Sampling strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sampling strategy - Assignment Example In other words, each member of the population has an equal chance of becoming part of the sample size. This strategy shall be used to select fifty (50) of such new mothers. The rationale for using random sampling technique in the quantitative survey and selecting fifty (50) respondents is that surveys require the collection of data from a relatively larger setting and as such the sample size must be large enough to give a true proportionate representation of all people within the population. For the qualitative focus group study, a purposive sampling strategy shall be used to select members in the sample size. A purposive sampling strategy do not allow for equal probability of selection of members but comes with its own advantage which is, a specific classification of respondents who are thought to be suitable for the provision of certain data will be selected (Bushman, 2007). This is ideal for a focus group study because using a random strategy may include members who do not qualify for the variables set out to achieve the intended focus. Because the focus group will be critically analyzed, a fewer number of respondents of ten (10) shall be included. Generally for the focus group, the inclusion and exclusion criteria shall be based on a group of well defined variables, whereby only new mothers who fall within the variables shall be included (Calfee and Scheraga, 2004). A typical example of such variable could be new mothers who had pre-mature child birth. Bushman, B.J. (2007). Child birth complications and their attendant solutions: Validity of proposed explanations. Recent developments in alcoholism: Volume 13. (pp. 227-243). New York, NY: Plenum Press. Calfee, J., & Scheraga, C. (2004). The influence of advertising on anti-natal care: A literature review and an econometric analysis of four European nations. International Journal of Advertising, 13,

