Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Surrender Of The Confederate Army Brought An End To

The surrender of the confederate army brought an end to the civil war and the beginning of reconstruction. The country was divided with the newly freed slaves and the rebellious white southerners all attempting to be reintegrated back into the Union. The man America leaned on to help them was the same man who led the Union through the civil war, Abraham Lincoln. Although, on April 15, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. While fleeing the seen Booth can be heard shouting â€Å"the south is avenged!† The division in the country was monumental and the man that could lead America through it was gone. After Lincoln s assassination, his Vice President Andrew Johnson took office. Jackson was a racist southern Democratic Unionist.†¦show more content†¦Sharecropping replaced slavery in lots of parts in the south and the land owners relied on it to remain agricultural. As you can see, the newly reconstructed south did not seem reconstructed at all. There were v ery similar state governments from before the war, the same people owned all the land and controlled the wealth, and sharecropping replaced slavery. The lack of change in the south frustrated the republicans in congress, so they took the reconstruction in their own hands. Thaddeus Stevens was a radical republican who was a member of the House of Representatives. Stevens wanted to take all the land away from the white southern owners and give it to all the freed slaves. This was not passed. A bill that was successful in being passed was the Civil Rights Act in 1866. The Civil Rights Act states that all people born in the United States are citizens regardless of their race. President Johnson attempted to veto the law as it was discrimination against whites. This angered Congress and the President s veto was overridden by Congress in a two-thirds majority. The civil rights bill was now law. Next, the 14th amendment was added to the constitution. The 14th amendment granted citizenship, equal protection under the law and expanded the Bill of Rights to all people of color in the United States. Congress then passed the Reconstruction Ac t over Johnson s veto. The Reconstruction Act divided the south into 5 military districts. Each district would haveShow MoreRelatedThe American Civil War : The United States1256 Words   |  6 Pagesdivide into the Confederate States and The United States. This division wasn’t all of a sudden out of the blue movement, many debates brought upon the division and the start of the civil war. The biggest issue between the North and South was the issue of Slavery and what it entailed. The American Civil War was the United States way of figuring out what kind of nation it would be, one nation that abolished slavery or a nation that still had slavery. All the events leading up to the end of the war andRead MoreThe Battle of Gettysburg was a very important and significant battle that occurred during the Civil600 Words   |  3 Pages General Robert E. Lee marched on with his Army of Northern Virginia to Pennsylvania and arrived on July 1, 1863 with the intention and desire to coll ect supplies in Pennsylvania, and remove the fighting portion from the already war-crazy Virginia. He had a plan to lessen the North’s desire for war and he believed that winning a major battle in the North would help with the longing of peace there in the North. The Confederates ran into the Union’s Army of the Potomac that was being led by GeneralRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War Essay1488 Words   |  6 Pageswas already on his way to Fort Sumter. Pickens demanded Anderson to surrender but of course, he did not want to. On March 1, Brigadier General Beauregard arrived in Charleston. Confederate president, Jefferson Davis, sent him there to take command of the military situation. The Confederate commander dictated the attack on Major Robert Anderson and his troops. After hours and hours of firing bullets, Anderson decided to surrender causing the start of the American Civil War. The fall of Fort SumterRead More A Stillness at Appomattox Essay1346 Words   |  6 Pagestruce†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bruce Catton’s Pulitzer prize winning book A Stillness at Appomattox chronicles the final year of the American Civil War. This book taught me a lot more about the Civil War than I ever learned through the public school system. B ruce Catton brought to life the real day to day life of the soldiers and the generals who led them into battle. The day to day life for the regular soldier was not glorious. Many times the regiments were low on supplies such as food and clothing. They lived inRead MoreThe Battle Of Bull Run1269 Words   |  6 PagesGeneral Irvin McDowell, from the Union, and Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard and General Joseph E. Johnston, from the Confederacy. Neither of the commanding generals from North nor South was remotely ready for the conditions and the casualties their armies would endure in this war. The most important thing they did not know was that the Battle of Bull Run was this battle would help start the deadliest war the US has ever experienced. The events that led up to the Civil War were disagreements aboutRead MoreThe Civil War Was A Tragedy Essay1504 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween the Union and the Confederate states from the year 1861-1865. The war was a tragedy, but the battles of the American Civil War caused many changes in America and in a good way, such as the abolishment of slavery and uniting the two sides together. Slavery was the main cause, but the north and south did not agree with each other on ideas, so it sparked the beginning of a war. A devastating blow to the Union, from Brig. Gen. Pierre G.T. Beauregard of the Confederate, caused Major Robert AndersonRead More The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara Essay1225 Words   |  5 Pagesfight (Union and Confederate).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book begins on Monday, June 29, 1863 and provides an introduction to the circumstances directly before fighting begins. A spy named Harrison, hired by Longstreet comes back to the Confederate camp and alerts General Lee of the proximity of the Federal troops. Both Lee and Longstreet, another Confederate general, adopt an untrustworthy attitude toward the spy. After dismissing Harrison, the two discuss the news that Harrison has brought, along with Stuart’sRead MoreGrant vs Mcclellan Comare and Contrast1443 Words   |  6 Pages1. Describe the different approaches to waging war of Grant and McClellan, utilizing Grants campaign in the West and McClellans maneuvers in Virginia. During the American Civil War, leadership within the Union’s army was constantly an issue. Within the Union, various generals were found at times to be at odds with the political leaders in Washington. This was especially evident in the relationship between General George McClellan and President Lincoln. This tension was the result of McClellan’sRead More Ulysses S. Grant Essay1565 Words   |  7 Pagesof 1st Lieutenant by the end of the war. Grant returned to St. Louis as soon as he could and on Aug. 22, 1848, he was married to Julia Dent. During their marriage, the Grant’s had four children: Frederick, Ulysses S. Jr., Ellen, and Jesse Root Jr.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Civil War Era   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant was almost 39 years old when the Civil War began in 1861. He had freed his only slave in 1859 and strongly opposed secession. After President Abraham Lincoln called for Army volunteers, Grant helped drillRead MoreHow Did Richmond Changed And Shaped During The American Revolution?1308 Words   |  6 PagesHow was Richmond changed and shaped during the American Revolution? How did people live? What was the reason Richmond fell and how during the civil war? From the first large fight at Manassas at Bull Run in 1861 to the surrender of Lee s army at Appomattox in 1865, Virginia stayed in the headlines throughout the Civil War. More than 2,000 military dealings were reported in Virginia during the time of the war, more than any other country at that time. Nothing got saved, with the battles that fought

Sunday, December 22, 2019

A Look into Autism Essay - 670 Words

A Look into Autism Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) that is very complex and involves many different and separate physical and mental disorders. Researchers have long been puzzled by autism, or childhood autism as it is often referred to. This severely disabling disorder affects approximately 80,000 children in the United States and is usually diagnosed by therapists and psychologists before the onset of two and a half years of age. Doctors note many of the complex disorders and symptoms associated with autism during the months of infancy. Babies who would normally look toward recognizable voices and reach out to people are often times devoid of these social growth indicators. The absence of obvious indicators of†¦show more content†¦Along with the disability to learn a vocal language is the inability to deal with loud noises in an environment. Many autistic people do not deal well with loud or constant noise interrupting their environment and when this does occur, an upset i n behavior may result. Where a lot of repetitive movement of an object would begin to annoy most people, the autistic child often focuses on repetitive movement and uses it for stimulation. The tendency to engage in self-stimulatory behavior is often apparent by movements such as rocking back and forth and constant throat humming and on an extreme level, banging of the head repetitively. The latter is usually associated with anger or abrupt change in their environment which causes negative behavior and physical aggression toward self or others. Therapists have used methods such as puzzle piecing or card sorting as a redirection away from these self-stimulatory behaviors. Although putting puzzles together is a well accomplished task by many autistic children, they do often have trouble performing gross motor activities. A lot of repeated assistance and routine patterns is the best way to assist an autistic child in learning activities or schedules due to their low memory ability. A c onsistent routine can be the key to teaching an autistic child how to learn and perform a specific task. This is believed to be a major plus for theShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Autism740 Words   |  3 Pages At the present moment there are no medications that alleviate the core symptoms of autism. However for children who are aggressive, self harming, hyperactive and engage in repetitive behaviours there are two medications that have been found to be effective; risperidone and aripiprazole. One of these medications could then be prescribed to reduce the engagement in repetitive behaviours since the boy does not exhibit any other symptoms. However this is only for a short period of time until the otherRead MoreA Brief Look at Autism985 Words   |  4 PagesAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication (Grandgeorge, Hausberger et al., 2009). The group that I have chosen for this study are children from the ages of 2 to 12 years. I chose this topic because it has always fascinated me, as well as I have a personal experience with this topic, my 10 year old cousin has autism. At the age of 2 he was diagnosed with autism and his parents were able to prepare him for his futureRead MoreTakng a Look at Autism2032 Words   |  8 PagesAutism Autism is a disorder that has to do with developmental issues that lead to communication and interaction impairments.Fifty years ago people would be clueless as to how to help people with Autism, fortunately medical technology has improved greatly since then and we are much more successful at understanding and treating Autism. Although a cure has not been found for Autism yet scientists are still working 24/7 to make this happen. In the meanwhile, it would greatly benefit us all to have someRead MoreDepth Look At Autism Spectrum Disorder3112 Words   |  13 Pages In Depth look at Autism Spectrum Disorder Leydi A. Zapata Columbia Basin College In Depth look at Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a complex developmental disorder which is usually diagnosed during the first 3 years of life. The disorder is characterized by severe difficulty or inability in communicating, socializing, forming relationships with others, and responding appropriately to the environment. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of MentalRead MoreAsperger s Syndrome : A Look Into A New Face Of Autism Spectrum Disorders1579 Words   |  7 Pages Asperger’s Syndrome: A look into a new face of Autism Spectrum Disorders By John Grove Autism has many faces and facets involved in a complex disorder. Autism is a distinct group of complex disorders that involve issues with communicative disorders, social impairment as well as other complexities such as restrictive, repetitive, and stereotyped behavior. Autism Spectrum Disorders include disorders such as Asperger’s, Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Development Disorder, and ChildhoodRead MoreArguments: Autism-Speaks880 Words   |  4 PagesAutism-speaks Just imagine your child was diagnosed of having autism. The realization of your child perhaps being autistic may be lurid. You now know that your child will be found with many challenges, and may have a severe difficulty making sense of the world. Autism is an illness that can affect your communication, socialization, intelligence, and you may act in many unusual behaviors. To try to help an autistic child is being very courageous. Having a child, who is autistic, will be a struggleRead MoreThe Developmental And Neurological Disorder1269 Words   |  6 Pagesdisorder that will appear within the first three years of a child’s life. A child that has autism will live in their own world, show minimal interests in others, and they will have a lack of social awareness. An autistic child will have a designated routine and perform odd behaviors that will be repeated frequently. These odd behaviors will include flapping of the hands or rocking back and fourth. Children with autism wil l have a difficult time communicating with others and they will avoid eye contactRead MoreAutism Essay1317 Words   |  6 PagesMr. Van Boening English 12 Block 8 6 October 2014 Autism Spectrum Disorder Autistic children experience the world a lot more differently than others. For example, children with autism are not capable of using words, and have a hard time communicating in general by any means. Specific sounds, like loud crashes and yelling, would bother an autistic child that wouldn’t normally bother a child that wasn’t autistic. We need to learn more about autism so we can handle it, as it is the fastest growingRead MoreHow Children With Autism? Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesHow Children with Autism can be Supported in Education? Autism affects the individuals’ social interactions and the social construction of the world (National Autistic society, 2015). Children with Autism follow a different developmental pattern from other children and develop at the different rate. It could be understood as a social/psychological disability. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – is a neurological condition that affects the way a person experiences and interacts with the world. ChildrenRead MoreChildhood Disorders1296 Words   |  6 PagesChildhood Disorders Autism and Children Abnormal Psychology Professor Bruce Cameron July 22, 2007 Abstract: Autism is a brain development disorder that is found in children usually before the age of three. Autism affects children and their â€Å"social interactions, impaired communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior.† (www.wikipedia.org) The number of children that have been diagnosed with autism is dramatically increasing. Boys are four times more likely than girls to be

