Faith Diversity Essay

This paper will look and examine four diverse faiths: Christianity, Buddhism, Rastafarianism and Islam spiritual perspective on healing. In Christianity, prayer is a way that a person can stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. Health is viewed by having a strong spiritual relationship with the Lord and living one’s life by the word of God. Buddhist need a balance of health both mentally and physically in order to achieve optimal health. They way that they are able to restore health would be by practicing healthy dietary habits or meditation. Rastafarianism view on health as a balance of the mind, the body and the soul achieved with a more holistic approach like prayer and herbal treatments. Lastly, Islam reaches ultimate purity by having a clean body and soul. They must cleanse often and pray often. Religions differ in many ways; they could have a different sacred books, have different deities, or have different views on how to live a full life, ultimately they want the same thing, to have their faiths respected and incorporated into the care they are receiving. Introduction Throughout the world, there are thousands of distinctly different religious affiliations. In the United States alone, there are â€Å"approximately 313 religions and denominations† (All Religions and Denominations in the US, 2008). This paper will examine four diverse faiths Christianity, Buddhism, Rastafarianism and Islam. It will look at the philosophy of these four faiths when having care provided to them. It will specifically look at the spiritual perspective on healing. It will examine the critical components of healing for these faiths. Along with looking at these diverse faiths, this paper will look at what is important for people who are receiving care from health care providers whose views differ from their own. Christianity The Christians were the first people to start â€Å"the world’s first voluntary charitable institutions† which were hospitals (Trangelder, 2007). The reason that they started these hospitals is because they wanted to help the poor and those that were sick and dying (Trangelder, 2007). Health care and Christian belief go hand in hand. One of the most crucial components in healing is prayer. The Christians hold prayer in very high regard. They feel that prayer has the ability to make them better. In the book James 5:14-15(English Standard Version) it states, â€Å"Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up†(Biblegateway, 2001). Along with prayer, the bible mentions many ways that a person can stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. Ultimately, the way to stay healthy is by having a strong spiritual relationship with the Lord and living one’s life by the word of God. Buddhism The Buddhist has a different holy book then the Christian faith. There sacred book is called Tripitaka. This holy book mentions that the only way to be truly healed is to be healthy in mind and body. Western medicine focuses on curing symptoms to treat medical problems, but the Buddhist see this only as a short term fix. In order for one to be healed one must also treat â€Å"the spiritual aspect of the disease and its mind-based causes and remedies must be the primary considerations†(Buddhism, Medicine, and Health, n. d. ). Buddhist feel that possible reasons for illness or disease would be † 1) an imbalance of the four elements (earth, water, fire, and wind), 2) irregular dietary habits, 3) incorrect meditation methods, 4) disturbances by spirits, 5) demon possession, and 6) the force of bad karma† (Buddhism, Medicine, and Health, n. d. ). They way that they are able to restore health would be by practicing healthy dietary habits, meditation, paying respect to the Buddha, repentance, reciting mantras, reciting the Buddha’s name and using the dharma as medicine† (Buddhism, Medicine, and Health, n. d. ). By doing this they would be able to find a balance physical and mentally and find long-term health. Rastafarianism Like the Christians, the Rastafarians sacred text that they pray to is the Bible, but the difference is how it is interpreted. The Rastafarians also feel that the head or God incarnate is Haile Selassie. He was a former Emperor of Ethiopia (Griffith, 2009). In Rastafarianism health care â€Å"takes a holistic approach to healing; they believe that the concept of health extends to three spheres: the mind, the body and the soul (though sometimes the psychological and spiritual can sometimes be categorized together)†(Rastafari and the Environment, 2012). They cure illnesses by use of home remedies or tonics rather than visiting a doctor. Rastafarians† disown western influences of ideology, diet, lifestyle and religion in favor of belief systems and practices of African origin, which emphasizes the use of natural ingredients and tools†(Rastafari and the Environment, 2012). Islam For the Islam, their sacred text is the Quran. In the Quran, unlike the Christians, Muhammad is the prophet sent to Earth to pass the word of the Lord, Allah. The Muslims feel that good health is one of the ways to get to â€Å"heaven†. In the Quran, it has teachings that show people how to protect his or her health and live life in a state of purity (Muslim Health Network (n. d). The single most important thing for this faith is prayer. Muslims perform it five times a day. â€Å"The obligatory prayers provide a good means for the circulation of blood, breathing and general suppleness of joints† (Muslim Health Network (n. d). Along with prayer they must cleanse after prayer, have a healthy diet, fast and refrain from intoxicates. Despite these religious differences in the United States, people’s only wish is to have their religious views respected and honored if possible. No matter if healthcare providers spiritual beliefs differ from those in their care, patients want their faith to be incorporated into the care that they are receiving. The Christian philosophy as written in the book of Luke 6:31 (English Standard Version) † And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them†(Biblegateway, n. d. ). This goes in line as all people would like to be treated, no matter how different spiritual views might be. In conclusion, the author learned that although many religions differ ultimately they want the same thing, to have their faith incorporated into the care they are receiving. Religions differ in many ways, they could have a different scared book, have different deities, or have different views on how to live a full life. Medication, chanting or prayer can help achieve inner peace to ultimately reach health inside and out. ? References Biblegateway (2001). James 5:14-15 ESV – Is anyone among you sick? Let him call – Bible Gateway. Retrieved from http://www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=James+5%3A14-15&version=ESV Biblegateway (n. d. ). Luke 6:31 ESV – And as you wish that others would do to – Bible Gateway. Retrieved from http://www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=Luke%206:31&version=ESV Buddhism, Medicine, and Health. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. blia. org/english/publications/booklet/pages/37. htm Griffith, J. K. (2009). THE RELIGIOUS ASPECTS OF NURSING CARE (4th ed. ). Vancouver, B. C Muslim Health Network (n. d. ). Islam & Health. Retrieved from http://www. muslimhealthnetwork. org/islamandhealth. shtml Tangelder, J. D. (2007). A Christian Perspective on Healthcare. Retrieved from http://www. reformedreflections. ca/faith-and-life/chr-perspective-healthcare. html Rastafari and the Environment (2012). Natural Healing and Medicine. Retrieved from http://caribbeanreligionuvm. wordpress. com/category/natural-healing-and-medicine/

Case Study Assessment of Angling Experience

Case Study Assessment of Angling Experience Question 1: Define and discuss using relevant example from the case, the special characteristics of services that distinguish them from tangible products. Services are one type of products with several special characteristics which are really different with tangible products. The major special features of services are more intangibility, heterogeneity, inseparability, and perishability. Those characteristics are also reflected in John’s case. 1. 1 IntangibilityCompare with the tangible products’ tangibility, the main characteristic of services is intangibility which was shown through a set of actions. Intangibility characteristic of service describes that services cannot be seen, felt, tasted, or touched thus one cannot display or store the service. However, it is usually felt by tangible goods or physical evidence. Moreover, service cannot be inventoried, easily patented, and easily displayed or communicated. From Johnâ€℠¢s case, John gives his customers guide of fishing and a series of fishing itinerary.These all are the intangible things to anglers. It cannot be touched, felt, or seen by his customers. However, his customers enjoyed their tours and gain fishes after his guiding. Thus, this can be said that customers got John’s services. Compared with his services business, John used to be selling the tangible goods, either the rods, artificial flies or oilskins the department sold are tangible. Moreover, because of the intangibility, pricing John’s services is difficult. Compared with physical goods, pricing services are not easy. Same tangible goods also sold with a same price.In this case, the two couples got different price after serviced. It seems that they gained a same series of services, but the feelings and appraisals are different. 1. 2 Heterogeneity Heterogeneity concerns the potential for high variability in the performance of services (Bitner et al. , 2009). Contrast to s ervice, tangible goods is standardization. Most of a type of physical goods is produced by one product line. There are no major differences among each one of them. However, like two leaves, there are not two same services processes.Providers’ performances are not same every time, and the customers’ requirements are not same too. In detail, service delivery and customer satisfaction depend on employee and customer action, and also some uncontrollable factors. In our case, when John worked in the fishing department, he wondered at how each piece of fishing equipment in a product line varied so little. It shows that tangible products are standardization. However, then, John provided services to two couples, and got the distinct result. First couple was very satisfaction, and second couple was unhappy, though John was same hard working.The different based knowledge, objectives and nature conditions determines the different results. The first couple have a good knowledge an d experience of fishing, they enjoy in fishing. However, the second couple was the fist time fishing and their purpose was to relax and see the country. Moreover, the weather was great during the first time, but worst during the second time. Those factitious and uncontrollable elements influenced John’s two services processes. 1. 3 Inseparability Inseparability of production and consumption involves the simultaneous production and consumption which characterizes most services.Compare with goods are first produced, then purchased, and then consumed, services are first booked, then produced and consumed simultaneously (Carmen & Langeard, 1980). It seems like that customers and employees affect each other. In this case, we can know that because of the high degree of adaptability of the first couple, John interact well with them. However, another two anglers gained the unsatisfied service because of their bad communication. All customers and employees even the partial customers p lay an important role in whole process because services’ inseparability.Furthermore, because of this feature of services, mass production is difficult. The production and consumption are simultaneous. Hence, John lost a group of anglers in December due to he cannot service two groups in a same time. 1. 4 Perishability The final characteristic of service is perishable. Tangible goods could be stocked, contrast by services cannot be saved, stores, resold or returned (Valarie & Dwayne, 2009). In this case, John used to promoted department’s inventory system and just keep the rod that can be sold later. It shows that physical goods can be stored. However, John can not saved his services and provide it later.So, he lost a group of customers in December. Hence, the service is very different with the tangible goods. By these characteristics, some problems are discussed next question. Question 2: Explain, using examples how the problems stemming from the special characteristic s of services are impacting on John’s guiding services. 2. 1 In General Due to the four characteristics of services, some problems are derived. Some problems are unavoidable and some of them can be avoidable. The problems generate from intangibility including hardly controlling, easy to be copied and unable to evaluate the quality.Heterogeneity causes problem about quality measurement. Inseparability not allows mass production of service. Moreover, perishability makes return or resold of service impossible. Several of these problems impact on John’s guiding service as well. 2. 