The Structure-Agency Debate

The Structure-Agency Debate I have been involved in football for as long as I can remember, with the application of Structural Functionalism I am going to attempt to understand my involvement in football. The Structure theory, Structural Functionalism can be applied to my position as a footballer and explain how football has affected my position in contemporary society. The main assumption of Structural Functionalism is that society is an organized system of interrelated parts that attempts to maintain a state of equilibrium (Williams Kolkka 1998 p.358). Williams Kolkka (1998) applied this assumption of Structural Functionalism within their research of Wheelchair Basketball, they conceptualised the activity as its own social system which comprised of its members (including players, coaches physiotherapists, supporters etc.) and the relationship between them. This can be applied to my position within football particularly at club level. I was a player at Wakefield Ladies F.C. therefore through interaction with other players and other forms of members including the coaches, physiotherapists and supporters, this lead to the maintaining the clubs state of equilibrium and the system working as a whole (Malcolm 2008). This highlights my contribution in maintaining a successful working system however Structural Functionalism only offers a positive view of sporting systems and experiences therefore offers no insight into how specific barriers and constraints challenged my position in football. Bourdieus theory deals with constraints through defining how different forms of Capital can affect a persons identity. Another aspect of Structural Functionalism is that, sport is seen as a vital tool in successfully maintaining the state of equilibrium, it is said to instil desired values and attitudes (Williams and Kolkka 1998; Malcolm 2008). Therefore a Structural Functionalist would argue that by playing football I learned the desired values and attitudes such as conformity to rules, respect and self-control which would contribute to maintaining a state of equilibrium. However, Structural Functionalism only takes into account the structure of society and not individual agency therefore provides no explanation in understanding how human beings make important decisions, such those which lead to me choosing to play football or how my current social world was created unlike Bourdieus Habitus and Capital which explains how class habitus confined me to the choice of football (Malcolm 2008; Williams 1994; Best 2003). In 2008 the FA rolled out the RESPECT campaign across all levels of football, in respon se to a range of behavioural problems surrounding the game. The campaign was designed to protect players and referees and create an environment in which sport can be enjoyed but also have wider benefits to society. I played under the RESPECT campaign when it was first introduced and on reflection, I found it reinforced the desired values and attitudes which are required not only on the football pitch but also in wider society (RESPECT: Four Years On. 2012; Malcolm 2008). A Structural Functionalist would view the RESPECT campaign as a positive step to creating a state of equilibrium (Williams Kolkka 1998). It is evident that Structural Functionalism highlights how I have been a part of maintaining a successful societal system and also the positive effect in which sport has had on my life however it offers no reasoning as to why I became involved in football. . The Agency theory, Symbolic Interactionism can be applied in attempt to gain an understanding of my involvement within football. George Herbert Mead is said to be the founding Father of Symbolic Interactionism. Hewitt (2000 in Armstrong 2007) defines Symbolic Interactionism as a theory which helps human beings define and give meaning to experiences, allowing them to create an individual and unique identity. The main assumption of Symbolic Interactionism is that society is created and maintained by social interaction: we are all actors on a stage who generate meaning through what we do and who we do it with (Craig Beedie 2010 p.61). This draws upon my decision to join a football club; it allowed social interaction to occur which consequently constructed my own social world. Malcolm (2008) furthers Craig and Beedies (2010) assumption by highlighting the focus upon the individual and the way in which they interpret and make sense of the world in which they live in. There are two widely researched areas within Symbolic Interactionism, Socialisation and Subcultures. Firstly, Socialisation focusses upon who becomes involved in sport and is developed through learning to read, understand and interpret symbols to aid individuals in becoming members of society (Best 2003). Cottingham (2012) states how interpreting symbols in the correct manner is a fundamental process, as it increases focus and wider understanding of an object, Gilbert (1994) furthers Cottinghams (2012) statement by adding, that the constructs are grounded within the minds of those who experience the perceived symbolic actions (p. 142). On reflection, throughout the years I have understood and interpreted symbols whilst playing football to aid my socialisation. For example when I first began to attend training sessions at Wakefield Ladies F.C, by interpreting and understanding the coaches I was able to demonstrate competence which led to being selected on a match day and also accepted by the rest of the team on a social level due to my ability to prescribe to the groups norm. It could be argued that my behaviour at Wakefield F.C. Ladies was due to previous experiences; specific symbols became grounded in my mind throughout my development from junior level to the open age therefore this would have led to improving my process of socialisation throughout the years (Best 2003; Gilbert 1994). This example can also be related to the second research area within the Agency debate, Subcultures. By prescribing to the groups norms in terms of beliefs and practices I was accepted and became part of a socially defined group, further creating myself a specific identity (Craig Beedie 2010). I confirmed this identity through not only Symbolic Interactionism but also symbolic consumption as I have specific Wakefield F.C. Ladies clothing which I am required to wear for training, matches and other events, these items of clothing have a specific meaning of being a part of the team therefore is an effective tool in creating my identity (Armstrong 2007). It is clear that by applying Symbolic Interactionism to my own position within contemporary society I can begin to understand why events occurred and why I was accepted into the team. However Symbolic Interactionism is often criticised for over emphasising individual agency and failing to take into account structural inequalities and constraints such as race, gender, class and ethnicity (Craig Beedie 2010). On reflection, this weakness can be applied to my example as, playing for Wakefield F.C; the mens section of club was deemed superior and was seen in a much more favourable perspective to the Womens section. This was a constraint which we had to regularly deal with and included reduced funding compared to the mens section and poor training facilities. Therefore we had a barrier to overcome whilst attempting to build a successful team. This weakness highlights how Agency theories do not take into account power systems as a Post-Dualist theory would. Bourdieu would argue that this barrier would not create a working system and would affect my interpretation of experiences, as any experiences related to this constraint are likely to be deemed negative (Best 2003). It could be argued that the Agency theory, Symbolic Interactionism helps explain my interpretation of my own social construct but still with some constraints. A third theory which can be drawn upon is the post-dualist theory, Bourdieus Habitus and Capital, which takes into account both structures in society and individual agency (Craig Beedie 2010). Bourdieus work was based upon empirical and theoretical investigations; his work was also in relation to sport, unlike Structural Functionalism and Symbolic Interactionism. They are theories that were not originally based around sport but were later applied and adapted to help offer a sociological explanation of sport. Bourdieu developed a social framework from his empirical and theoretical investigations which involved Habitus, Capital and Field; I will use Habitus and Capital in attempt to explain my involvement with football. Firstly, Capital can be defined as power and Habitus is defined by Elliott (2009) as a structuring feature with an infinite capacity for moulding individuals. Habitus is internalised as a second nature, as individuals we acquire habits, either knowingly or unknowingly, from a structural context and we use these practices to live out our everyday lives (Best 2003 p.204). Bourdieus work links class habitus and taste extremely closely; this can be applied to my position within society as it could be argued that both class habitus and taste led to my choice of football. It is clear that the subconscious decision to develop an interest in football is due to my class habitus and the confinement of my families working class background (Best 2003). The sport of football reflects class distinctions and represents the class I belong to; if I was born into an upper class family I may have developed an interest in other sports such as Rugby Union or Polo (Best 2003; Tomlinson 2004). Furthermore, my Fathers taste and class habitus will have affected my subconscious decision, as he had already developed specific practices; including supporting and playing football therefore this would have influenced the practices I developed whilst growing up (Best 2003). Bes t (2003) argues that despite us developing different practices to make a distinction between ourselves and others, people who live within the same social field are likely to share the same habitus, therefore people who I were brought up around all had a specific interest in football which is another reason why I may have been inclined towards football. Finally, it can be argued that Bourdieus class habitus can be applied best to explain my interest in football as it focusses upon where my interest originates from unlike the other Structural Functionalism and Symbolic Interaction. Another aspect of Bourdieus work which can be applied to my position within football is his work involving the body and the creation and reproduction of social differences that can be displayed by the body, one way it can be displayed is through accent (Craig Beedie 2010). A strong Yorkshire accent is often related to the working class therefore this is a form of cultural capital in the embodied state (Laberge 1995). Social differences in terms of cultural capital can be identified when I play football for University because part of my cultural capital is a Yorkshire accent therefore this is not the norm within the University team, as the majority of players are from the Middlesbrough area (Craig and Beedie 2010; Laberge 1995). This differs from when I played football for Wakefield F.C. Ladies, as the majority of players were from the same area therefore shared the same accent. This highlights a difference in individual agency and also the importance of cultural capital. Bourdieus w ork has been criticised over the years, Elliott (2009) argues that Bourdieus work takes the economy for granted and does not take into account the role of economic issues upon social life, Elliott (2009) furthers his argument by accusing Bourdieu of elevating cultural capital over economic capital. This can clearly be seen as despite Bourdieus work leading me to define how I came to develop an interest in football, however it has not taken into account the economic constraints which I faced such as cost of travel, kit and also subs after each match. It is evident that this is an economic force which was a barrier to me. In terms of my example economic capital is much more significant than Cultural Capital, economic capital was a barrier where as cultural capital just highlights a difference between team members. In conclusion, it is evident that all three theories can be applied to my position within contemporary society however after taking into consideration their strengths and weaknesses along with application, I believe Bourdieus post-dualist theory applies best as it takes into consideration the structures within society but also the agency of the individual (Craig Beedie 2010). Bourdieus Habitus and Capital allows an explanation of the origins of my interest in sport, Symbolic Interactionism and Structural Functionalism cannot do this. They only offer significant explanations of what sport has offered me and how it has contributed to the identity in which I hold today. Therefore it is clear that Bourdieus work is the most complex and offers a better understanding of my interest in sport and my position within contemporary society.