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Perspectives on the French Revolution Free Essays

Perspectives on the French revolution. This essay will examine the ideologies of the French revolution of 1789. Two perspectives on the French revolution were held by the conservatives’ elite and the educated philosophers. We will write a custom essay sample on Perspectives on the French Revolution or any similar topic only for you Order Now The educated philosophers believed that a revolution was the only way that the middle and lower class were to have a say in matters of state, and obtain their rights. Their goal in the revolution was to turn the absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy. The conservatives believed that the absolute monarchy should stay intact to preserve their heritage, and that the revolutionary changes brought more problems than they solved. The French revolution started in 1789 and officially lasted 10 years, finishing in 1799. Although according to public opinion, many events after the official end of the revolution are considered to be included in revolution for example the rein of Napoleon Bonaparte. The revolutions started as a result of rising food prices and the states bankruptcy. The rising food prices were primarily caused by an immense and volatile hailstorm. The food shortage may have ended there, however the hailstorm was followed by a long drought, likely caused by the El Nino effect. After the drought there was an uncharacteristically cold winter rivers and roads froze over, stopping flour from being ground by watermills, and the little food that was produced couldn’t get to the market because the roads were blocked. When spring came around and the snow finally thawed it caused floods destroying an abundance of farmland. There is also speculation that volcanic activity of Laki and Grimsvoth had a hand in the food crisis. In addition to rising food prices, the states bankruptcy, caused in part by Frances involvement in the American revolutionary war, put the monarchy in a difficult financial position. To pay its debts the state would either have to borrow money or raise the already high taxes on the third estate (Adcock, pg. 40). Both decisions were unfavourable as they would cause upheaval in civilian life. The taxes were already high, having been raised to pay for the many wars King Louis XIV had waged, leaving the state in debt (Neely, pg. 29). In august 1786 king Louis XVI’s minister of finance informed him of the seriousness of the financial situation. France had been in debt for about 100 years. They waged 4 separate wars between 1733 and 1783, and borrowed more than ? 1250 million since 1776. These were the major contributions to Frances debt (Adcock pg. 41, Brooman pg. 19). The king had two options, either borrow more money or raise the taxes higher than they’ve ever been. He soon discovered he couldn’t borrow more money because he was in too much debt, so he tried to introduce a new tax. This tax was called the land tax, all land owners had to pay this tax to keep the land they owned. This included the first, second and third estates land but excluded the king. All new taxes and laws had to be registered and approved at the law courts, or parliament in Paris. King Louis tried to pass the new tax without the estates generals’ approval. When the law courts wouldn’t allow him to introduce the new tax without their approval he exiled the entire parliament from Paris. People everywhere in France protested against this, sometimes violently, for six months until King Louis gave in and reappointed them. As a result of these main problems the people felt that the monarchy was not doing its job and that the French people needed a constitutional government to rule over them fairly. Although the philosophes did not always agree on political issues they did agree that the scientific discoveries made in the 17th century were important to all aspects of life (Neely pg. 16). Most philosophes were not traditional Christians, but rather deists. Deists believed that â€Å"knowledge of god came through study of the nature that he created† and did not believe in things such as miracles (Neely pg. 7). Before the revolution the philosophes achieved the publication of the encyclopedie, a collection of knowledge with contributions from many philosophes. The first volume was published in 1751(Neely pg. 18). These encyclopedie have been blamed by some historians for the revolution. They do at least play a small role in the revolution. â€Å"what helped to bring on the revolution were not radic al ideas, but rather that more and more people were now discussing public policy and taking a lively interest in political and governmental matters†(Neely pg. 1) these books were the reason people were able to be informed enough to create their own opinions. The governing of the country was no longer in the hands of just a few noble men, but majority of the population. One of the most famous philosophes was Francois-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire. He wrote a variety of philosophical works on many topics and in many forms. In 1725 he was exiled to Britain for three years after offending a nobleman. In Britain he learnt about the constitutional monarchy, which appeared far better than his own country’s monarchy. During this exile he wrote letter philosophiqes sur les anglais (philosophical letters on the English). He published these when he returned to France. These letters recommended the constitutional monarchy over the absolute monarchy, and sparked outrage in most people throughout the country. It is likely that these works had a hand in the revolution, once people had time to process the information. The edict of Nantes was signed in Nantes, France by Henri IV on April 15th 1598. Henri was a protestant who converted to Catholicism 4 years after succeeding the throne. The edict gave Protestants the freedom to worship as they please, made their marriages valid, allowed their priests to be paid by the state and gave full immunity for all crimes committed by both sides during the religious wars. The edict proved only to be a temporary solution to the religious wars and rivalry between the Protestants and Catholics. In 1685 Louis XIV revoked the edict of Nantes, declaring all protestant marriages invalid, and causing mass migration to England (Cavandish, history today). Voltaire, who had a protestant wife, wrote about the Protestants and what they were going through during this time of turmoil (Neely pg. 18). Voltaire especially had an interest in the callas case. He believed that the case showed what was wrong with the French society including religious intolerance. Jean Callas was convicted of killing his son for trying to convert to Catholicism. He was tortured and killed in public. In 3 years Voltaire cleared his name. Although the edict was revoked almost 100 years before the revolution, some historians believe it may have had a part in causing it. Enlightenment led people astray by weakening their faith in tradition and religion by placing entirely too much confidence in the abilities of human beings to reason and improve the world† (Neely pg. 16). The conservatives believed that the revolution would cause more problems than it would solve. Although they admit that the monarchy had its flaws, they believed it was immoral to attack the go vernment and the church (Neely, pg. 16). It was common belief that the king was appointed by god, which meant he had the divine right to rule. Therefore, â€Å"to criticise the king was to criticise god†. Public belief in the kings’ competence to rule was largely reinforced by large oil paintings of the king at work (Adcock pg. 7). The second estate or nobility did not have to pay certain taxes (and dodged paying many others), got special treatment in law courts, had the right to carry a sword, and did not have to do military service (Brooman pg. 7). Because most of the conservatives were nobility of the second estate (upperclassmen) it is believed that there may have been a more selfish reason for their beliefs. The conservatives did not want to give up their estates, slaves, titles, and privileges (Neely pg. 16). On the 26th of august 1789 the declaration of rights of man and citizen was introduced provisionally by the parliament (Neely pg. 86). It outlined that all men were equal and free and that power did not solely belong to the king but to the people as well (Brooman pg. 33). Its main purpose was to acknowledge that these rights already exist, no to create new ones. It was merely an affirmation of the philosophes writings about the people’s rights. The document did not mention that the state had a responsibility to help the poor and unemployed. Although it was a victory for the philosophes and the third estate, they only got half of what they wanted (Adcock pg. 89). King Louis XVI or â€Å"Louis Capet† as the people insisted on calling him, was found guilty of conspiracy against the state on 7th of January 1793 (Adcock pg. 136). On the 15th of January they voted as to what punishment the king would receive. The votes were very close with 361 people who voted for death without conditions and 360 people who voted against it. Out of those 286 people voted for imprisonment or banishment and 46 people voted for death when peace time came (Neely pg. 170). On the 21st of January he was taken to place de revolution to be executed with a guillotine. Later the place de revolution was renamed to place de la Concorde to try and abate the memory and blame surrounding the place. King Louis XVI was thought of as a rallying point for the conservatives as he was part of the royalty they wished to protect. Once he was executed the conservatives had lost majority of their reason to fight. The revolution officially ended in 1799, when Napoleon Bonaparte came into power. When this happened, both the conservatives and the philosophes lost. Their separate ideals were torn apart as napoleon declared himself emperor, abolishing both the monarchy and the people voice (Adcock pg. 193). During the revolution the French people had 4 separate national assemblies and 3 different constitutions. Many historians believe that without the help of the philosophes the French revolution may never have happened while others argue that dissatisfaction in the system causes criticism and animosity and the revolution still would ave happened eventualy. Bibliography Adcock, M 2004, Analysing the French revolution, Cambridge University Press. Brooman, J 1992, Revolution in France, Longman Group. Cavendish, R 1998, The edict of Nantes, viewed 12th September 2012 lt;http://www. historytoday. com/richard-cavendish/edict-nantesgt;3 Hampson, N 1963, A social history of the French revolution, T. J pr ess. Neely, S 2008, A concise history of the French revolution, Rowman and Littlefield publishers. How to cite Perspectives on the French Revolution, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Demand & Supply and Its Changes-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Questions: 1.As a producer, why is it Important to consider the Price Elasticity of Demand of your product when setting the price you are going to charge? 2.Explain the difference between Comparative advantage an Absolute advantage. Answers: Introduction The present study is based on understanding the effect of price elasticity of demand in the situation where the individual is willing to change the price of the product and discuss how it is important for producers for making trade decisions and production plan. Further discussion regarding the difference between comparative advantage and absolute advantage will be provided. Analysis 1.Pricing of the product is important to survive and attain stability in the market thus it is important for setting up the price by considering the elasticity of the product. Price elasticity is a tool to measure responsive of the goods and services demanded when an individual is planning to make changes in the price (Thimmapuram Kim, 2013). It will predict the effect on the sales if price changes thus it helps in determination of price policy. It is helpful for the producer because on the basis of price elasticity he will decide about production. The producer always wanted to create an optimum mix of the various product. Therefore, producer generally prefers the product which has high elasticity. Demand is elastic when a change in price will affect major change in demand for the product and vice versa in the case when demand is inelastic (Coglianese and et.al. 2017). Producers can also measure the amount of shift of tax burden to the consumer if they increase the price of the product. Consumers bear the larger amount of indirect tax is demand is inelastic and vice versa in the case of elastic demand. It is also important when we talk about the determination of factors price because Factor with an elastic demand is always lower price as compared to a factor with comparatively inelastic demand. 2.Difference between comparative advantage and absolute advantage Comparative advantage refers to the capability to produce goods at lower opportunity cost than others in the same industry (Levchenko Zhang, 2016). Comparative advantage helps the countries to specialize in production of goods which have low opportunity cost which results in increase in productivity if one nation has a comparative advantage over another, then both countries can take benefit from trading because each nation will obtain goods at a price which is comparatively lower than their own opportunity cost of producing that particular good (Levchenko Zhang, 2016). On the other hand, a producer who requires a lesser quantity of input in the production of goods is known to be an absolute advantage in producing that good. Contrasting to Absolute and Comparative Advantage, PPF of a country can be measured regardless of making any comparison against other nations. For better understanding of this aspect following example can be considered. Capital K per worker Consumables C per worker Labor Force Nation A 10 55 2.5 million Nation B 75 60 1 million Above table shows that Nation A has higher labor force but in aspect of per work aspect their production is comparatively lower than Nation B. By considering assumption that value of worker in both country is equal, then cost for nation A is higher and are capable of producing fewer goods (Levchenko Zhang, 2016). This shows that Nation B has absolute advantage in terms of production of K and C. Further for revelation of Production Possibilities Frontiers, we are required to consider production capacity of each nation by multiplying per worker output with number of workers which is as follows: Capital K Consumables Nation A 25,000,000 137,500,000 Nation B 75,000,000 60,000,000 By plotting K on Y axis and C on X axis, PPF for both nations will be as follows: Any production level falls on PPF is considered to be feasible and efficient for growth and development of economy. In the absence of trade, both the countries are focused on consumption of combination they fall under their PPF however trade in both nations can improve living standards and productivity as Nation A will provide workers on the other hand Nation B will provide resources. Conclusion This study is helpful to reveal the present scenario of demand supply and its changes. This study contains several factors some simple and some complex which helps to understand the price elasticity. The producer gets the reasonable accuracy of the economic condition in which we are living Refrences Coglianese, J., Davis, L. W., Kilian, L., Stock, J. H. (2017). Anticipation, tax avoidance, and the price elasticity of gasoline demand.Journal of Applied Econometrics,32(1), 1-15. Levchenko, A. A., Zhang, J. (2016). The evolution of comparative advantage: Measurement and welfare implications.Journal of Monetary Economics,78, 96-111. Levchenko, A. A., Zhang, J. (2016). The evolution of comparative advantage: Measurement and welfare implications.Journal of Monetary Economics,78, 96-111. Thimmapuram, P. R., Kim, J. (2013). Consumers' price elasticity of demand modelling with economic effects on electricity markets using an agent-based model.IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid,4(1), 390-397.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Pro-Slavery Argument free essay sample

