Compare Qualitative and Quantitative Approach in the Study of Language
Compare Qualitative and Quantitative Approach in the Study of Language Qualitative research is a systematic method of inquiry which follows a scientific in depth method of problem solving deviating in certain directions (Thomas & Nelson, 2001). Quantitative research can be visualized as it uses numerical forms of representation which then can be presented in forms of graphs and tables (Denscombe, 2003). The approaches included in both these two types of research are incredibly diverse, complex and nuanced. This essay will specifically introduce the existing research on language which employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, critically evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in terms of data gathering and data analysis. The author concludes that qualitative and quantitative research methodologies are best suited to different kinds of research questions. The most important thing is that, firstly, the theoretical framework and methods match what the researcher wants to investigate; and secondly, researchers should be explicit about any challenging theoretical and ideological problems encountered in their research. The types of research questions which qualitative research methodologies address are often open-ended and exploratory, aiming to generate hypotheses rather than to test them. Therefore, the hypothesis is often not given at the beginning of the
Explore and evaluate competing explanations on the role and function of education.
Explore and evaluate competing explanations on the role and function of 'education'. This essay will attempt to explore the educational system and it's role and functions in society, using sources which reflect the psychological and philosophical concepts, along with social and learning theories. State education will be explored in relation to the opinions of conflict and consensus structuralist sociological theorists. Finally, the concept of humanism in education will be defined and evaluated. For the majority of people the term 'education' is inextricably linked to the state-controlled learning that is compulsory in this country from the age of five to the age of sixteen. 'Education' is derived from the Latin terms 'educare' and 'educere'. 'Educare' means to rear, to bring up, to cultivate; Shankman and Durrant (2002) suggest that this gives a sense of education as a logical, rationally ordered concept, the imparting of knowledge in order to produce 'educated' people. 'Educere' means to evoke, to draw out, to lead forth; this meaning would explain education as a creative process, encouraging the student to tap into his or her own potential. The state places great emphasis on ensuring that everyone receives an education, and there are legal structures in place to compel parents to ensure that their children attend school. An 'education' is therefore something that everyone
Reasons for Working. How does paid employment affect your identity?
How Does Paid Employment Affect Your Identity? BEM2004 600012796, Word Count: 2,182 From a very early age we are managed and socially constructed by schools, teachers and our parents. The purpose of this identification and expectation process is arguably the production of conformity to society’s expectations (Rehn, 2009). The question ‘What do you want to be when you’re older?’ becomes ‘What do you do for work?’ There is a constant pressure to conform to what society expects of us and employment has become one of the main ways in which we evaluate other people and their identity. Grace and Woodward (2006) define two fundamental forms of identity. The way we portray ourselves to the outside world (personal identity) and our own subjective sense of knowing who we are (ego identity). I feel that it is crucial we fully comprehend the meaning of work and the effect employment may have on identity. People work for different reasons - most for economic reasons, some for ‘expressive’ reasons, and others, as a moral necessity or religious duty. Commitment and attitude to work appear increasingly more dynamic due to changes in the global economy. According to Sennett (1988) these changes are leading to a corrosion of character, whilst Du Gay (1996) says an unpredictable identity has established that views life as an individual project of enterprise. James (2007)
Children are active in constructing their own learning. To what extent do the four grand theories of development support this statement?
Children are active in constructing their own learning. To what extent do the four grand theories of development support this statement? To say that children are active in constructing their own learning, is to propose that they choose information and have the ability to form their own ideas about the world and the environment. This essay aims to clarify the key features of the four grand theories (behaviourism. social learning theory, constructivism and social constructivism) and their relationship with regards to children's learning. The four theories will then be compared and contrasted to see to what extent they support the statement that children learn in an active way. It should be noted however that the theories focus on different (such as behavioural, social, cognitive, emotional and socio-cultural) aspects of a child's learning, making a cross-comparison most challenging. It is also important to note that these theories are predominantly Euro-centric which shaped the research itself, even though it has become globally accepted. Finally, the position of the four main theories will be summarised. Behaviourism as a term was introduced by John B.Watson in his publication "Psychology as the behaviourist views it" (1913). He said that psychology should be an objective science and therefore concentrate on what can be observed. Child development and learning was seen as
The Ethnic Groups of South Africa and their effects on its society.