2 Problems Created by Intangibility Intangibility shows the following marketing problems. Firstly, services cannot be stored, thus when requires reach the peak or foot it is hard for managers to control. Secondly, services are so difficult to be patented that it is convenient for its competitors to duplicate them.Thirdly, customers are not able to realize the quality of service because service is invisible and cannot be touched. John’s new guiding service is not easy to store. Thereof, during December there was a peak period of fly fishing and John are not qualified to provide efficient service. On contrary, in the next two week of November there were no customers visiting Tasmania for chasing trout. Since John provides guiding service, he cannot remove December's service to November. It is beyond the scope of his control. The guiding service that John operates is easy to be imitated.There is another fishing guide who ran in Launceston. The service it provides is similar with John’s. This is a threat to John. The market share for John in Australia is cut down. Furthermore, the feature of intangibility determines the service value is hard to be understood by consumers. John’s guiding service is not an exceptional. Customers have no idea what a guiding service is. The marketing manager of a large sporting equipment retailer in North America would not know what a guiding service is if John did not send him the information about this service. 2. 3 Problems Created by HeterogeneityThe most severe challenge that heterogeneity creates is difficulty of quality measurement. Since criteria for judging the quality of service is based on customers’ notion, managers are not possible to control it. In the case, there was an American couple who are both good anglers. They have more fishing experience than John. In this trip, John learned more from this experience and the couple also had a great time. They even pre-booked another two weeks for the next fishing season. It is just because the American couple thought this trip was so wonderful that they measured this service is worthwhile.However by November, the Canadian's week of trout fishing is no that smooth. It became less happy because of lacking experience of fly fishing causes few landed trout and entire week raining. Even worse, one of the customers sprained an ankle. In these two e vents John provided the same service however he received different results. John cannot ensure whether his supplies are original. In December John introduced the New Zealanders to another fishing guide in Launceston. This increased the chance of heterogeneity because different suppliers are not possible to offer the exactly the same services. Take the health industry for instance.Several suppliers provide a same kind of service, nevertheless consumers’ perception is different. Some customers consider it as good service whereas another do not satisfied with it. This is because different provider’s service is distinctive due to the nature of human beings. 2. 4 Problems Created by Inseparability According to Zeithaml, Dwayne and Gremeler, because services often are produced and consumed at the same time, mass production is difficult (2009). The service producers generate service and the service is consumed by customer at the same time, therefore service is impossible to b e produced in large amount.The consumers who John received accepted his service while he provided it. It is absurd that John created services such as airport picking up and dropping off first then the customers enjoyed them. For example, the helicopter sent an urgent fax to John informed him that they were not available until after mid-February. It frustrated John that he was not able to transport his clients to the best fishing area. In addition, for John it is inconvenient for him when he has several customers to pick up or drop off. It is typical in November, John received two contacts that require a fly fishing in the first week of December.The worse thing is that neither of the customers could change their original arrangement. John could not separate his services. 2. 5 Problems Created by Perishability The factor of perishability leads to the problem that service cannot be returned. Service is consumed at the same time when it is manufactured, thereby once the service is provi ded it cannot be returned or resold. In November, two Canadian customers who were doing fishing for relax received an unhappy experience. Lacking experience of fly fishing they landed few trout. The entire week’s heavy raining prevented them from lake fishing.Moreover, one of the anglers sprained an ankle while crossing wet rocks. Even though John understood that the Canadian did not enjoy their fishing trip, he had no way to go back. John cannot take the service back because time cannot be reversed. For instance, customers who have an ugly haircut cannot ask the barber to undo it, because the service of haircut is perished (Clemes, 2002). 2. 6 Problems Difficult to Avoid Due to the problems derived above, gaps generate naturally. Customer Gap Customer gap appears because of the distance between customers’ expectation and perception.Customers have their own expectations based on their experience and objectives. In this case, the Canadian customer who came to Australia for relax do not have the experience of fly fishing. They consider the service could offer them a wonderful time. However, the insufficient experience of fishing made them catch few trout. Adding the bad weather and the injury, the Canadian dissatisfied with the trip and request a reduced charge. This gap is relatively huge and John needs to improve his service. Provider Gap Firstly, John serves his customer by the same way.For the fishing skillful couple and unskillful people, John took the same measure. Secondly, John not communicated well with its customers. The customers who chose his service in the first week of December were transferred to another service provider. The problems presented above are the major reason why John’s business went down. In conclusion, because of the special features of service, there are several problems should be considered and solved. Marketers of services face some actual and distinctive