The main issue in America politics during the years of the late 1840s to the late 1870s was slavery. Southerners wanted to keep the tradition of slave labor alive, and were justifying slavery in any way possible; issue of slavery was a continuing debate in the 1800’s. James Henry Hammond, John C. Calhoun, and William Joseph Harper were some of the men most famous for propagating the pro-slavery argument. Slavery was the economic foundation in the southern states during the 1800’s. The defenders of slavery in the south had several arguments that they used to rationalize slavery. One argument was that ending slavery would destroy the economy in the south. Another pro-slavery argument was that slavery was a natural state of mankind since it has existed throughout history. The southern states to this day are the agricultural surplus for all of the United States crop production. For centuries, slaves were the most efficient and cheapest way to produce and harvest crops. We will write a custom essay sample on Pro-Slavery Argument or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The economic and political advantages of slaves are what ultimately allowed southern citizens to survive. During the late 1830s through early 1860s, the pro-slavery argument was at its strongest (â€Å"The Proslavery Argument†). After the Civil War, freed slaves often returned back to plantations in search of money, because they did not have the resources to continue. If slavery was not abolished they would remain as property of the owner and would not have starved or been forced to work in low paying jobs. Even though they did not have the best living and working conditions, they at least were given enough to survive. While I agree slavery is an ill moral, the concept of slavery is an economic plus. Furthermore in 1837, John C. Calhoun gave a speech promoting the â€Å"positive good† outcomes of slavery while also declaring slavery was â€Å"instead of an evil, a good – a positive good† (The Pro-slavery Argument). Today, top nations exploit third world countries resources and economic stability due to the fact they are unable function without exporting. Countries such as China, Taiwan, Thailand, and most countries in Africa, exploit children and women to produce factory goods for little or no money. With that process occurring, China is expanding and will possibly become one of the next top super nations. Chinas explorations of its citizens allowed the countries expansions, which will ultimately develop the country just like the United States. While Africa’s resources, such as precious metals, are being metaphorically robbed by other nations. Countries will buy their resources for almost nothing, while they are being produced by low paying workers. Although the top nations have abolished slavery, they still manipulate the countries that use slavery. This process allows countries to outsource their money in return of large profits. â€Å"Southern pro-slavery theorists asserted that slavery eliminated this problem by elevating all free people to the status of citizen, and removing the landless poor (the mudsill) from the political process entirely by means of enslavement† (The Pro-slavery Argument).

Monday, November 25, 2019

Impeachment of a witness essays

Impeachment of a witness essays In court cases you need strong evidence in the case to prove or disprove guilt. There are many different types of evidence in a case weather it is hard evidence from a crime such as weapon, photos of scene, or other hard evidence. But one of the most important types of evidence is lay witnesses and expert witnesses. No other evidence speaks to the jury or judge in a case like this evidence. Seeing a lay witness tell their story of fact to a jury of what happened or what they saw greatly impacts a case because the jury can see and hear the person and that alone is a great impact to them more so than hard evidence. Expect witnesses while not at the scene of the crime also hold a lot of weight behind them. They look at a section aspect of the crime weather it is ballistics, medical, both physical and physiological, and even a mechanic can be considered expert witnesses. These expert witnesses can prove facts in a case and help back up other lay witnesses or hard evidence. And because th ese people are experts in their field this holds a great deal of weight with jurys decisions. There is only one problem with witness evidence and thats the fact that they can have their character impeached. Which means all that factual information they have told to the jury or judge may be deemed false or shaky in the courts eyes and can partially or totally destroy the weight they once held. But of course like many things in the court system its a two way street a witness can have their character rehabilitated which can give back some, most, or all of their creditability to the court system. While most of these methods for impeachment or rehabilitation of a witness are well thought out, and legally sound, and morally right to the court system some methods allowed by the court are not right and in some ways violate a persons rights. A witnesss creditability is the main factor in whether or not what they...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

A Song For Ourselves and the Asian American Movement Essay

A Song For Ourselves and the Asian American Movement - Essay Example ity which attracted signaled solidarity among people around the globe who were struggling with colonization and they later joined a new coalition which later led to a five- month strike at the campus with their major demand being the creation of an autonomous College of ethnic studies. During the struggle for equality and recognition, young Asian Americans were inspired by black scholars as well as their organization in their fight against prejudice and some became directly involved in civil rights campaigns and black power politics. This song was written for the republic of new Africa and its key message was to free the land and sovereignty for blacks within the US and this message was universal for all the people who were oppressed by the US. They wanted the land to be freed so that those who worked on it would share an equal proportion of the benefits as the white man (AntiWar Songs). Some Asian Americans who attended the world Lesbian and Gay Conference at Howard University 1979 formed the Lesbian and Gay Asian collective although they did not give any statement of principle. This was a significant moment for their visibility and recognition. A year later, 9 Asian American students were featured in the meeting raising their hands behind a banner written, †Å"We are Asians, Gay and Proud.†(Lee 301). Students unions formalized a strategic plan to enable the accessibility of higher education for poor residents in the states and the working class. Asian American activists also turned to cultural production to develop articulate empowered identities. This creative works produced during this period provided a new platform of their identity that was later called the Yellow power and was mostly used by the people from their homeland to air their grievances with the hope that they would be heard one day. They saw the interlinking of the oppression between them and other minorities like the blacks. They saw that all their suffering came from a common source that was

