Design Differences in Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research :: sociology,

The design differences in qualitative research in comparison to quantitative research plainly seen are these: qualitative research involves words, pictures, or objects; quantitative involves data in the form of numbers and statistics. The researcher uses in-depth interviews in qualitative research to find out how the subjects view their world. In quantitative research the researcher uses precise measurement to predict hypotheses. In qualitative research the researcher changes the environment of the subject and uses these in-depth questionnaires to find differing attitudes about the world we live in. Quantitative can be personal, such as in periodic visits with the researchers to analysis symptoms and record data. Qualitative and quantitative can overlap in the in-dept interview process in quantitative research to record data and test subjects for symptoms. The two designs can overlap but there are finally differences such as numerical data collection and statistics that will always b e at odds. I will always disagree with the statement that quantitative research is impersonal since experience is the best knowledge to know that is not true even though on the surface quantitative research seems impersonal because raw data is obtained. It first begins with the interview in both methods. Then it progresses and branches off into two very different methods. The human quality is there throughout the study in quantitative research though you are required to impute data into the system daily. When you meet with the researchers periodically you are reminded of the human quality. Researchers in all research care about their subjects, if even in professional way. In ending, these are the definitive differences between the two methods that are most recognized: The quantitative method first involves a theory and hypothesis clearly stated in the beginning, the qualitative methods do not formulate a hypothesis until the end of the study. Secondly, the quantitative method involves manipulation and control. An example of manipulation is the drug the control is the placebo. The drug is the instrument, you are being experimented on, the data you give is analyzed and a theory or hypothesis is reasoned. Then the data is reduced to statistics that are abstract and understandable by statististitians. Secondly in comparison, qualitative research ends with the hypothesis, involves emergence and portrayal of the world through the subjects eyes, the researcher changes the subjects environment so the he/she can observe how the subject reacts in certain ways, the researcher measures emotional responses and is directly involved in the research as being a confederate, or an impartial observer.