challenges which should be solved by the utilization of marketing mix.Question 3: Explain how John could use the extended marketing mix elements to help manage the problems caused by the special characteristics of services. The question 2 mentioned some problems caused by the special characteristics of service. Marketers like John could use the marketing mix to manage those problems and plan a whole strategy of their business. The traditional marketing mix will help John to manage the problem from production, place, promotion, and price (Kotler & Armstrong, 2006). Because of intangibility characteristic and the limitations of John’s service, he can add both tangible products and services in his business.For example, he could be the agent between his customers and fishing departments. Then, customers can purchase fishing equipments which are fit to them, because John known them clearly. Moreover, due to intangible and perishability of service, John’s promotion ways are not enough. John can exploit more methods like put some advertising in the relevant websites, sponsor fishing competitions and some things like that. However, because of the distinct features of service, the traditional marketing mix can not cover all problems. It extended three more elements which are people, physical evidence, and process (Booms & Bitner, 1981) . 1 People People element is defined as all human actors who play a part in service delivery and thus influence the buyer’s perceptions in the service environment. Thus, customers, employees, and the customers in the service environment all play the important roles (Bitner et al. , 2009). With use this element, John can do following things to manage those problems. First, because John just has himself as an employee, he lost some opportunities. Then, John need employ more employees to help him supporting his business. After that, because guiding service is a high skill service, John should train his employees.John also can bring a reward system based on the satisfaction of employees to avoid the problems of service quality. Another role, customers, also draws marketers’ attention. Marketers should education their customers before provide service. Because guiding service need customers’ deeper involvement, John could send a video of basic knowledge and potential risk of his services to his customers. Then, they can interact better. 3. 2 Physical evidence Physical evidence is the cue that customers depend on to assess the quality of service and service providers to put forth their significant information (Lovelock, 2004).As John’s guiding service, it already had some physical evidence. However, there are still some limitations as mentioned before. Firstly, John needs to increase all kinds of materials that reflect his guided trip. Thus, customers will maximally understand his service. For example, John should enrich his website. He could upload some videos about guided fishing trips. Potential customers can be divided into two se ctions as experienced customer and inexperienced customer. For those experienced customers, the information should be about new fishing areas or new activities.For the inexperienced customers, it should provide skills or equipment for fishing. Secondly, it is suggested that John needs to have his own transporting vehicles to send customers. One side is to avoid the situation of lacking hiring sources, the other side is to fit different customers’ need. For instance, if the customers who require a short trip then John could provide them cars to go fishing. Sometimes, customers have their vocation that they get plenty of time sailing is a perfect option. Furthermore, for these long distance customers and money is not a problem for them aeroplane is chosen to send them to the best fishing area.In this way, the customer gap could be narrowed since their needs are fulfilled. Lastly, John could provide some souvenir after trips. Thus, customers may actually realize what they have o btained from the service. 3. 3 Process Process is the actual procedures, mechanisms, and flow of activities by which the service is delivered (Zeithaml, Bitner & Gremler, 2009). John could use blueprint to depict the service process. By using the blueprint, John may find out the customer segmentation. For example, John may categorize consumers as experienced ones and inexperienced ones.Then John could offer two different processes for each group. For the experienced ones, John could present a more customized process which customers could choose their favorite rod and apply their own ways of fishing. As for the immature consumers, John should provide them a standardized process. It may offer the same rod for customers and consumers have to stay in a specified area. John also needs to educate his customers especially the inexperienced customers. He could hire a fishing coach to instruct anglers the procedure of fishing. Through this way, unskillful clients will not fish blindly. 3. 4 ConclusionService as intangible products distinguishes from physical goods. Besides the traditional four Ps, the three Ps are mainly used to enhance service. John’s guiding service may become prosperous if he makes use of the three Ps. Word Count: 2496 Reference List 1. Boom, B. , & Bitner, M. , 1981, â€Å"Marketing Strategies and Organizational Structures for Service Firms†, Marketing of Services, 1981 2. Carmen, M. , & Langeard, E. , 1980, â€Å"Growth Strategies of Service Firms†, Strategic Management Journal, January-March, 1980 3. Clemes, M. , 2002, New Zealand Case Studies in Strategic Marketing, 5th edition, Dunmore Press, New Zealand . Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. , 2006, Principles of Marketing, 12nd edition, Pearson Education Inc. , New Jersey 5. Lovelock, C. , & Wirtz, J. , 2004, Services Marketing: People, Technology, Strategy, 5th edition, Pearson Education, Singapore 6. Zeithaml, V. , Bitner, M. , & Gremler, D. , 2009, Service Marketing, 5th edition , McGraw Hill, Singapore 7. Zeithaml, V. , Parasuraman, A. , & Berry, L. , 1985, â€Å"Problems and Strategies in Services Marketing†, The Journal of Marketing, Spring, 1985 8. http://www. docstoc. com/docs/16690264/GOODS-AND-SERVICES/, Accessed at 20th, Apr, 2009

Notes on Sociology

