identity of Puerto Rico. Before Spain invaded Puerto Rico, the native population known as the Taino inhabited it. At the beginning of the 1500’s, the Taino were conquered by the Spanish and, after a series of revolution attempts, virtually disappeared from Puerto Rican life. Those that were left fled to the interior of the island, which was, at that time, uninhabited. This part of the island became a refuge for the people who had fled from the approaching Spanish conquerors. This was the first stage in Puerto Rico’s development. Spain was the most dominant oppressor of Puerto Rico, and its occupation of the island resulted in many social and economic changes. The native people were marginalized, and Spain took over Puerto Rico in order to turn it into a productive colony. In addition to this, the presence of the Spaniards in Puerto Rico added a different ethnic group to the island’s native population. When the official slave trade began in 1518, African slaves were added to Puerto Ricoâ €™s mixed ethnic heritage. (Figueroa 9/22) According to "A Bicentennial Without a Puerto Rican Colony", Unlike the United States, in Puerto Rico the different races mixed and intermingled to create the moder... ...ed Bergad, Laird. "The Coffee Boom, 1885-1897," from: Bergad, Coffee and Agrarian Capitalism in Nineteenth-Century Puerto Rico (Princeton: Princeton U Press, 1983), 145-203 Cruz, Jose. "Puerto Rican Independence-then and now". http://www.hartford-hwp.com/cp-usa/archives/95-09-23-2.html Scarano, Francisco, "Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico, 1815-1849: An Overview," from Scarano, Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico: The Plantation Economy of Ponce, 1800-1850 (Madison: U of Wisconsin Press, 1984), 3-34 Thomas, Piri. "A Bicentennial Without a Puerto Rican Colony". http://www.cheverote.com/texts/bicentennial.html Valle Antiles, Francisco del, "The Spiritual Life of the Jibaro, " from: Iris M. Zavala and Rafael Rodrigues (eds.) The Intellectual Roots of Independence, An Anthology of Puerto Rican Political Essays (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1980), 95-103