Philosophy of Art Essay

Introduction This paper attempts to establish what practitioners of philosophy can learn from practitioners of Art. In doing so, the paper first looks into art and philosophy so as to offer a clear understanding of the subjects, before turning into the main theme. What is Art?   Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the above question appears simple, it is interesting and can, and is answered by reverting to the philosophy of art. In addition, art embraces descriptions of beauty, taste, symbolism as well as representation. Philosophy of art also explores the association existing between the individual artist (ideas), and the bigger congregation (audiences, culture, and universe) (Carroll N, 1998). That being the case, what does philosophy of art tell us about art? Some versions assert that art is a creative activity, expression or process of humans. According to Leo Tolstoy ‘Art is that human activity which consists in one human consciously conveying to others, by certain external signs, the feelings he has experienced and in others being affected by those feelings and also experiencing them.’ (Carroll N, 1998). On the other hand, when something is done perfectly or acquainted by study and practice; it is referred to as an art (Carroll N, 1998). For instance, driving a car, dressing in a nice dress, laying a child to sleep or even the art of conversion. In essence, art includes objects developed by humans that have aesthetic value or present symbolic meaning encompassing drawings, paintings as well as sculpture. Thus from the above observations, art can be said to be a symbolic representation of peoples association with nature (reality/environments). It is able to offer the concealed relations between things. It is beauty, it is truth. However, what does truth and beauty imply? This is where philosophy comes in as philosophy is the art of establishing the truth such that this truth is applied to life. In the same manner, art can be based on established truth that express the wonder and beauty of a relationship to the universe as it is acknowledged in the works of Marcel Proust and Henry Mattisse (Diffey T, 1995). ‘Art is a selective recreation of reality according to an artist’s metaphysical value judgments. An artist recreates those aspects of reality which represent his fundamental view of man’s natures.’   Ã‚  (Marcell Proust)( Diffey T, 1995), while Henry Mattisse writes ‘when we speak of nature, it is wrong to forget that we are ourselves a part of nature. We ought to view ourselves with the same curiosity and openness with which we study a tree, the sky or a thought because we too are linked to the entire universe (Diffey T, 1995).’ The different forms of art are visual arts which involve aspects such as painting, photography and sculpture among others, and fine arts which embrace music, dance, theatre, literature, poetry, etc. What is philosophy? As William Thomas points out, ‘Philosophy studies the fundamental nature of existence of man and man’s relationship to existence†¦in the realm of cognition, the special sciences are the trees but philosophy is the soil which makes the forest possible’ (Bender J, 1993). A philosophy is an all inclusive organization of ideas concerning human nature as well as the nature of the truth we live in. it is a guide of living since the subjects it deals with are crucial and enveloping, establishing the course we take in life and how we treat other people. Among the most important field that philosopher’s deal with fall into a number of separate fields. Among them, the most imperatives ones are; metaphysics which deals with the theory of reality, epistemology that connotes the theory of knowledge, ethics which is theory of moral values, politics which is theory of legal rights and government and aesthetics which refers to theory of nature of art (Carroll N, 1998). The vehicle for philosophical guidance is religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism as well as Islam. Religions vary from philosophers not in the issues they deal with but in the ways they employ to address them. Religions are based on mythic stories that existed earlier before discovery of unequivocally cogent methods of inquiry (Bender J, 1993). The present day religion (majority of) appeal to mystical faith as well as revelation sort of belief that claim legitimacy independent of logic, and the scientific method, at least made for the biggest subjects. However, majority of religions are in their commencement pre-rational as opposed to anti-rational, a story teller’s account of philosophic issues as opposed to scientists (Bender J, 1993). Philosophy in Greek connotes ‘love of wisdom’. Philosophy is founded on rational arguments and appeal to facts (Bender J, 1993). Modern science history began with philosophical enquiries and the scientific method of research and proof is an aspect of the general approach that a philosopher attempts to bring to a question; one that is coherent and vigorous. Philosophy is known to offer deep and wide questions presently. Dealing with the issues in each branch of philosophy calls for integration of everything one knows concerning reality (metaphysics) or humanity (epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics) recommending reasonable inclination in philosophy therefore is not a simple job. Frankly, philosophers more often than not disagree about principle subject; some slipping their own positions in the mix as well (Diffey T, 1995). Thus, there is no particular philosophy world wide as is the case with physics, chemistry among other disciplines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having clearly distinguished the two disciplines, then we can embark on the issue of what a philosopher can learn from an artist. This calls us to explore the subfield of philosophy. It relates to nature of art, in addition to performing of arts as well as painting, sculpture and literature (Diffey T, 1995). Major concerns in aesthetic comprise of how artistic creations should be construed as well as assessed and how the arts are linked to one another, to natural beauty, morality, religious science as well as other crucial aspects of human life. The association between art and epistemology has been everlastingly tenuous and burdened with a lot of arguments (Diffey T, 1995). It is acknowledged that there is something meaningful from experiences as well as interactions with works of arts. However, it is not considered as obvious that whether or not the experiences one has with art can produce propositional understanding that is represented by true vindicated belief (Diffey T, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whereas engaging objects aesthetically is both insightness and emotionally burdening practice, it is also essentially cognitive. Therefore, it can be said that aesthetic engagement is based on various epistemological concerns (Carroll N, 1998). For instance, philosophers claim to know about art. People say that they believed the play was good or bad, but the emotions it produced were called for, justified, manipulative or suitable. In most cases, people allege that they learn from art, that art alters their view of the world and that art has influence on the way they view as well as make sense of the world (Carroll N, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It also widely acknowledged that works of arts particularly good works of art, can cause view points about the world and can in turn offer knowledge concerning the world (Carroll N, 1998). However, what can exactly be known about art? Does art have any sort of propositional content that resembles the context that philosophers claim to require for other sort of knowledge claim?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The subject of whether philosophers have something to learn from artists revolves back to the period of Plato. Plato warned about the perils of making a fuss of mimetic as well as narrative demonstrations of the world and human actions. A practitioner of philosophy by his engagement with art permits certain emotions or activities that are able to facilitate or produce knowledge. It should be acknowledged that some aspects of art work that are able to produce greater understanding of the surrounding world (Carroll N, 1998).   In this case, art becomes a source of insight as well as awareness, even though it cannot be put into propositional language.   It can help people (philosophy practitioners) see the world in a new or different way (Carroll N, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They are often those who view art as being incapable of offering knowledge primarily because it does not generate any truth; they argue that since art cannot offer facts or produce arguments then there is nothing to learn from it (Diffey T, 1995).   They further argue that art cannot be acknowledged as a source of knowledge as it is not productive of knowledge, construed in the convectional sense of vindictive true belief. They assert that art is devoid of propositional content capable of being learnt the conventional way, whereas it has influences that promote knowledge and that can promote or weaken the development of understanding. Thus the net effect is to reject art as a source of knowledge as it does not offer true beliefs and furthermore because it does not as well as cannot vindicate the views that it does express (Diffey T, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, those who are for and those against concur that art is a source of knowledge, the only way that it can probably satisfy such a function be it that knowledge neglected something crucial to art’s nature as well as value (Diffey T, 1995). Plato articulates that it is possible for an artist to make a representation of a thing without having advance knowledge of his presentation.   For instance, painters represent cobblers when the painters have no idea how to make shoes, and poets write about virtue such as beauty and courage without any clear knowledge of these attributes (Carroll N, 1998). To Plato, it is only philosophers and moreover, those who struggle to intuit (feel) the forms and employ abstract reasoning are able to have know-how of these virtues.   To him, the same things exist even for the literary arts in particular.   He asserts that the more one engages in emotions brought about by representations, the more likely one is to suffer the influences of an unstable soul and finally the growth of bad attitude (Carroll N, 1998). Aristotle seems to have agreed with Plato that art influences the development of one’s moral character.   These two philosophers believed that people learn from art, however, Plato argued that the gained knowledge was harmful while Aristotle argued that it was beneficial (Carroll N, 1998). Going back to the period of renaissance and beyond it should be noted that the works of art such as poetry and fiction engages the emotions of a philosopher in a healthy way rather as opposed to detrimental manner (Bender J, 1993).   Some philosophers point out that there are there crucial types of knowledge claims that can be made concerning arts which are distinguished by objects. The first is what philosophers claim to know or believe concerning the art object itself and anything unreal or fictional worlds might be linked to that object. The second aspect of knowledge claim about art relates to what is known or believed to be appropriate emotional reaction to the art work. It is crucial to note at this point that works of art are correct, understood through having a certain kind of emotional response to them (Bender J, 1993). The only problem encountered in this course is that it is not possible to establish the kind of response that is appropriate in relation to a particular work of art (Bender J, 1993). The last kind of knowledge claim that is available as far as art is concerned relates to the nature of information art can offer about the whole world (Bender J, 1993). It is important to note that art affords imperative insight into the way philosophers order and understand the world. Art gives a certain degree of meaning to the lives of philosophers. Art, particularly literature, draws out novel views (beliefs) as well as new knowledge concerning the world (Bender J, 1993). Conclusion From the above, it is noteworthy that philosophy practitioners have a lot to learn from practitioners of art. It is important to acknowledge what constitutes knowledge so as to be able to understand how art impacts the subject. Reference Bender, John (1993).   â€Å"Art as a Source of Knowledge: Linking Analytic Aesthetics and Epistemology.† In Contemporary Philosophy of Art, ed. John Bender and Gene Blocker. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Carroll, Noel (1998). â€Å"Art, Narrative, and Moral Understanding.† In Aesthetics and Ethics: Essays at the Intersection, ed. Jerrold Levinson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Diffey, T .J (1995): â€Å"What Can We Learn From Art?† Australasian Journal of Philosophy 73 202-11.

