Discuss The Problems of Measuring Attitudes in Social Science Surveys
Discuss The Problems of Measuring Attitudes in Social Science Surveys In this essay, I will firstly examine certain definitional problems with the term attitude, suggesting that discrepancies arise from the fact that describing an attitude will always involve interpretation. It follows that an attitude is an essentially subjective phenomenon, and that any attempt to define an attitude as theoretical constructs, at whatever level of abstraction, constructs a conceptual world will always be different from the actual thoughts, feelings and experiences of the respondents. The central problem is how to be certain that interpretations of respondents attitudes are more or less reliable and valid measurements of their actual thoughts and feelings, as opposed to measurements of hypothetical constructs that do not mirror in any way at all the conceptual world of the respondents I will then look at two specific examples of contemporary attitude research, and look at possible flaws of validity and reliability in the construction of a few questionnaire items within these pieces of research. I will examine techniques for avoiding pitfalls associated with reliability and validity, and point out why these can never overcome the classical problems of interpretation of subjective worlds. I will sum all of this up as the problems created when the researcher is too keen to employ deductive
By shifting from the view that drug and alcohol use is a disease, social workers have been granted more flexibility in their invention with substance users. Discuss.
Assignment Title: By shifting from the view that drug and alcohol use is a disease, social workers have been granted more flexibility in their invention with substance users. Discuss. For purposes of clarification, the term 'substance users' throughout this essay will denote problematic drug users whose problems cause physical and mental harm to themselves, or to their families and children, neighbours, communities and the broader society regardless of the legal status of the drug. After all, the principles involved in working with addictive behaviours for social workers remain the same, whatever the substance involved. There are many who use legal drugs in much the same way that others use illegal substances in the sense that they can cause themselves or others significant harm. Therefore, the concept of 'drugs' will be extended to incorporate alcohol, tobacco, solvents, and over-the-counter prescription drugs. This question suggests that it is beneficial for Social Workers to have greater flexibility in their intervention with substance users in order to provide better service delivery, and that by shifting away from the notion that drug and alcohol use is a disease helps to attain this goal. A theoretical understanding of addiction is of crucial importance in developing effective methods of intervention for social workers to control and prevent addictive behaviours and
Analyse an intervention that took place on your first practice placement
'The Social Work profession promotes social change, problem-solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work' (International Association of Schools of Social Work, 2001) The aim of this piece of work is to analyse a work that I undertook with a service user and her family whilst on my 80 day practice placement. I am going to look at the way in which I practised my role and reflect on the method that I chose to use. I am going to discuss the effectiveness of the method I used, which was Systems Theory, and look at if I would change the way I practise in the future if I were to be faced with a similar piece of work. I am going to look at the history of Systems Theory and why I felt this method would be the most appropriate. I am going to critically explore my social work value base and demonstrate how I worked within the framework of the social work process using the ASPIRE model which links assessment, planning, intervention, review and evaluation (Parker and Bradley, 2003). The International Association of Schools of Social Work (2001) herald that 'social work values are embodied in the professions national
Critically examine the idea of the stages of development and its impact on professional practice with reference to: infancy and childhood.
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Critically examine the idea of 'the stages of development' and its impact on professional practice with reference to: infancy and childhood. The idea of the 'stages of development' stems mainly from the work of developmental psychologists such as Piaget, Vygotsky and Freud, all who claim that development takes place in a series of distinct stages which end following adolescence. Runyan (1978, cited in Sugarman, 1986:2), in line with Erikson, takes this one step further and considers development to be a phenomenon which spans the whole of the life course, defining 'life course' as: the sequence of events and experiences in a life from birth until death, and the chain of personal states and encountered situations which influence, and are influenced by this sequence of events. The importance of both the person and the environment and their interaction is emphasised here and, unlike some earlier research, this definition does not presume irreversibility. Life span development, however, cannot be explained in terms of a single theory, and although guided by theory, it is presumed to be a '...general perspective or orientation encompassing some generally agreed views' (Sugarman, 1986:2). Theories of childhood are hugely dominant within, and inform, education, social work practice, health, and the media. However, the current dominant approach
The advantages and disadvantages of Ethnographic methods.
The advantages and disadvantages of Ethnographic methods. This should include as illustrative material (i) Your own ethnographic case study, and (ii) examples from both (a) anthropological research in a modern organisational context and (b) more traditional ethnographies. 'Ethnography is the hallmark of social anthropology'. It's the study of people in naturally occurring settings or 'fields' (whether in a 'New Guinea village or on the streets of New York'), through the use of methods, which capture their social meanings and ordinary activities, involving the anthropologist participating directly in the setting and 'immersing himself within the culture' over a period of time (Spradley 1979:3).' Despite its prominence, at present ethnography has an undecided status within all the social science disciplines. On the one hand, it has come to be widely accepted as a legitimate approach to modern day social research. It's a fact that the proportion of anthropologists and other social researchers who use this qualitative method has increased considerably in recent years. Criticisms that it is unscientific have declined 'sharply in many quarters'. Even many quantitative researchers now accept that qualitative research has its own logic and criteria of validity (Hammersley 1992:1). Simultaneously, criticism of ethnographic practice has arisen from new directions. Indeed from
Investigating the Relationship between Self-esteem and Rape in Jamaican Men
UNCONSCIOUS MOTIVES Investigating the Relationship between Self-esteem and Rape in Jamaican Men Statement of Problem Within this tiny island, lies an alarmingly high rate of reported rape cases and a probably equally high rate of unreported cases. Incidences of rape where once a hushed, have now become blatant. Even news reports show gunmen dragging young girls out of school and raping them. Gang rapes and other types seem to be just as frequent Rationale There have been many theories on rape and its causes. These theories range from biological to social causes of rape. But what is to be noted is that all theses theories (it seems) with the exception of one- seem to be indirectly link the issue self-esteem. All theorise however seem to agree on one thing; the problem of rape lies not on the outside (social conditions) but rather on the inside (within the mind of a rapist). Only when one understands the unconscious motives of a rapist can one hope to change his actions. It is on this basis that this research has been carried out. Hypothesis There is a direct, inverse relationship between self-esteem and the number of rape cases. The lower the level of self-esteem in a Jamaican man: the higher the likelihood that he will rape. Variables Independent Variable: Self -esteem Dependent Variable: Rape Conceptualisation/ Operationalisation of Variables For this study
'Literary texts call into question many of our essentialist ideas about gender' (Bennet and Royle). Examine a selection of poems in the light of this comment.