Choosing a research method Webb, R. , Westergaard, H. , Trobe, K. , Steel, L. , (2008) AS Level Sociology, Brentwood: Napier Press p. 162 Sociologists use a range of different research methods and sources of data to collect information and test their theories. In this Topic, we shall identify the main methods and sources used in Sociology. We shall also look at the different types of data that these methods produce. We shall also examine the factors that influence sociologists’ choice of what topic they research, and at some of the main practical, theoretical and ethical (moral) factors that affect their choice of which methods to employ.Types of data P. 163 Sociologists use a wide variety of different methods and sources to obtain data (information or evidence) about society. To make sense of this variety, we can classify them into: †¢ Primary and secondary sources of data. †¢ Quantitative and qualitative data. Primary and secondary sources of data Primary data is i nformation collected by sociologists themselves for their own purposes. These purposes may be to obtain a first – hand ‘picture’ of a group or society, or to test a hypothesis (an untested theory).Methods for gathering primary data include: †¢ Social surveys: these involve asking people questions in a written questionnaire or an interview. †¢ Participant observation: the sociologist joins in with the activities of the group he or she is studying. †¢ Experiments: sociologists rarely use laboratory experiments, but they sometimes use field experiments and the comparative method. A big advantage of using primary data is that sociologists may be able to gather precisely the information they need to test their hypotheses.However, doing so can often be costly and time consuming. Secondary data is information that has been collected by someone else for their own purposes, but which the sociologist can then use. Sources of secondary data include: †¢ O fficial statistics produced by government on a wide range of issues, such as crime, divorce, health and unemployment, as well as other statistics produced by charities, businesses, churches and other organisations. †¢ Documents such as letters, diaries, photographs, official (government) reports, novels, newspapers and television broadcasts.Using secondary data can be a quick and cheap way of doing research, since someone else has already produced the information. However, those who produce it may not be interested in the same questions as sociologists, and so secondary sources may not provide exactly the information that sociologists need. Quantitative and qualitative data Quantitative data refers to information in a numerical form. Examples of quantitative data include official statistics on how many girls passed five or more GCSEs or on the percentage of marriages ending in divorce.Similarly, information collected by opinion polls and market research surveys often comes in t he form of quantitative data – for example, on the proportion of the electorate intending to vote for a particular party or how many people take holidays abroad. Qualitative data, by contrast gives a ‘feel’ for what something is like – for example, what it feels like to get good GCSE results, or for one’s marriage to end in divorce. Evidence gathered by using participant observation aims to give us a sense of what it feels like to be in that person’s ‘shoes.These methods can provide rich descriptions of these people’s feelings and experiences. Factors influencing choice of method P. 164 Given the wide range of methods available, how do we select the right one for our research? Different methods and sources of data have different strengths and limitations and we need to be able to evaluate these when selecting which to use. We can look at these strengths and limitations in terms of a number of practical, ethical (moral) and theore tical issues. Practical issues Different methods present different practical problems. These include: Time and moneyDifferent methods require different amounts of time and money and this may influence the sociologists’ choice. For example, large – scale surveys may employ dozens of interviewers and data – inputting staff and cost a great deal of money. By contrast, a small – scale project involving a lone researcher using participant observation may be cheaper to carry out, but it can take several years to complete. The researcher’s access to resources can be a major factor in determining which methods they employ. A well – known professor will probably have access to more research funds than a young student, for example.Requirements of funding bodies Research institutes, businesses and other organisations that provide the funding for research may require the results to be in a particular form. For example, a government department funding re search into educational achievement may have targets for pass rates and so require quantitative data to see whether these targets are being achieved. This means the sociologist will have to use a method capable of producing such data, such as questionnaires or structured interviews. Personal skills and characteristicsEach sociologist possesses different personal skills, and this may affect their ability to use different methods. For example, participant observation usually requires the ability to mix easily with others as well as good powers of observation and recall, while in – depth interviews call for an ability to establish a rapport (relationship of empathy and trust) with the interviewee. Not all sociologists have these qualities and so some may have difficulty using these methods. Subject matter It may be much harder to study a particular group or subject by one method than by another.For example, it might prove difficult for a male sociologist to study an all – female group by means of participant observation, while written questionnaires may be useless for studying those who cannot read. Research opportunity Sometimes the opportunity to carry out research occurs unexpectedly and this means that it may not be possible to use unstructured methods such as questionnaires, which take longer to prepare. For example, a Glasgow gang leader offered ‘James Patrick’ (1973) the chance ‘out of the blue’ to spend time with his gang.With little time to prepare, ‘Patrick’ had no option but to use participant observation. In other circumstances, the researcher may have been able to set up the research opportunity carefully beforehand and have plenty of time to select their methods. P. 165†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Ethical issues Ethics refers to moral issues of right and wrong. Methods that sociologists use to study people may raise a range of ethical questions. The British Sociological Association