The Ethnic Groups of South Africa Sirisha Nandini Jala SOC 308 Jennifer Cramer January 17th 2011 The ethnicities of South Africa First, South Africa is a country with a very rich and vivid ethnic history because it boasts the Coloureds and Asians as two of the minorities. There are three types of Coloured people in South Africa: part White and part Black, part Black and part Asian, or part Asian and part White (Kizilos, 16). The members of the Coloured group are people who are born from interracial unions. The Coloured group did not have to carry passes unlike the Black South Africans had to during the Apartheid-era and had more political privileges then the Blacks did (Marger, 379). There are three different groups of Asians in South Africa. The three different Asian ethnicities are the Indians, Chinese, and Malays ( Kizilos, 16). The Malays are interesting because they are called Coloureds but also Asians. One notable Asian South African is the Community of Christ International Peace Award recipient Ela Gandhi, who happens to be the granddaughter of M.K.Gandhi (Walters, 2010). Additionally, the Whites are the largest of the three minorities. The members of the largest group are the Afrikaners whereas the members of the smaller group are the English-speaking South Africans (Kizilos, 1998). Afrikaners are people who are originally from the Netherlands, Germany,
The humanistic approach
The humanistic approach was developed mainly by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow in the United States during the 1950's. According to Cartwright (1979), humanistic psychology 'is concerned with topics that are meaningful to human beings, focusing especially upon subjective experience and the unique, unpredictable events in individual human lives.' Humanistic psychologists tend to focus on personal responsibility and freewill and lay a great deal of stress upon personal experience. There is a great deal of reliance on phenomenology, which involves reporting on pure experience with no attempts to interpret it. The humanistic approach is fundamentally positive as it regards humans essentially trustworthy, with the potential for personal growth and fulfilment, providing they are within the appropriate circumstances. In early life if children receive unconditional positive regard then they should develop satisfactory, (Rogers, 1959). However, if they experience conditions of worth - conditional positive regard, they will only feel worthy if they match those conditions. They are then prevented from realising their potential and becoming self-actualised. A person who is moving toward actualising their potential is called a 'fully functioning person'. The Social environment and the actions of others can determine whether a person can develop into a fully functioning person. The
Crimes of Obedience: Power of Authority on Ordinary People
Crimes of Obedience: Power of Authority on Ordinary People Crimes of Obedience: Power of Authority on Ordinary People All the crime in the world are not committed as criminals. To do immoral, illegal things, a person should not be sadistic ideas and mental disaster. There are a lot of people who commit a crime or hurt someone with the effect of some another people. The people who make an effect on those who act morally or legally disonant are mostly authority figure who give order. Feeling of inevitability of obeying to authority and avoiding from punishment overcome personal values and ideas, and make people behave immorally through the commands of authority.As Milgram's experiment and Holocaust higlihted, although being ordinary people, under certain conditions, people will act in ways that are cognitively and morally dissonant if obeying authority. People behave different than their normal behaviors when they are under authority. They can do some evil things if authority orders to do it. The biggest and most important study to observe changing behavior of ordinary people under an authority figure was set up in 1961, at Yale University by Stanley Milgram, a social psychologist. The experiment was presented by him so: "I set up a simple experiment at Yale University to test how much pain an ordinary citizen would inflict on another person simply because he was ordered
The Gender Divide and Achievement
The Gender Divide and Achievement: Boys' underachievement and the Gender Gap Within the topic of gender and achievement, there is a large number of sociological research focusing on gender and achievement. Contemporary research has focused on the constant shrinking and growing of the gender gap in achievement. However, in the analysis of achievement data, it has been found that gender focus ignores other social divisions and little data combines them. This as well as the underachievement of boys will be discussed in the following essay by reviewing literature that both supports and rejects the argument of boys' underachievement. Whether or not the gender gap is growing or shrinking, there is no doubt about the existence of a gender gap. Due to media coverage etc we can also accept that boys' assessment scores "are generally more extreme than those of girls, and that therefore boys get more A grades at GCSE, do better at A level, and have higher failure rates" (Gorard, G. Rees, G. & Salisbury, J 1999: 443). There are many beliefs to explain boys' underachievement. Some believe there are groups of 'disaffected' boys who are influenced by the new lad culture. This was pointed out in an early consultation paper called "Boys will be Boys (1996)", where the main theme was on the 'laddish' behaviour and culture of boys. "A 'laddish culture' is seen to be one where boys' groups
A Critical Analysis of Laud Humphreys The Tearoom Trade
A Critical Analysis of Laud Humphrey's The Tearoom Trade In 1970 Laud Humphreys, then a Washington University Phd student, wrote his infamous thesis 'Tearoom Trade' which was a study of homosexual behaviour between men in public toilets in a U.S. city. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the topic, the research was highly controversial, however this was not just due to its sensitive subject matter. A number of criticisms were made of the study on the basis of its ethically dubious research methods. Nicholas von Hoffman, writing for the Washington Post at the time of publication, accused Humphrey's of 'snooping around and spying on people' (1970, p.6) and compared the research to J. Edgar Hoover's alleged phone tapping scandal. While Warwick (1973, p.35) stated that 'the net effect of Humphreys' study on the research environment is likely to be negative'. However to others it represents 'a great achievement' (Hoffman M, 1971, p.100) and is a 'rich study that adds much to better understanding of sexuality and human behaviour.' (Schacht, 2004, p.5) It is also worth noting that 'Tearoom' won the C. Wright Mills Award for research. Clearly then there are some radically differing views of Humphreys' study and is perhaps one of the reasons as to why it has been so frequently written about by other academics. This essay aims to critically analyse the 'Tearoom Trade', it will examine the
Review of a community study
Review of a community study: 'Coal is our Life'. An analysis of a Yorkshire mining community (2nd edition 1969). Dennis, F., Henriques, F. and Slaughter, C. (1956 ). London: Tavistock. The book entitled 'Coal is our Life' is based on a community study of the social life of a mining community in Yorkshire. The study took place five years after the nationalization of the coal industry in 1954 and was financially supported by the Nuffield Foundation. Based on research undertaken by Norman Dennis, Fernando Henriques and Clifford Slaughter it was first published in 1956 and then republished in 1969 in an attempt to assess whether the findings of the original study retained any validity some fifteen years later. The book examines the social life of the mining community referred to as Ashton, the findings are based on the aspects of the community studied by the authors which include location, population, working life, trade unionism, leisure and family. This essay will provide a critical review of the work presented by Dennis, Henriques and Slaughter in their analysis of a Yorkshire mining community. The purpose of the study was to investigate how the main source of employment influences social life particularly after the 1949 nationalisation of the mining industry. The authors suggest that their findings confirm that the majority of miners