Personal Success, Seizures, Depression And Suicide :: essays research papers

Before the age of 15, I was as healthy as anyone could wish to be. In my sophomore year of high school, though, my seizures began. Nobody knew what they were at first; they looked as if I was passing out. These â€Å"episodes† as my mom and I were calling them, were finally defined as seizures when a nurse at the hospital saw that during one of my â€Å"episodes† I would clench my jaw shut and my muscles would tighten and shake. Doctors put me on three different medications over the next few years. The first , Dilanton, did nothing for me. The second, Tegratoal, was killing my white blood cells which made me extremely sick. The third , Depekot, worked, but with it came some nasty side affects, and I was still having seizures two to three times a week. I became depressed after a year of having seizures and being told by many doctors that they didn’t know what was causing it. The doctors also didn’t know how to treat it. I missed a lot of school my sophomore and junior year, which was why my grades weren’t what I wanted them to be. My teachers harped at me about not getting my work done. They didn’t understand. I also got a lot of strange looks from people when I walked down the hall. Most of my seizures happened during school. I can’t be positive about when my depression began to reach a climax. Maybe it was when my mom and her boyfriend would yell and scream at each other about how they were going to pay for all the hospital expenses. Or maybe it was all those nights lying in bed listening to my mom cry. Whatever the reason(s), I developed the mindset that I was causing my family all this pain, that it was my fault, I would never get into college, so it would be best if I wasn't around anymore. I felt other no emotion except sadness. I felt as if I were walking in a different dimension. I could see and hear people, but nothing anyone said made any difference to me. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. The world no longer had any color in it; it was all black and white; this is what I saw. I thought about how much better life would be for everyone if I were gone.