s ets out guidelines for the conduct of research, including the following principles: Informed consentResearch participants (the people being studied) should be offered the right to refuse. The researcher should also tell them about all relevant aspects of the research so that they can make a fully informed decision. Consent should be obtained before research begins, and if the study is lengthy, again at intervals throughout the process. Confidentiality and privacy Researchers should keep the identity of research participants secret in order to help to prevent possible negative effects on them. Researchers should also respect the privacy of research participants.Personal information concerning research participants should be kept confidential. Effects on research participants Researchers need to be aware of the possible effects of their work on those they study. These could include police intervention, harm to employment prospects, social exclusion and psychological damage. Wherever p ossible, researchers should try to anticipate and prevent such harmful effects. Vulnerable groups Special care should be taken where research participants are particularly vulnerable because of their age, disability, or physical or mental health.For example, when studying children in schools, researchers should have regard for issues of child protection. They should obtain the consent of both the child and the parent, and they should provide information in language that the child can understand. Covert research Covert research is when the researcher’s identity and research purpose are hidden from the people being studied. This can create serious ethical problems, such as deceiving or lying to people in order to win their trust or obtain information. Clearly, it is impossible to gain informed consent while at the same time keeping the research or its purpose secret.However, some sociologists argue that the use of covert methods may be justified in certain circumstances. These may include gaining access to areas of social life closed to investigation by secretive, deviant or powerful groups. Theoretical issues This refers to questions about what we think society is like and whether we can obtain an accurate, truthful picture of it. Our views on these issues will affect the kinds of methods we favour using. Validity A valid method is one that produces a true or genuine picture of what something is really like.It allows the researcher to get closer to the truth. Many sociologists argue that qualitative methods such as participant observation give us a more valid or truthful account of what it is like to be a member of a group than quantitative methods such as questionnaires can. This is because participant observation can give us a deeper insight through first hand experience. Reliability Another word for reliability is replicability. A replica is an exact copy of something, so a reliable method is one which, when repeated by another researcher, gives the s ame results.For example, in Physics or Chemistry, different researchers can repeat the same experiment and obtain the same results every time. In Sociology, quantitative methods such as written questionnaires tend to produce more reliable results than qualitative methods such as unstructured interviews. p. 166 Representativeness Representativeness refers to whether or not the people we study are a typical cross – section of the group we are interested in. Imagine, for example, that we want to know about the effects of divorce on children.It would take a great deal of time and money to study every child of divorced parents, and we might only be able to afford to study a sample of, say, 100 such children. However, if we ensure that our sample is representative or typical of the wider population, we can then use our findings to make generalisations about all children of divorced parents, without actually having to study all of them. Large – scale quantitative surveys that use sophisticated sampling techniques to select their sample are more likely to produce representative data.Methodological perspective Sociologists’ choice of method is also influenced by their methodological perspective – their view of what society is like and how we should study it. There are two contrasting perspectives on the choice of methods: positivism and interpretivism. Positivists – prefer quantitative data, seek to discover patterns of behaviour, see Sociology as a science. Interpretivists – prefer qualitative data, seek to understand social actors’ meanings, reject the view that Sociology is a science.Why do positivists and Interpretivists prefer different types of data? Positivists and Interpretivists collect and use different types of data: positivists prefer quantitative data, while Interpretivists prefer qualitative. This is because they make different assumptions about the nature of society and how we should study it. Positivists: †¢ Assume that society has an objective factual reality – it exists ‘out there’, just like the physical world. †¢ Society exerts an influence over its members, systematically shaping their behaviour patterns. Positivist research uses quantitative data to uncover and measure these patterns of behaviour. †¢ By analysing quantitative data, positivists seek to discover the objective scientific laws of cause and effect that determine behaviour. †¢ Positivists thus prefer questionnaires, structured interviews, experiments and official statistics. These produce data that is both reliable and representative. Interpretivists: †¢ Reject the idea of an objective social reality – we construct reality through the meanings we give to situations, not the product of external forces. Our actions are based on the meanings we give to situations, not the product of external forces. †¢ Interpretivist research uses qualitative data to uncover and describe the social actor’s ‘universe of meaning’. †¢ By interpreting qualitative data, Interpretivists seek to gain a subjective understanding of actors’ meanings and ‘life worlds’. †¢ Interpretivists thus prefer participant observation, unstructured interviews, and personal documents. These produce data that is valid. Functionalists and Marxists often take a positivist approach.They see society as a large – scale (macro – level) structure that shapes our behaviour. By contrast, interactionists favour an interpretivist approach. They take a micro – level view of society, focusing on small – scale, face – to face interactions. The sociologist’s