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Social Activist Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Activist - Coursework Example Moreover, I will be capable of employing more youths, improving community health, and offering job trainings to other members of the community. Making necessary development on the single mothers by organizing for them programs of certified daycares will be upon me. However, I will ensure that the anti-crime patrol unit that will be in charge of controlling the crime rate and maintaining peace within the community members (Needleman & Ruth, 1998). Being also a policy analyst, I am able to spend much time in gathering, analyzing and distributing data that is related on how credit union should serve the poor communities. On the other side, am able to defend the civil rights of the people and to pressure for the quality affordable structures to the members of the community. As an activist, one is capable of providing himself first priority in benefitting before others as leaders by building themselves quality houses in their respective homes instead of giving the poor and the disabled first chances (Gary & Herr, 2007). Some may go to the extent that they go against the law by violating the right of others disabled members. Active activists give themselves more security compared to others. Activists find it hard in organizing their works to meet the need and desires of the community members (Gary & Herr, 2007). In conjunction to this, they spend more time in their respective work places to ensure terms and conditions are met. Several opposes also comes in from their subjects. Louise B. Simmons (1994). Of Connecticut School of Social Work, West Hartford, Connecticut. University Retrieved from http://urban.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/438/2014/09/Louise-Simmions-CV-FA-14-version.pdf Needleman, R. (1998). Building Relationship For The Long Haul: Unions And Community-Based Groups Working Together To Organize Low Wage Workers. Retrieved from

Monday, November 18, 2019

OUTLINE THE MAIN CRITICISM OF THE CULTURAL IMPERIALISM THESIS MADE BY Essay

OUTLINE THE MAIN CRITICISM OF THE CULTURAL IMPERIALISM THESIS MADE BY MEDIA GLOBALISATION THEORISTS. ARE THESE CRITICISM VALID - Essay Example There are two theories that explain media globalization which include media imperialism and modernization. Globalization is the process by which contemporary society and other countries are connected and interrelated by cultural experiences and trade communication. Global sale of films, media products and the internet brings together people in the developing countries and western countries in direct contact2. Cultural imperialism concept is used to refer to the cultural influence of a developed country on the developing nations. Cultural globalization is the emergence of beliefs and values that are shared by the entire world. The critics of the cultural imperialism believed that cultural imperialists do not have empirical explanation and practical evidence. Cultural imperialism involves spreading modernity whereby it leads to cultural loss but not cultural expansion. There has not been any group of conspirators who spread any specific culture. However, global economic and technological advancement decreased the value and importance of national culture3. It would be baseless to attribute global development to any one culture. The idea of cultural imperialism or voluntary cultural conquest is not relevant. Instead, all the countries in the world irrespective of their location are subject to worldwide cultural change. Cultural imperialism is not valid because what the people watch in the mass media can be advantageous to them. Certain programs aired by the western media have a positive influence on the third world countries depending on whether to use them or not for instance, some countries staged a revolution after watching certain programs aired by the western television. That does not mean the audience were compelled to doing so but because they found it necessary because they had the belief that it was the best way. Western cultural imperialism is considered irrelevant because some third

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Research Study into the Causes of Youth Binge Drinking