African American English Essay

When it comes to arguing whether African-American English/Ebonics, enriches or contaminates Standard English, most of the negative tone that African-American English gets comes from an educational stand point. One argument teachers, who do not believe in using Ebonics, use is that there is no place for Ebonics in the class room. Stacey Thomas, in her article â€Å"Ebonics and the African-American Student: Why Ebonics Has a Place in the Classroom† writes that teachers can use Ebonics as a way to facilitate the learning of Standard English to African American students. In order to use Ebonics as a vehicle to teaching Standard English, teachers must be bilingual; meaning they most know both Ebonics and Standard English. Thomas states, â€Å"†¦once students see and comprehend the differences between Standard English and Ebonics in terms of structure and syntax, they display a great[er] understanding in Standard English, and as a result, decrease their use of Ebonics† Ebonics and the African-American Student (6). In other words, by working on activities where students have to compare both Ebonics and Standard English, students’ knowledge of Standard English is increasing and their use of Ebonics is decreasing. Another arguments teachers use against Ebonics is that it obstructs the academic potential of African-Americans. Thomas goes further on by stating the Oakland school board Ebonics issue. In 1996, the Oakland, California school board started using Ebonics as a way to teach to African American students whose grades were lower than other ethnicities. As a result of using Ebonics as a vehicle to teaching, Thomas states, â€Å"the Oakland School District’s use of Ebonics in the classroom, [and] the students’ performance in reading and wring has improved†¦ the students have tested above district averages there was a in reading and writing skills† Ebonics and the African-American Student (6). So not only is the teaching of Ebonics facilitating school work for students, but it is also increasing their grades. Ebonics, a language that is stereotyped as ignorant and uneducated, is now becoming a great tool for educating students.

Barn Burning by William Faulkner Essay

The theme of Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† is the inner conflict a person feels between one’s innate moral beliefs and one’s loyalty to his or her family. This theme can be extended to any institution which encourages or demands actions of an individual that conflict with a person’s moral beliefs; for example the story could apply to an individual whose employer demands he or she do some immoral or illegal in one’s job. Faulkner wrote this story in the third person. The narrator has limited knowledge, knowing Sarty’s, the main characters thoughts, but not the thoughts of others. The Rural South and an unspecified amount of time after the Civil War provide the settee for the story. Faulkner made extensive use of metaphor in the story. He writes about a clock that no longer runs but has been stuck at 2:14 for years. This is an indication that although Sarty has hopes that his father will change, there is no change in the family’s life and his father will remain the same. They will continue to move frequently and his father will always find an excuse to burn barns. Sarty compares the size of the large pure white house where the de Spains live with a courthouse. This represents Sarty’s belief in justice and truth. This is in sharp contrast to both the unpainted, small house occupied by Sarty’s family and the stiff black coat Abner Sarty wears. The black color is the opposite of the white that represents justice and truth. The coat is stiff suggesting that Abner resistant to change, reinforcing the metaphor provided by the nonworking clock. By having the main character, Sarty, leave his family at the end of the story, Faulkner appears to believe that obeying one’s conscience is more important than loyalty to one’s family, employer, country, or other entity. Faulkner’s use of imagery and the timeless theme of â€Å"Barn Burning† provide a story that is and should be read by people everywhere.