0401077 Modes of Reading Lisa Regan 'Literary texts call into question many of our essentialist ideas about gender' (Bennet and Royle). Examine a selection of poems in the light of this comment. Human history has undoubtedly been male dominated. As a result, our literature too has tended to be male orientated, and while obviously I do not discount the great women writers of the last few hundred years, it is common knowledge that many struggled to publish because of their gender. Writers such as Mary Ann Evans Cross found it necessary to write under a male pseudonym (George Eliot) in order to guarantee publication and a readership. Traditional gender representations and literary theory reflect long-established societal roles: man is in power, head of a patriarchal society, while woman plays the subordinate role. The most essential truth in gender studies is biological: that men have a penis and women do not. From this comes the notion that men are 'strong, active, rational'1 while women are 'weak, passive, irrational'. (ibid.) The pen was seen as an extension of the penis in the power it held, which not only made language and literature patriarchal but phallogocentric, excluding women from the arena of writing. It also affects the way that women are represented in male literature - an historical portrayal is of male as subject and woman as object. Bennett and Royle in
A Brief History of Friendly Societies.
A Brief History of Friendly Societies The development of friendly societies is full of fascination for the social historian. PETER GRAY, looks at the movement which is still largely ignored despite its history that stretches back for 2,000 years. Early Legislation Friendly societies have been governed by legislation in the United Kingdom for more than 200 years. Although the first Friendly Society Act was introduced in 1793, in 1773 a Bill was brought to the House of Commons by Mr Dowdeswell, supported by Sir George Saville, Mr Edmund Burke and others, entitled "An Act for the better support of poor persons in certain circumstances by enabling Parishes to grant them annuities for life, upon purchase, and under certain restrictions". This Bill, it is believed, is the first instance where Parliament considered the active encouragement of properly-regulated institutions for the relief of the poor under insurance contracts. But what exactly is a friendly society? A society can be either an unincorporated body of persons (or since the 1992 Friendly Societies Act may now incorporate as a legal entity in its own right), unlimited in number, who join together to achieve a common financial, or social purpose or both. The members voluntarily bind themselves to rules which are capable of variation in the future, subject to a majority of such members agreeing. The distinctive
Please arrange to observe and assess a child under the age of 5 years and to talk to his / her family. Draw on the Sheridan Chart and the Assessment Framework Triangle as your tools for the assessment
Student: Student ID: Tutor: Date: 8th January 2008 De Montfort University BA Social Work Society Organisations and People Module ASCS 1102 Part A The Project - Child Observation Please arrange to observe and assess a child under the age of 5 years and to talk to his / her family. Draw on the Sheridan Chart (Assessing Children in Need and their Families DOH 2000: 23) and the Assessment Framework Triangle. (Assessing Children in Need and their Families DOH 2000) as your tools for the assessment. The word limit is 2000 words (plus or minus 10%) . Provide a brief summary of your observations and assessment using the Children Observation Summary Sheet (see last page). 500 words approx . Draw on two psychological theories to illustrate your understanding of the child you observed. Make clear and specific references to your own child observation. 800 words approx . Discuss what you found to be the strengths and limitations of using the Sheridan scale and Assessment Framework Triangle as assessment tools in supporting your understanding of life span development. 500 words approx . Evaluate your learning on this part of the module. What would you do differently next time? 200 words approx ________________ Contents Part A - Provide a brief summary of your observations and assessment using the Children Observation
Structures of Health and Social Services
Ara Hasratian Unit 1 Health and Social Care Introduction Ø I am going to produce a service profile based on two interviews of two people from different health, early years or social settings. Ø I need to describe and analyse the roles of two workers, and show how care value base support the work care. Ø Describe the use, effectiveness and purpose of practice codes or any charters if they have one and how it protects the clients. Ø Compare how the care value base is implementing in both settings which will provide the support for customers. Ø Describe what type of communication skills are used to understand clients and be understandable for clients. Tell the effectiveness of communication skills. Ø Evaluate the communication scheme used in the care settings, identifying strength and ways of improving any weakness. To produce my assessment I am going to visit two different people from different sectors. First thing what I need to do is to make an appointment wit those people. First place where I have visited was a Rainbow fostering agency. This is located in South Harrow, Brent. This provides private services and works very close to Social services. Rainbow made an appointment with Joanna. The second place where I have visited was a Watford General Hospital. This hospital belongs to NHS and it is Statutory. Nearly