theoretical perspective is usually the most important factor when choosing which method to use. Whenever possible, they will want to obtain the type of data – quantitative or qualitative – that their perspective views as most appropriate. However, practical and ethical factors usually limit the choice of method. Just because a sociologist prefers a particular kind of data, doesn’t mean that they can simply go ahead and gather it. Time, resources, access, consent, privacy and so on are all constraints on their choice. Finally, even sheer chance may determine the method used. For example, David Tuckett (2001) describes how one postgraduate Sociology student found himself taken ill with tuberculosis and confined to a hospital ward, so he used this as an opportunity to conduct a participant observation study.Choice of topic p. 167. Before choosing which method to use, sociologists need to decide what topic they wish to study. Several factors influence their choice: Theoretical perspective The sociologist’s theoretical perspective is a major influence upon their choice of research topic. For example, a New Right researcher may study the effects of welfare benefits on the growth of lone – parent famili es, since the idea of welfare dependency is central to their standpoint.By contrast, a feminist researcher is more likely to choose to study domestic violence, as opposition to gender oppression lies at the heart of Feminist theory. Society’s values Sociologists themselves are part of the society they study and thus are influenced by its values. As these values change, so does the focus of research. The rise of Feminism in the 1960s and 1970s led to a focus on gender inequality and the environmentalist concerns of the 21st century have generated interest in ‘green crimes’ such as serious pollution or the unlawful transport of nuclear material.Funding bodies Most research requires funding from an external body. These bodies include government agencies, charitable organisations and businesses. As the funding body is paying for the research, it will determine the topic to be investigated. For example, one of the major social concerns of New Labour governments after 1997 was the ‘social exclusion’ of some disadvantaged groups. As a result, government departments were keen to fund research projects to investigate the causes and effects of social exclusion. Practical factorsPractical factors, such as the inaccessibility of certain situations to the researcher, may also restrict what topic they are able to study. For example, although sociologists may wish to study the ways in which global corporations make their decisions, this may not be possible because these are made in secrecy. Summary Sociologists test their theories using quantitative or qualitative data. Sociologists obtain primary data themselves, using methods including questionnaires, interviews and observation. Secondary data are produced by others but used by sociologists.In choosing a method, sociologists take several issues into account: †¢ Practical issues include time and funding. †¢ Ethical issues include whether the researcher deceives the subjects. †¢ Theoretical issues include validity (does the method give a truthful picture? ), reliability (can it be replicated? ) and representativeness (does it study a typical cross – section? ). Perspective also affects choice of method. Positivists prefer quantitative data; interpretivists favour qualitative data. Choice of topic is also affected by society’s values and funding bodies.

Write about live performance of Alicia Keys & Jay-Z - Empire State of Movie Review

Write about live performance of Alicia Keys & Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind - Movie Review Example She engages the crowd by asking their readiness to enjoy the song, a true and a clear sign of quality music. When Jay Z comes in emotions run high which cause an audio adrenaline overload. He comes in a hood a common fashion among followers and people who like the song. It is an orchestral rap Ballard having a tonal piano loop played at first with Alicia keys, who does not only profanity the crowd during the live performance, but also brings out enthusiasm depicted by the crowd. The song has a style of pop rap musical style represented by electropop and orchestral pop. A long range of 84-tempo beat per minute evidences this. The song contains a sample 1970 Billboard R &B chart single which had a title of love on a two way street composed by the moments. The piano component of the song makes the song, more appealing, as it runs through the whole song. The song a sequence of F#-C#/B-B-F of progression. The crashing piano chords of the song are a new Sinatra, which proclaims the essence of new York. N words are present through the song whereby a hip-hop legend prevails upon the entry of Jay Z in the stage. The first line for instance, â€Å"Year, Imma up at Brooklin† is a commemorating Deniro and local dialect stanza, which transforms English words into crowd soothing and moving words. The music is a result of inspiration in Alicia keys about New York. This gets depicted in the original video, which opens, by a slide show of New York City. The slide show is in black and white forms, which is then cut by an opening stanza by Alicia keys before welcoming Jay Z. to make the song rock the crowds and funs, Jay Z and Alicia keys dress in the young generation outfits. During the live performance, various lyrics are used, which contain profanity to capture the attention of funs. In addition, it is a song, which adds dichotomy, in an aggressive way that leaves the crowd, in anxiety and need for more. In conclusion, the song,

Emergency Managment Response Planning to a Portable Nuclear Device in Research Paper - 1