Animal Cruelty- Persuasive Essay Essay Example

Animal Cruelty Animal Cruelty- Persuasive Essay Essay Animal Cruelty- Persuasive Essay Essay Essay Topic: Persuasive Animal Cruelty- Persuasive Essay Animal Cruelty- Persuasive Essay Every day in the Australia animals are beaten, neglected, or forced to struggle for survival. Left in unsanitary conditions with no food or water, they have little hope as they live out their days without the compassion they deserve. Some are found and rescued, given the chance to experience how great life and humans can be; others arent so lucky. Animal abuse affects us in many ways: It’s bad for our animals, it affects not only the animal, but the witness’ and the abusers turn in to criminals. To grow as a nation, we must fight for these abused animals rights. It is up to us to speak for the animals that lack a voice, who will, if we won’t? Animals are important in our society; we have dozens of native and brought over animals that aren’t treated correctly. Most of the time, it is nowhere near the animals fault, sometimes owners have no money to care for their pet, though that is no excuse for not turning their pet in to a nice shelter. Animals have feelings too and it is essential to treat them with the respect that we give humans. If we don’t care for the animals, the life cycle will change and they will become extinct. Animals provide us with many things in life, like happiness and learning new things. All the time, animals are becoming smarter and more helpful, we are teaching them new tricks and they can help save people. It doesn’t just appeal to inside pets, farm animal are squished in tiny cages and made for breeding then slaughtered the wrong way. This not only affects the animals, but the witness’ too. Of course animals are very important but the owners that have had cruel things done to their animals are scarred for life. Imagine watching someone you love die because of someone else, imagine that person is your pet. The people that have experienced this our now left with a mark, all because someone feels the need to hurt their property. If we can find a way to stop animal cruelty then we won’t have to see

The Women s Rights Movement Essay Maddy

The Women s Rights Movement Essay Maddy The Women s Rights Movement Essay Maddy Madison Bateman Mrs. Collins Block 4 June 2, 2015 Top Ten People, Places, and Events: The Women’s Rights Movement The Women’s Rights Movement is one of the many important events in history. It has given women rights that they never thought they could have. People like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony made them possible. These women fought for what they knew should be theirs, and what they knew was possible, they helped give women the right to vote and made men see women as equals. There were many women and men who made these things possible and they continued to fight for equality even when they were rebuffed, put in jail, and declined because the leaders that ran these movements would not take no for an answer. Susan B. Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 in Massachusetts. When she grew old enough to live on her own she lived in a part of upstate New York that would later be known as â€Å"Burn District†. The burn district is where religious revivals and where the formation of new religious move ments occurred. In 1853 Anthony began to crusade for the expansion of married women’s property rights. In 1856 she joined the American Anti-Slavery Society and in 1890 she joined the National American Women’s Suffrage Association alongside those who were willing to fight for former slaves. Anthony and other supporters were arrested for voting on 1872, she was held for bail $1000 bail. Anthony has a dollar coin minted in her honor. Susan B. Anthony passed away on March 13, 1906. Alice Paul was the leader of the most militant wing of the women suffrage movement. She was born in 1885 to a wealthy Quaker family in New Jersey. In 1910 she joined the National American Women’s Suffrage Association as the chair of the congressional committee. On March 3 in 1913 she and some of her colleagues coordinated a suffrage display to distract people from President Wilson’s inauguration. The more conservative women of the NAWSA disapproved and became frustrated with the publicity stunts that Paul constructed so she left and started her own movement, alongside Lucy Burns, the congressional union, which later became The National Women’s Party. In 1920 Alice proposed an Equal Rights Amendment to the constitution, â€Å"Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States†, and today it has still never been ratified. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the primary women’s rights activists of the 19th century. She was born on Novembe r 12, 1815 in upstate New York. After she married abolitionist, Henry Brewster, they traveled to the world anti-slavery convention in London where they were turned away and told that female delegates were unwelcome. In 1848 Stanton and fellow reformers organized the women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. In 1895 she published the first volume of a more egalitarian women’s bible. Stanton passed away in 1902; today a statue is dedicated to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott stands in the US capitol. Lucy Stone was born in Massachusetts in 1818. She was a pioneering abolitionist and women’s-rights activist, she is best known for refusing to change her name when she married abolitionist Henry Blackwell in 1855. Stone graduated from Oberlin College in 1847 and became a traveling lecturer for the American Anti-Slavery Society. In 1871, Stone and Blackwell published the weekly feminist newspaper, The Woman’s Journal. Stone passed away in 1893, the women’s journal survived until 1931. Ida B. Wells was born in Mississippi in 1862, she is best known for her work as a campaigning journalist and anti-lynching activist. Wells worked for the black newspaper, The Free Speech. In 1892 she left Memphis after an angry mob wrecked the offices of The Free Speech and threatened to kill her is she ever returned. In 1913 she prepared to join the suffrage parade through President Wilson’s inauguration, but organizers asked her to not come: some of the white women wouldn’t march