Research Study into the Causes of Youth Binge Drinking What are the causes of ‘binge drinking amongst youngsters Abstract The meaning of ‘binge drinking has been questioned considerably; there is no one such definition as it is seen to be too broad and complex. A broad definition that could be used however would be drinking too much alcohol at once or over the recommended daily units, which according to the NHS is no more than 4 units for men and no more than 3 for women. The consumption of alcohol in the UK is on the increase especially amongst youngsters, which has lead to great concern. This dissertation explores a range of issues that aimed to find out the main factors that causes youngsters aged 16-24 to ‘binge drink. This was done by taking a qualitative and quantitative approach in the form of a questionnaire which included 24 questions with regards to the consumption of alcohol. These were paper based questionnaires as well as online based questionnaires which were given to a sample of 60 students to complete. Results showed that there are a number of factors which cause youngsters to consume alcohol. One of the main reasons for the consumption was due to the social aspect. Drinking alcohol is seen as a ‘normal thing to do when socialising with peers, therefore this could lead to binge drinking. Other factors include peer pressure, stress release, enjoyment and confidence booster. However, findings show that the topic is more complex than this; therefore further research and investigation would need to be undertaken to fully grasp the issues underly ing this subject matter. Introduction Significance of the issue The United Kingdom is considered to have one of the most problematic affairs with alcohol due to drinking patterns and styles that have developed over the past century. While numerous other western European countries, such as Spain and France, have seen a decline in overall alcohol consumption, the United Kingdoms overall consumption is on the increase. Greater concern is amongst those aged 16-24 years who are primarily associated with ‘binge drinking. As levels of drinking have increased so has the cause for concern due to social and health consequences, with 30% of men and 25% of women drinking more than the recommended intake. (Paton 2005, p.1) Young people in particular are drinking larger amounts of alcohol over shorter periods of time. The recommended limits of alcohol per session (according to the NHS) should be no more than 3-4 units for men and 2-3 units for women. In 1990, the average amount of alcohol drunk by 11-15 year olds as a whole was 0.8 units in a typical week, rising to 1.6 units in 1998 (Goddard and Higgins 1999). Among those youngsters who do drink, the average of 5.3 units in 1990 increased to 10.5 units in 2002 (Boreham and McManus 2003) which is almost double the amount drunk twelve years previously. Those aged 16-24 in the UK are more likely to binge drink with 36% of men and 27% of women reportedly binge drinking in 2002 at least once a week (Office for National Statistics). These s show potential dangers and risks for youngsters in many ways. A chief example of these risks and dangers would be physical health. Research has suggested that excessive alcohol consumption can lead youngsters to experience many problems, the main symptoms being breathing problems, leading to coma and inhalation of vomit (Lamminpaa 1995). Other dangers of physical health would be through the damage of the organs, mainly the liver, brain and heart (Tuttle, Mazurek, Loveland-Cherry, 2002). Other risk factors affecting youngsters as a result of high alcohol consumption would be the risk of accident and injuries, as they have limited experience in the effects of drinking alcohol and regularly consume alcohol in high risk areas without adult supervision (Newburn and Shiner 2003). These are just a few dangers and risks outlined that are associated with adolescent alcohol consumption, and the reason why the increase of alcohol consumption by young people is concerning, therefore the factors that affect alcohol consumption and what causes this to increase needs to be looked into further in order to avoid these dangers from increasing in the future. Aims/objectives The general aim of this dissertation is to explore what binge drinking is and to investigate the main factors and causes associated with high alcohol consumption amongst youngsters aged 16-24, looking at students in particular. The main objectives are to look at what binge drinking actually is, as there are many definitions and questions arisen as to what could be defined as ‘binge drinking. Also to look at the different causes of high alcohol consumption and an attempt to explain the how and why binge drinking affects youngsters in particular. Future recommendations will also be given, and an attempt will be made to investigate how much people actually know about binge drinking. In order to meet these aims and objectives, research will be conducted in the form of a questionnaire which will be handed out and undertaken around the University of Bradford and Bradford College, as well as posting the questionnaire online through a social networking site known as Facebook. The questionnaire approach method was decided to be taken as this will help this study meet the aim and objectives in many ways; it will enable a detailed examination of the explicit problems that will be investigated, as a method of both qualitative and quantitative data collection. As described by Porter (2000) the differences between the two methods of data collection lie in their focus of analysis. Quantitative research focuses on the quantity i.e. numbers, which aim to identify the relationship between different events. Whereas qualitative research on the other hand is more concerned with the quality of data, focusing on words in the form of writing, this aims to search for the reason behind the actions. As the aim of this research is to investigate the main causes associated with binge drinking amongst youngsters, the questionnaire approach was seen to be more reliable than other methods of data collection as it gives the opportunity to collect both qualitative and quantitative forms of data, which as a result will help in the exploring, investigating and analysing process. Polit and Hungler (1999) stated that a quantitative approach is unsuitable for studying human behaviour, as it is reductionist in nature because it limits human experience to only a small amount of concepts. Therefore a number of questions will be asked in the questionnaire, both open ended and closed ended, in order to gather both quantitative and qualitative forms of data which will reduce reductionism. Questionnaires also provide the opportunity to be distributed to a much larger number of samples quite easily compared to other methods of data collection, and are a more common form of measuring attitudes and beliefs (Sim and Wright 2000). It was therefore decided that questionnaires would be distributed around the University of Bradford campus, the students union in particular, and Bradford College with the aim of gathering an insight into the factors affecting and influencing binge drinking among youngsters. Overall approach The overall approach to this dissertation will be a combination of a literature review and the questionnaire as primary research. The literature review will provide the theoretical background and foundations for the questionnaire that will be conducted, in addition to providing raw data on the history and context of youngsters in relation to alcohol. After the literature review the primary research methodology will be presented, followed by the assessment and evaluation of the methodological issues. The subsequent chapter will then present the results and findings of the research in the form of qualitative data, as well as presenting quantitative data in the form of graphs and charts. There will then be an analysis chapter where the findings from this research will be correlated to the findings presented in the literature review, and both will be linked and analysed. The final chapter will then provide the conclusion and summing up, essentially in relation to the main aim and objectives of the research. Limitations of this research will also be presented here as well as recommendations for future research. Literature review There is a large amount of literature available on ‘binge drinking issues in relation to youngsters, and the factors that are associated with high alcohol consumption. There are many influences affecting young adults drinking behaviour such as gender, age, social class and religion, as well as social, personality and biological factors, and the physical availability and prices of alcohol beverages. Young adults heavy drinking is influenced mainly by social norms of the society, secondly by socialising and thirdly by modelling, which is seen as the perception of other peoples behaviour. According to Cooper (2000) young adults may value the social opportunities drinking situations offer to such a degree, that they be inclined to define drinking itself as a secondary activity to social interaction with other members (Cooper, 2000, p. 39-42). In 1995 one of the first major investigations had taken place by the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD). The study was conducted in the UK as well as 22 other European countries with a sample of 15-16 year old students. The main aim was to examine potentially risky behaviour in the use of smoking, illicit drugs and drinking amongst youngsters (Miller and Plant, 1996). Results showed that the UK was amongst those countries with the highest levels of profound drinking and drunkenness (Hibell et al., 1997). A follow-up ESPAD study was undertaken four years later in 1999, which involved more than 90,000 students from 30 different countries, this being one of the largest major international studies of alcohol ever attempted. This report established that youngsters in the UK had remained in the same position as the earlier 1995 study, as having one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption from the 30 different countries that had taken part. As a result, youngsters from countries with the highest levels of intoxication (UK being one of them) were more likely to consume alcohol in heavy sessions and produce higher levels of episodic ‘binge drinking. Researchers found that these heavy sessions mainly occurred on weekends in the form of parties and ‘get-togethers. Youngsters also reported that they believed those who drink the most, enjoy the most so drinking alcohol had positive effects on them, even if this also results in unfavourable consequences i.e. ‘hangovers. One international study known as the GENACIS study, found that people are unsure about the effects caused by binge drinking, and are willing to acknowledge the negative experiences as the ‘price they pay for enjoying their drinking (Plant et al 2002). In conclusion, parents who teach their children to drink within the context of a controlled home environment, result in the children drinking less and with fewer problems than those who drink outside of their home environment under minimum supervision. A study by E Webb, C. H. Ashton, P. Kelly, and F Kamali (1996) was conducted on university students from ten UK based universities, with a sample of 3075 second year university students. A questionnaire was distributed whilst scheduled lectures were taking place. Results showed that 61% of men and 48% of women exceeded the ‘sensible weekly limits. Binge drinking was reported by 31% of men and 24% of women. The main reason for drinking was pleasure, which was reported by 89% of men and 92% of women. Other factors included habit, to increase confidence, decrease anxiety/stress and social pleasure. The main findings by Webb et al. were that a considerable amount of university students are drinking above sensible recommended limits. This applies not just to university students, but has also been found amongst young people in general in the UK. There are many perceptions of alcohol consumption, one of which is mainly the perception of becoming an adult. According to Plant and Plant (1992) alcohol has been regarded as an important rite of passage into adulthood for a number of years. Many participants have introduced alcohol into their social life as they believe it is an indicator of them becoming an adult. Alcohol consumption was traditionally associated with the males going to pubs and drinking beer (Lees 1986). It was also traditionally associated with a males ability to display masculinity (McDonald 1994). However, Honess et al (2000) stated that motivation for the consumption of alcohol amongst adolescents, are now more complex than imitating adult behaviour. Honess et al (2000) found another perception of alcohol consumption, which was as a means of releasing stress. Participants from the study perceived the consumption of alcohol as a way of relaxing after a stressful day at work for example. Another major factor found to influence and cause alcohol consumption to increase is peer groups. Swadi (1999) stated that the influence of peers is a key motivation factor for adolescent alcohol consumption and their perception towards alcohol, as it is now becoming increasingly important for youngsters to gain a social status and develop an identity for themselves amongst their peer groups. As well as peer groups, parents have shown to have an affect on young peoples attitudes towards alcohol too. Youngsters imitate the behaviour, alcohol consumption and perceptions of that of their own parents (Yu 2003). One respondent called Amy from the study by Yu (2003) for example, stated: ‘At 15, I didnt really know anyone who drank, I perhaps might have had a glass of wine at Christmas or half a glass but that was it and my mum and dad didnt really drink, we didnt go to places where people were drinking comments like this from respondents from the study proved that the exposure of alcohol from parents has a major impact and influence on youngsters, as Amy wasnt really exposed to alcohol much from a young age, she did not perceive drinking alcohol as a ‘normal thing to do therefore does not often take part in such activities and behaviour. As a result, the findings by Yu (2003) have been supported; who found that heavy drinking in adolescent offspring can be reduced a nd prevented within the home environment depending on that of their parents. Paton (2005) also found that youngsters are more likely to become heavy drinkers themselves if they have a family history of alcohol misuse. He came up with three main factors that he stated influenced alcohol consumption: Genes, Family and Environmental factors. He claimed that the main influence on the risk of misusing alcohol was the family factor with 46%, secondly was genes with 36.5% then third most important are environmental factors with just 17.5%. He found that ‘alcoholism was more evident amongst identical twins and there was an increase of ‘alcoholism amongst men that were separated from their alcoholic parents after birth. The family factor also played a role in the influence according to Paton (2005). Results showed that up to 50% of heavy drinkers have a history of family alcohol misuse, this was characterised by starting to drink at a young age, addiction, chaotic drinking and antisocial behaviour. Paton (2005) also found that behavioural factors such as b oredom, habit, low self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety and depression can also help promote the consumption of alcohol. He also claimed that drinking alcohol is determined by environmental factors such as culture, availability and price, individuals needs, life events and circumstances. (Paton, Touquet, 2005, p.13). There have been significant cultural influences on alcohol consumption as reported by Ledous, Miller, Choquet and Plant (2002), who looked at adolescent alcohol consumption of that of teenagers in the UK and France. Results showed that adolescents in the UK were more likely to have consumed alcohol six or more times in the past twenty days, than that of the adolescents in France. This demonstrates the difference in the drinking cultures amid different countries. A further study by Cameron (2000) looked into these cultural differences in an attempt to describe such contrasts. This was done by comparing the drinking cultures of Northern Europe countries to that of Southern Europe countries. Cameron (2000) found that countries in the northern region are seen to have ‘wet drinking cultures, in other words people in the northern region drink excessively in order to become drunk as a result of bringing about more alcohol into their daily lives and adhering to fewer government restric tions. This supports the idea that drinking to get drunk is seen as ‘normal behaviour to youngsters within the British culture. The definitions of ‘binge drinking are broad in nature and have been questioned considerably. There is no one such definition to define binge drinking. Studies have shown that many respondents very rarely define binge drinking in accordance with the number of units actually being consumed. A 1997 report for the US based International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) addressed the lack of formal definitions. Recent publications have defined binge drinking as drinking over half of the recommended number of units of alcohol in a week per session. These publications show that researchers tend to adopt the most general definition based on previous research conducted, with no such explanation or rationale for their stated definition. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) illustrates binge drinking as drinking eight or more units of alcohol at least one day in the week for men, and six or more units for women, this is in line with sensible drinking guidelines using daily standard s, therefore could serve as an estimate of binge drinking, with the absence of a Department of Health (DoH) definition. A longitudinal study carried out on high school students by Schulenberg et al (1996) found that 30% of the students had altered their drinking patterns during the conversion period of adolescence to adulthood. 20% of the students who classed themselves as binge drinkers had reduced their heavy drinking as they reached adulthood. However, 165 of the students had increased their binge drinking or had to some extent sustained a pattern of persistent binge drinking as they reached adulthood. Once adult roles are undertaken such as employment, marriage and parenthood, and then these patterns of drinking are shown to decrease and fade out. Also, unfavourable life events such as divorce are correlated with binge drinking, as statistics show that 29.6% of separated and divorced people were occupied in weekly binges, compared to that of only 17.9% of married people. Primary Research Methodology The general aim was to find out what causes youngsters (aged 16-24) to binge drink, this was tested through the use of a questionnaire design. The questionnaires consisted of twenty four questions in relation to drinking, along with a brief at the beginning of each of the questionnaires (see appendix 1) which provided the participants an explanation of the main purpose and context of the research, as well as outlining ethical considerations i.e. anonymity of the questionnaire which ensured the participants that their answers and identifications would remain anonymous and that they could withdraw from the research at any time. The questionnaires included both closed ended and open ended questions, this was to give the participants an opportunity to express their views in relation to the subject matter, and also provided the opportunity to gather quantitative as well as qualitative data to be collected and researched. To ensure that the results were a true reflection of society, the right type of research methodology had to be selected. Questionnaires were primarily selected as it allowed the results to be gathered directly from the target audience. The questionnaires allowed the data to be collected in a structured way because the same questions were asked to all participants in exactly the same order. The inclusion of quantitative, closed ended questions ensured that the data was consistent because the respondents are limited to the answers that they could state, which also makes the interpretation of data simple. The inclusion of qualitative questions allows the respondent to express their own opinions and arguments which may not be covered in the closed questions. After selecting the main research method it was then essential to target the correct audience. Any flaws at this stage could have led to the wrong type of group filling in the questionnaires which would result in incorrect data being gathered. For example, if the questionnaires were handed out in an elderly care home, the results would be of no use in this scenario as the main purpose of this dissertation is based around young adults aged 16-24. The questionnaires were handed out physically around the Students Union (SU) area at the University of Bradford and Bradford College over the period of three days, in addition to this a group was formed on Facebook, a social networking site which provided a link to the questionnaire which could be completed and submitted online by the general public. The students union was selected for the primary location as it is associated with the correct age group for this research and is also has strong links with alcohol consumption. Bradford College w as chosen due to most students being aged within the 16-24 age category. Due to the high interactivity with the internet amongst young adults it was essential that this type of medium was also used to gather results. The internet is a very popular medium in this digital age which allows results to be gathered nationally therefore providing a better sample of results to base the dissertation on. Facebook allowed me to target specific individuals which ensured the validity and fairness of the results. Each respondent that joined this group on Facebook was provided with the essential information needed to give them an understanding of the main aims and objectives of the research, as well as give them information regarding ethical issues, such as anonymity. Once potential respondents were chosen via Facebook they were then invited to join a group specifically created for this dissertation which provided them with a link to the survey. The online survey creator which was specifically sel ected to provide the link for the online questionnaire (See appendix 3) was from the website ‘tigersurvey.com. This was primarily chosen due to its ease of use and ensured questionnaires were submitted anonymously to override any privacy issues, it also gives an automatic calculation for each of the questions which would make the analysis process much easier (see appendix 4). The questionnaires were given out to students in the month of January 2009 during the hours of 12-2pm. This slot was chosen due to the sheer number of students that are present on campus at this time due to lunchtime. The issue of timing is very important as it allows a wider audience to respond making the results accurate and more effective. The type of research conducted was close to a street survey in which participants are asked questions face to face in bustling environments. The only difference in this case was instead of asking participants questions directly they were given a paper based questionnaire, which overrides various issues such as verbal problems, accent problems, shyness and language barriers etc. The link for the online questionnaire was also created in the same month; however this was free to fill out at any time during the day. The sampling method for a study is described as the process for selecting individuals from the population to be included in a research project (Hammersley and Mairs 2004). Rubenstein (1994) stated that there is no definite number of participants that should be used within a study however, other researchers such as Baum (2000) believed that a sample should consist of between twelve and twenty participants in order to obtain maximum variation in the findings, taking into consideration the actual nature of each study. A sample size of 60 students aged between 16-24 years were used for the research in order to achieve this maximum variation, these were a mixture of school, college and university students. The technique of random sampling was used, where each member of the public has an equal chance of being selected. Before the questionnaires were distributed a pilot study was conducted in the previous week, this is a pre-testing stage which gives the opportunity to identify and correct any misleading, unclear or double barrelled questions. The respondents from the pilot study were debriefed to determine whether the questions asked were confusing or misleading in any way or another, and to receive initial feedback in general about the questionnaire. After receiving the feedback some of the questions had to be reworked to ensure that they were understood by all participants and allowed the questions to be answered correctly. The advantage of doing a pilot study includes reduced costs (paper), reduced time, and ensures correct method and effectiveness. If a pilot study was not conducted before a full scale research it could result in falsifying responses from respondents leading to inaccurate results being collected. Ethical Issues It is vital to protect human rights when conducting research involving human beings (Polit and Hungler 1997). Sim and Wright (2000) outlined three ways in which a research question must be ethical: 1. Methods that could possibly threaten the welfare of participants should not be incorporated 2. If the findings of a research are seen to be detrimental of certain individuals in any way, then it should not be continued 3. Certain groups of the population should not be consistently excluded in research Ethical considerations are important in helping researchers to decide whether an investigation or field of study is ethically acceptable, and decide whether it should be continued or not. Ethical issues in relation to research are now mostly considered with research involving human beings. Some examples of these researchers are Moody (1990), Polit and Hungler (1991), Brown (1993). Most ethical guidelines were initiated due to research that was undertaken during the Second World War. Some of the ethical guidelines are as follows: Ø Anonymity and Confidentiality Participants may want information about themselves, their views and attitudes to be kept private; they have the right to privacy. As Brown (1993) stated: ‘Control of personal information is viewed as an expression of autonomy and as an individuals right to protect his or her social vulnerability and identity. To ensure that this guideline is met, the participants data should be used in such a way that only the researcher knows who provided the information. In some cases however, even the researcher need not know of the source. This applied to my research, as participants were selected randomly around the university and college and were told that the questionnaires would remain anonymous as no name or contact information would be taken from them. In addition, the questionnaires submitted online via Facebook, were also submitted anonymously and the answers provided were kept confidential. Ø Informed consent Informed consent is difficult to define and it is difficult to know whether someone has given informed consent or not. Informed consent gives the right of every individual when taking part in research, so can not be ignored (Couchman and Dawson 1990). It is vital that sufficient information is given in order for an individual to decide whether he/she wish to take part in the research (Polit and Hungler 1991) this decision is voluntary and relies on the individual themselves. Participants are more likely to take part in research if they think it is of benefit, or has positive consequences for themselves or society in general in the long run, this is also known as consequentialism. Informed consent was given by the participants in this research after being told about the main aims and purpose of research, this was done verbally and was also stated on the brief supplied along with the questionnaire, which gave participants the right to withdraw from the research at any time. Participant s also gave their consent to participate via the online questionnaire, as they werent forced into completing this and could also withdraw at any time. Ø Deception If participants are deceived in any way, then researchers will suffer from a lack of trustworthiness, so it is imperative that they are not. However, some researchers state that deception must be present in some cases in order to receive valid and reliable data (Gans, 1962; Douglas, 1979). This was not the case in this research as participants were given a full explanation for the purpose of this research, so they were not deceived in any way. Ø Cultural variations It is important to understand that cultural differences may exist in ethical acceptability of research. Conflicts and problems may arise when the researchers are from a different culture to that of their participants. The ethical guidelines of cultural variations do not relate to this particular research, as participants are from the same culture i.e. UK, Bradford university, college and school students to be precise. Looking at these ethical issues, it can be said that this research is ethically sound as all forms of the ethical guidelines have been met and not broken in any way. Methodological issues The research method employed within this study is a questionnaire, both paper based (appendix 1) and online based (appendix 3). There are many advantages as well as disadvantages for using this type of survey method. Below the two distribution methods have been separated and the issues concerning both have been examined separately. Paper Based Questionnaire There are many advantages of using a paper based questionnaire, one of which is anonymity which allows the questionnaire to be analysed and examined without bias input from the researcher. Berdie, Anderson and Niebuhr (1986) stated that ‘an anonymous study is one which nobody (not even the study directors) can identify who provided data on completed questionnaires. People are also more likely to participate in research if they know that their identification is not known by any individual, therefore increasing the response rate of participants. The response rate could be increased due to the cover sheet attached to a questionnaire. Studies have shown this to have an affect on whether the participant completes the questionnaire or not, so keeping this short and maintaining a friendly tone is vital (Goode and Hatt, 1962). Privacy issues are also adhered which makes the questionnaire fair regardless of respondent. The interpretation and analysis of data is also fairly easy in questionnaires compared to other methods of data collection, especially in the case of closed ended questions and fixed response questions where the results can be easily calculated. As well as the advantages, on the other hand there are also many disadvantages of this data collection technique, one of which includes time consumption. The time taken to fill out a questionnaire varies and is dependent on what the researcher wants to find out. If the respondent feels the questionnaire may take some time to complete, it results in them refusing to participate which would restrict the range of respondents. Also if a participant is half way through the questionnaire and realises that it is taking longer than anticipated, it may result in them speeding up their response rate leading to inaccurate results. The time taken to create, distribute and collec Research Study into the