Emergency Managment Response Planning to a Portable Nuclear Device in a Major Hospital - Research Paper Example 230; The Manhattan Engineer District, 2004); recent studies and researches have identified patterns of tumor or development, and other health conditions, among atomic bomb survivors and their offsprings (Mabuchi, et al., 1994; Preston, et al., 2004; Pierce & Preston, 2000). With this knowledge, the threat of nuclear incidences has increased with the rise of technology, and in the advent of terrorism with the purpose of causing mass destruction. This paper will discuss the impact of nuclear-related incidences to the healthcare sector to identify what factors are needed to be considered in the management planning of health care institutions as they respond to these emergent situations, especially immediately (e.g., first 6 to 24 hours) after the blast. The effects of nuclear incidences to health, and the relative roles of the authorities (e.g., government, and private sectors) to control these and provide efficient health interventions will be tackled. Likewise, a discussion about suitcase nukes, what it is, how it came to be, and the truth behind its existence, will also be given particular attention. All kinds of bombs have the same negative effect, only in different intensities. They cause damage to the environment, structures, and the health of those who are exposed to the blast, its debris, and everything that was designed to come with it (e.g., chemicals, viruses, radiation, etc.). However, nuclear bombs have destructive effects a hundred or thousand times dangerous than the other bombs or explosive materials that cause concerns to authorities. Nevertheless, nuclear-related incidences are not only brought about by bombing; nuclear accidents such as the Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl Disasters, two of the worst nuclear-related accidents in history, as well as the exposure of some to nuclear radiation due to work, or living conditions, are also identified causes of nuclear radiation and blast exposure

Unauthorized Trespass Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unauthorized Trespass - Essay Example It was around 2am when he heard the plaintiff plus another man attempting to break in. the defendant took his shotgun and loaded it, then he poked the barrel via a minute opening in the door, he fired and the plaintiff was hit at a close range of around 5feet on his upper arm, by the armpit and eventually into the chest. Plaintiff pleaded culpable to a number of offences which were committed at that night. Defendant was impeached on charges of injuring/wounding but was later acquitted. Not in favor of the defendant, the plaintiff claimed damages owing to infringement of duty of care in negligence and under Occupier’s Liability Act 1984(sec 1). Held: The defendant was found guilty of significant contributory negligence (one third) since he applied violence to the plaintiff that was beyond reasonable limits allowed for lawful self-defense. The plaintiff was awarded 4,033pounds as compensation for personal injuries, the defendant appealed but this was dismissed by the court of ap peal. The defendant should seek supporting evidence that the cause of action by the plaintiff was founded on illegal or immoral act, self-defense or accident. The property owner by applying comparative negligence as a defense should show that the plaintiff did not apply reasonable care for his own safety; and with reference to a new law that came into effect in 1996, in case the injured party is more than 50% fault for detriment lies with him/her, he/she cannot recover non-economic damages (Zweigert and Kotz 1998).

American Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

American Imperialism - Essay Example Adoption of Imperialism Nineteenth century marked the existence of imperialism in America. This policy was adopted because of the following reasons: America, having developed its infrastructure, sought to further amplify its reach. In doing so, they would need to implement this policy that would enable their products and services to be exchanged in a large group of countries in order to increase its economic and political capital (â€Å"American Imperialism,† n.d.). Nationalism became one of the reasons because as much as America wanted to grow, they also sought to protect its overseas territories--especially the existing territories. In doing so, America did acquire the flags of Alaska, the Alleutian Islands, Midway Island, Hawaii, Guam, and Samoa, thus, extending the perimeter of America. Another reason was due to religious matters. There were missionaries who went after those inhabitants and taught them with some principles--convincing them that what they have is better. In 1850’s, missionaries landed at Hawaii to inculcate Christian beliefs to the inhabitants (â€Å"Reasons for U.S,† n.d.). Moreover, the American Imperialist sought to control trade circumstances in countries such as the Philippines, Cuba, Panama, and Hawaii etc. In spite of many allegations as to the justification of this policy, the American imperialism was being rationalized because it took the form of direct military intervention, indirect manipulation over acquired countries, and overtaking local commerce. Major Events amidst Imperialism In the late 19th century, US carried out its imperialistic objectives to Cuba amidst the Spanish-American war. Cubans had the knowledge about the intentions of America even from the start. So, right after the war, the United Sates gained control over the areas of Havana with their flags raised and parading American troops. Economically and politically speaking, American imperialist had made changes, thus inundating Cuba; in fact, 80 per cent of Cuba’s economic base was centered and controlled on American capital. What was lost during the ‘reign’ of American policy was Cubans independence to control their economy and politics. Consequently, they were made to fight against Americans to claim their freedom back (â€Å"American Imperialism,† n.d.). Meanwhile, another major event was the intervention of American imperialism into the internal affairs of Columbia. The government of U.S eagerly wanted to penetrate the bounds of Panama. In doing so, they sought to obtain the permission of Columbia to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama. But Americans was not successful in getting permission from Columbia because it doubted the desire and presence of Americans in the region. Subsequently, the administration of Roosevelt aided the Panamanians in a bid for independence from Columbia in 1977 just to achieve its goal. If it would be successful, the Panama Canal Zone (good way passageway bet ween Atlantic and Pacific oceans) would be leased to U.S for 99 years by the new Panamanian government. However, Imperialist continued to acquire political and economic powers from other nations such as Philippines and Hawaii. America did also maintain freedom and democracy in Puerto Rico by virtue of the Spanish American War. By then, Puerto Rico, without the involvement of America, would not be able to enjoy freedom and democracy. Americans shared the concept of democracy to the inhabitants of Puerto Rico