Causes of Youth Binge Drinking Research Study into the Causes of Youth Binge Drinking What are the causes of ‘binge drinking amongst youngsters Abstract The meaning of ‘binge drinking has been questioned considerably; there is no one such definition as it is seen to be too broad and complex. A broad definition that could be used however would be drinking too much alcohol at once or over the recommended daily units, which according to the NHS is no more than 4 units for men and no more than 3 for women. The consumption of alcohol in the UK is on the increase especially amongst youngsters, which has lead to great concern. This dissertation explores a range of issues that aimed to find out the main factors that causes youngsters aged 16-24 to ‘binge drink. This was done by taking a qualitative and quantitative approach in the form of a questionnaire which included 24 questions with regards to the consumption of alcohol. These were paper based questionnaires as well as online based questionnaires which were given to a sample of 60 students to complete. Results showed that there are a number of factors which cause youngsters to consume alcohol. One of the main reasons for the consumption was due to the social aspect. Drinking alcohol is seen as a ‘normal thing to do when socialising with peers, therefore this could lead to binge drinking. Other factors include peer pressure, stress release, enjoyment and confidence booster. However, findings show that the topic is more complex than this; therefore further research and investigation would need to be undertaken to fully grasp the issues underly ing this subject matter. Introduction Significance of the issue The United Kingdom is considered to have one of the most problematic affairs with alcohol due to drinking patterns and styles that have developed over the past century. While numerous other western European countries, such as Spain and France, have seen a decline in overall alcohol consumption, the United Kingdoms overall consumption is on the increase. Greater concern is amongst those aged 16-24 years who are primarily associated with ‘binge drinking. As levels of drinking have increased so has the cause for concern due to social and health consequences, with 30% of men and 25% of women drinking more than the recommended intake. (Paton 2005, p.1) Young people in particular are drinking larger amounts of alcohol over shorter periods of time. The recommended limits of alcohol per session (according to the NHS) should be no more than 3-4 units for men and 2-3 units for women. In 1990, the average amount of alcohol drunk by 11-15 year olds as a whole was 0.8 units in a typical week, rising to 1.6 units in 1998 (Goddard and Higgins 1999). Among those youngsters who do drink, the average of 5.3 units in 1990 increased to 10.5 units in 2002 (Boreham and McManus 2003) which is almost double the amount drunk twelve years previously. Those aged 16-24 in the UK are more likely to binge drink with 36% of men and 27% of women reportedly binge drinking in 2002 at least once a week (Office for National Statistics). These s show potential dangers and risks for youngsters in many ways. A chief example of these risks and dangers would be physical health. Research has suggested that excessive alcohol consumption can lead youngsters to experience many problems, the main symptoms being breathing problems, leading to coma and inhalation of vomit (Lamminpaa 1995). Other dangers of physical health would be through the damage of the organs, mainly the liver, brain and heart (Tuttle, Mazurek, Loveland-Cherry, 2002). Other risk factors affecting youngsters as a result of high alcohol consumption would be the risk of accident and injuries, as they have limited experience in the effects of drinking alcohol and regularly consume alcohol in high risk areas without adult supervision (Newburn and Shiner 2003). These are just a few dangers and risks outlined that are associated with adolescent alcohol consumption, and the reason why the increase of alcohol consumption by young people is concerning, therefore the factors that affect alcohol consumption and what causes this to increase needs to be looked into further in order to avoid these dangers from increasing in the future. Aims/objectives The general aim of this dissertation is to explore what binge drinking is and to investigate the main factors and causes associated with high alcohol consumption amongst youngsters aged 16-24, looking at students in particular. The main objectives are to look at what binge drinking actually is, as there are many definitions and questions arisen as to what could be defined as ‘binge drinking. Also to look at the different causes of high alcohol consumption and an attempt to explain the how and why binge drinking affects youngsters in particular. Future recommendations will also be given, and an attempt will be made to investigate how much people actually know about binge drinking. In order to meet these aims and objectives, research will be conducted in the form of a questionnaire which will be handed out and undertaken around the University of Bradford and Bradford College, as well as posting the questionnaire online through a social networking site known as Facebook. The questionnaire approach method was decided to be taken as this will help this study meet the aim and objectives in many ways; it will enable a detailed examination of the explicit problems that will be investigated, as a method of both qualitative and quantitative data collection. As described by Porter (2000) the differences between the two methods of data collection lie in their focus of analysis. Quantitative research focuses on the quantity i.e. numbers, which aim to identify the relationship between different events. Whereas qualitative research on the other hand is more concerned with the quality of data, focusing on words in the form of writing, this aims to search for the reason behind the actions. As the aim of this research is to investigate the main causes associated with binge drinking amongst youngsters, the questionnaire approach was seen to be more reliable than other methods of data collection as it gives the opportunity to collect both qualitative and quantitative forms of data, which as a result will help in the exploring, investigating and analysing process. Polit and Hungler (1999) stated that a quantitative approach is unsuitable for studying human behaviour, as it is reductionist in nature because it limits human experience to only a small amount of concepts. Therefore a number of questions will be asked in the questionnaire, both open ended and closed ended, in order to gather both quantitative and qualitative forms of data which will reduce reductionism. Questionnaires also provide the opportunity to be distributed to a much larger number of samples quite easily compared to other methods of data collection, and are a more common form of measuring attitudes and beliefs (Sim and Wright 2000). It was therefore decided that questionnaires would be distributed around the University of Bradford campus, the students union in particular, and Bradford College with the aim of gathering an insight into the factors affecting and influencing binge drinking among youngsters. Overall approach The overall approach to this dissertation will be a combination of a literature review and the questionnaire as primary research. The literature review will provide the theoretical background and foundations for the questionnaire that will be conducted, in addition to providing raw data on the history and context of youngsters in relation to alcohol. After the literature review the primary research methodology will be presented, followed by the assessment and evaluation of the methodological issues. The subsequent chapter will then present the results and findings of the research in the form of qualitative data, as well as presenting quantitative data in the form of graphs and charts. There will then be an analysis chapter where the findings from this research will be correlated to the findings presented in the literature review, and both will be linked and analysed. The final chapter will then provide the conclusion and summing up, essentially in relation to the main aim and objectives of the research. Limitations of this research will also be presented here as well as recommendations for future research. Literature review There is a large amount of literature available on ‘binge drinking issues in relation to youngsters, and the factors that are associated with high alcohol consumption. There are many influences affecting young adults drinking behaviour such as gender, age, social class and religion, as well as social, personality and biological factors, and the physical availability and prices of alcohol beverages. Young adults heavy drinking is influenced mainly by social norms of the society, secondly by socialising and thirdly by modelling, which is seen as the perception of other peoples behaviour. According to Cooper (2000) young adults may value the social opportunities drinking situations offer to such a degree, that they be inclined to define drinking itself as a secondary activity to social interaction with other members (Cooper, 2000, p. 39-42). In 1995 one of the first major investigations had taken place by the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD). The study was conducted in the UK as well as 22 other European countries with a sample of 15-16 year old students. The main aim was to examine potentially risky behaviour in the use of smoking, illicit drugs and drinking amongst youngsters (Miller and Plant, 1996). Results showed that the UK was amongst those countries with the highest levels of profound drinking and drunkenness (Hibell et al., 1997). A follow-up ESPAD study was undertaken four years later in 1999, which involved more than 90,000 students from 30 different countries, this being one of the largest major international studies of alcohol ever attempted. This report established that youngsters in the UK had remained in the same position as the earlier 1995 study, as having one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption from the 30 different countries that had taken part. As a result, youngsters from countries with the highest levels of intoxication (UK being one of them) were more likely to consume alcohol in heavy sessions and produce higher levels of episodic ‘binge drinking. Researchers found that these heavy sessions mainly occurred on weekends in the form of parties and ‘get-togethers. Youngsters also reported that they believed those who drink the most, enjoy the most so drinking alcohol had positive effects on them, even if this also results in unfavourable consequences i.e. ‘hangovers. One international study known as the GENACIS study, found that people are unsure about the effects caused by binge drinking, and are willing to acknowledge the negative experiences as the ‘price they pay for enjoying their drinking (Plant et al 2002). In conclusion, parents who teach their children to drink within the context of a controlled home environment, result in the children drinking less and with fewer problems than those who drink outside of their home environment under minimum supervision. A study by E Webb, C. H. Ashton, P. Kelly, and F Kamali (1996) was conducted on university students from ten UK based universities, with a sample of 3075 second year university students. A questionnaire was distributed whilst scheduled lectures were taking place. Results showed that 61% of men and 48% of women exceeded the ‘sensible weekly limits. Binge drinking was reported by 31% of men and 24% of women. The main reason for drinking was pleasure, which was reported by 89% of men and 92% of women. Other factors included habit, to increase confidence, decrease anxiety/stress and social pleasure. The main findings by Webb et al. were that a considerable amount of university students are drinking above sensible recommended limits. This applies not just to university students, but has also been found amongst young people in general in the UK. There are many perceptions of alcohol consumption, one of which is mainly the perception of becoming an adult. According to Plant and Plant (1992) alcohol has been regarded as an important rite of passage into adulthood for a number of years. Many participants have introduced alcohol into their social life as they believe it is an indicator of them becoming an adult. Alcohol consumption was traditionally associated with the males going to pubs and drinking beer (Lees 1986). It was also traditionally associated with a males ability to display masculinity (McDonald 1994). However, Honess et al (2000) stated that motivation for the consumption of alcohol amongst adolescents, are now more complex than imitating adult behaviour. Honess et al (2000) found another perception of alcohol consumption, which was as a means of releasing stress. Participants from the study perceived the consumption of alcohol as a way of relaxing after a stressful day at work for example. Another major factor found to influence and cause alcohol consumption to increase is peer groups. Swadi (1999) stated that the influence of peers is a key motivation factor for adolescent alcohol consumption and their perception towards alcohol, as it is now becoming increasingly important for youngsters to gain a social status and develop an identity for themselves amongst their peer groups. As well as peer groups, parents have shown to have an affect on young peoples attitudes towards alcohol too. Youngsters imitate the behaviour, alcohol consumption and perceptions of that of their own parents (Yu 2003). One respondent called Amy from the study by Yu (2003) for example, stated: ‘At 15, I didnt really know anyone who drank, I perhaps might have had a glass of wine at Christmas or half a glass but that was it and my mum and dad didnt really drink, we didnt go to places where people were drinking comments like this from respondents from the study proved that the exposure of alcohol from parents has a major impact and influence on youngsters, as Amy wasnt really exposed to alcohol much from a young age, she did not perceive drinking alcohol as a ‘normal thing to do therefore does not often take part in such activities and behaviour. As a result, the findings by Yu (2003) have been supported; who found that heavy drinking in adolescent offspring can be reduced a nd prevented within the home environment depending on that of their parents. Paton (2005) also found that youngsters are more likely to become heavy drinkers themselves if they have a family history of alcohol misuse. He came up with three main factors that he stated influenced alcohol consumption: Genes, Family and Environmental factors. He claimed that the main influence on the risk of misusing alcohol was the family factor with 46%, secondly was genes with 36.5% then third most important are environmental factors with just 17.5%. He found that ‘alcoholism was more evident amongst identical twins and there was an increase of ‘alcoholism amongst men that were separated from their alcoholic parents after birth. The family factor also played a role in the influence according to Paton (2005). Results showed that up to 50% of heavy drinkers have a history of family alcohol misuse, this was characterised by starting to drink at a young age, addiction, chaotic drinking and antisocial behaviour. Paton (2005) also found that behavioural factors such as b oredom, habit, low self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety and depression can also help promote the consumption of alcohol. He also claimed that drinking alcohol is determined by environmental factors such as culture, availability and price, individuals needs, life events and circumstances. (Paton, Touquet, 2005, p.13). There have been significant cultural influences on alcohol consumption as reported by Ledous, Miller, Choquet and Plant (2002), who looked at adolescent alcohol consumption of that of teenagers in the UK and France. Results showed that adolescents in the UK were more likely to have consumed alcohol six or more times in the past twenty days, than that of the adolescents in France. This demonstrates the difference in the drinking cultures amid different countries. A further study by Cameron (2000) looked into these cultural differences in an attempt to describe such contrasts. This was done by comparing the drinking cultures of Northern Europe countries to that of Southern Europe countries. Cameron (2000) found that countries in the northern region are seen to have ‘wet drinking cultures, in other words people in the northern region drink excessively in order to become drunk as a result of bringing about more alcohol into their daily lives and adhering to fewer government restric tions. This supports the idea that drinking to get drunk is seen as ‘normal behaviour to youngsters within the British culture. The definitions of ‘binge drinking are broad in nature and have been questioned considerably. There is no one such definition to define binge drinking. Studies have shown that many respondents very rarely define binge drinking in accordance with the number of units actually being consumed. A 1997 report for the US based International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) addressed the lack of formal definitions. Recent publications have defined binge drinking as drinking over half of the recommended number of units of alcohol in a week per session. These publications show that researchers tend to adopt the most general definition based on previous research conducted, with no such explanation or rationale for their stated definition. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) illustrates binge drinking as drinking eight or more units of alcohol at least one day in the week for men, and six or more units for women, this is in line with sensible drinking guidelines using daily standard s, therefore could serve as an estimate of binge drinking, with the absence of a Department of Health (DoH) definition. A longitudinal study carried out on high school students by Schulenberg et al (1996) found that 30% of the students had altered their drinking patterns during the conversion period of adolescence to adulthood. 20% of the students who classed themselves as binge drinkers had reduced their heavy drinking as they reached adulthood. However, 165 of the students had increased their binge drinking or had to some extent sustained a pattern of persistent binge drinking as they reached adulthood. Once adult roles are undertaken such as employment, marriage and parenthood, and then these patterns of drinking are shown to decrease and fade out. Also, unfavourable life events such as divorce are correlated with binge drinking, as statistics show that 29.6% of separated and divorced people were occupied in weekly binges, compared to that of only 17.9% of married people. Primary Research Methodology The general aim was to find out what causes youngsters (aged 16-24) to binge drink, this was tested through the use of a questionnaire design. The questionnaires consisted of twenty four questions in relation to drinking, along with a brief at the beginning of each of the questionnaires (see appendix 1) which provided the participants an explanation of the main purpose and context of the research, as well as outlining ethical considerations i.e. anonymity of the questionnaire which ensured the participants that their answers and identifications would remain anonymous and that they could withdraw from the research at any time. The questionnaires included both closed ended and open ended questions, this was to give the participants an opportunity to express their views in relation to the subject matter, and also provided the opportunity to gather quantitative as well as qualitative data to be collected and researched. To ensure that the results were a true reflection of society, the right type of research methodology had to be selected. Questionnaires were primarily selected as it allowed the results to be gathered directly from the target audience. The questionnaires allowed the data to be collected in a structured way because the same questions were asked to all participants in exactly the same order. The inclusion of quantitative, closed ended questions ensured that the data was consistent because the respondents are limited to the answers that they could state, which also makes the interpretation of data simple. The inclusion of qualitative questions allows the respondent to express their own opinions and arguments which may not be covered in the closed questions. After selecting the main research method it was then essential to target the correct audience. Any flaws at this stage could have led to the wrong type of group filling in the questionnaires which would result in incorrect data being gathered. For example, if the questionnaires were handed out in an elderly care home, the results would be of no use in this scenario as the main purpose of this dissertation is based around young adults aged 16-24. The questionnaires were handed out physically around the Students Union (SU) area at the University of Bradford and Bradford College over the period of three days, in addition to this a group was formed on Facebook, a social networking site which provided a link to the questionnaire which could be completed and submitted online by the general public. The students union was selected for the primary location as it is associated with the correct age group for this research and is also has strong links with alcohol consumption. Bradford College w as chosen due to most students being aged within the 16-24 age category. Due to the high interactivity with the internet amongst young adults it was essential that this type of medium was also used to gather results. The internet is a very popular medium in this digital age which allows results to be gathered nationally therefore providing a better sample of results to base the dissertation on. Facebook allowed me to target specific individuals which ensured the validity and fairness of the results. Each respondent that joined this group on Facebook was provided with the essential information needed to give them an understanding of the main aims and objectives of the research, as well as give them information regarding ethical issues, such as anonymity. Once potential respondents were chosen via Facebook they were then invited to join a group specifically created for this dissertation which provided them with a link to the survey. The online survey creator which was specifically sel ected to provide the link for the online questionnaire (See appendix 3) was from the website ‘tigersurvey.com. This was primarily chosen due to its ease of use and ensured questionnaires were submitted anonymously to override any privacy issues, it also gives an automatic calculation for each of the questions which would make the analysis process much easier (see appendix 4). The questionnaires were given out to students in the month of January 2009 during the hours of 12-2pm. This slot was chosen due to the sheer number of students that are present on campus at this time due to lunchtime. The issue of timing is very important as it allows a wider audience to respond making the results accurate and more effective. The type of research conducted was close to a street survey in which participants are asked questions face to face in bustling environments. The only difference in this case was instead of asking participants questions directly they were given a paper based questionnaire, which overrides various issues such as verbal problems, accent problems, shyness and language barriers etc. The link for the online questionnaire was also created in the same month; however this was free to fill out at any time during the day. The sampling method for a study is described as the process for selecting individuals from the population to be included in a research project (Hammersley and Mairs 2004). Rubenstein (1994) stated that there is no definite number of participants that should be used within a study however, other researchers such as Baum (2000) believed that a sample should consist of between twelve and twenty participants in order to obtain maximum variation in the findings, taking into consideration the actual nature of each study. A sample size of 60 students aged between 16-24 years were used for the research in order to achieve this maximum variation, these were a mixture of school, college and university students. The technique of random sampling was used, where each member of the public has an equal chance of being selected. Before the questionnaires were distributed a pilot study was conducted in the previous week, this is a pre-testing stage which gives the opportunity to identify and correct any misleading, unclear or double barrelled questions. The respondents from the pilot study were debriefed to determine whether the questions asked were confusing or misleading in any way or another, and to receive initial feedback in general about the questionnaire. After receiving the feedback some of the questions had to be reworked to ensure that they were understood by all participants and allowed the questions to be answered correctly. The advantage of doing a pilot study includes reduced costs (paper), reduced time, and ensures correct method and effectiveness. If a pilot study was not conducted before a full scale research it could result in falsifying responses from respondents leading to inaccurate results being collected. Ethical Issues It is vital to protect human rights when conducting research involving human beings (Polit and Hungler 1997). Sim and Wright (2000) outlined three ways in which a research question must be ethical: 1. Methods that could possibly threaten the welfare of participants should not be incorporated 2. If the findings of a research are seen to be detrimental of certain individuals in any way, then it should not be continued 3. Certain groups of the population should not be consistently excluded in research Ethical considerations are important in helping researchers to decide whether an investigation or field of study is ethically acceptable, and decide whether it should be continued or not. Ethical issues in relation to research are now mostly considered with research involving human beings. Some examples of these researchers are Moody (1990), Polit and Hungler (1991), Brown (1993). Most ethical guidelines were initiated due to research that was undertaken during the Second World War. Some of the ethical guidelines are as follows: Ø Anonymity and Confidentiality Participants may want information about themselves, their views and attitudes to be kept private; they have the right to privacy. As Brown (1993) stated: ‘Control of personal information is viewed as an expression of autonomy and as an individuals right to protect his or her social vulnerability and identity. To ensure that this guideline is met, the participants data should be used in such a way that only the researcher knows who provided the information. In some cases however, even the researcher need not know of the source. This applied to my research, as participants were selected randomly around the university and college and were told that the questionnaires would remain anonymous as no name or contact information would be taken from them. In addition, the questionnaires submitted online via Facebook, were also submitted anonymously and the answers provided were kept confidential. Ø Informed consent Informed consent is difficult to define and it is difficult to know whether someone has given informed consent or not. Informed consent gives the right of every individual when taking part in research, so can not be ignored (Couchman and Dawson 1990). It is vital that sufficient information is given in order for an individual to decide whether he/she wish to take part in the research (Polit and Hungler 1991) this decision is voluntary and relies on the individual themselves. Participants are more likely to take part in research if they think it is of benefit, or has positive consequences for themselves or society in general in the long run, this is also known as consequentialism. Informed consent was given by the participants in this research after being told about the main aims and purpose of research, this was done verbally and was also stated on the brief supplied along with the questionnaire, which gave participants the right to withdraw from the research at any time. Participant s also gave their consent to participate via the online questionnaire, as they werent forced into completing this and could also withdraw at any time. Ø Deception If participants are deceived in any way, then researchers will suffer from a lack of trustworthiness, so it is imperative that they are not. However, some researchers state that deception must be present in some cases in order to receive valid and reliable data (Gans, 1962; Douglas, 1979). This was not the case in this research as participants were given a full explanation for the purpose of this research, so they were not deceived in any way. Ø Cultural variations It is important to understand that cultural differences may exist in ethical acceptability of research. Conflicts and problems may arise when the researchers are from a different culture to that of their participants. The ethical guidelines of cultural variations do not relate to this particular research, as participants are from the same culture i.e. UK, Bradford university, college and school students to be precise. Looking at these ethical issues, it can be said that this research is ethically sound as all forms of the ethical guidelines have been met and not broken in any way. Methodological issues The research method employed within this study is a questionnaire, both paper based (appendix 1) and online based (appendix 3). There are many advantages as well as disadvantages for using this type of survey method. Below the two distribution methods have been separated and the issues concerning both have been examined separately. Paper Based Questionnaire There are many advantages of using a paper based questionnaire, one of which is anonymity which allows the questionnaire to be analysed and examined without bias input from the researcher. Berdie, Anderson and Niebuhr (1986) stated that ‘an anonymous study is one which nobody (not even the study directors) can identify who provided data on completed questionnaires. People are also more likely to participate in research if they know that their identification is not known by any individual, therefore increasing the response rate of participants. The response rate could be increased due to the cover sheet attached to a questionnaire. Studies have shown this to have an affect on whether the participant completes the questionnaire or not, so keeping this short and maintaining a friendly tone is vital (Goode and Hatt, 1962). Privacy issues are also adhered which makes the questionnaire fair regardless of respondent. The interpretation and analysis of data is also fairly easy in questionnaires compared to other methods of data collection, especially in the case of closed ended questions and fixed response questions where the results can be easily calculated. As well as the advantages, on the other hand there are also many disadvantages of this data collection technique, one of which includes time consumption. The time taken to fill out a questionnaire varies and is dependent on what the researcher wants to find out. If the respondent feels the questionnaire may take some time to complete, it results in them refusing to participate which would restrict the range of respondents. Also if a participant is half way through the questionnaire and realises that it is taking longer than anticipated, it may result in them speeding up their response rate leading to inaccurate results. The time taken to create, distribute and collec