Kids & Cops Essay

My essay is about what drugs can do to you. Drugs and the people who supply drugs do not care about you and what happens to you as a person. The people who give children drugs are not your friends! Drugs can take a healthy child and change them within a matter of minutes. Drugs can sometimes put you in a hospital never to return home to your family, pets, friends, or school. Taking drugs can cause people to never want to play with you or be friends with you. Drugs can change your entire personality.Parents will never let their kids play with other kids that do drugs. Kids who don’t us drugs are afraid of people who use them. Parents and other people look down on people that do drugs and think less of them. Not only does drugs affect your outer looks it kills brain cells and causes you to do things without thinking of the consequences. You should always stay drug-free because drugs can lead to death. Drugs can cause brain damage, heart failure, lung cancer, kidney failure and a lso car accidents.If you are using drugs while driving a car you could easily have a wreck and not only hurt yourself but take another life. Please don’t use drugs. No matter what anyone says, drugs are BAD in any city, state, or country. Drugs and the people that use drugs and supply drugs are going nowhere in life. If you stay drug-free you can rest assure you have the chance of a very successful life. Please use good judgement now and always, stay drug-free and don’t hurt the people that love you the most!

My best educational experience Essay

My best educational experience was learning to drive my car. My [insert figure name] taught me how to understand the basics of driving as well as defensive driving. He or she would always state that driving was a big responsibility. I always wondered why driving a car could be a responsibility and I learned it very slowly during my driving course in school. Our instructor stated that driving was a two-way encounter with others and your own vehicle. He did not allow us to get into a car until we understood the rules of the road. For instance, did you know that you must wear a seatbelt no matter what? And it’s also important to check under and in your car before cranking the ignition? I never thought that stuff was important unless it was in a movie. After he ensured us that it was for our safety, I check to make sure I’m okay. Learning the rules of the road was an easy task. We had to learn about the signal lights, lines of the roads, and basics of driving with others. My vision test (signal lights and signs) was a breeze because the signs were so easy to remember. At first, I could not remember which sign meant construction workers and pedestrians; now I can recognize any sign that involves individuals crossing my path. Learning how to drive a car also meant learning how to understand my car. Our driving instructor taught us the general structure of a car by posting pictures and having actual parts in our class. Each day, we learned a new part and how it functions in our car. The third day of class was our messiest; he brought a transmission into our classroom with oil on it. He stated that our cars would not be able to move if our transmission did not work. I really didn’t know that before he told me – and it makes me wonder how naive I would have been without knowing it. By the end of the seven weeks, our instructor took us on the road. I was the 12th driver listed for an on-road exam for my permit. I was very nervous because I had to get on the road with other experienced drivers. My instructor told me to be careful and relax. I relaxed then I was careful with my driving. I realized that being ‘uptight’ about the situation could make things worse. Driving a car was not surgery (even though our instructor made it seem that way). Driving was an enjoyment because I could determine my destinations. If I wanted to get away and go to the beach, all I had to do is crank my car and fill up the tank. The freedom of driving has taught me how to appreciate my time. By having access to a vehicle, I realized that I was fortunate to feel comfortable behind a wheel. Cars are a big responsibility and I agree with [insert figure name]. It does take a responsible person to travel highways at high speeds in a vehicle. I’m glad that I was able to become one of those responsible people and learning to drive was an amazing experience – it taught me how to guide myself in the right direction.

Definition of Politics Essay

The art and science of government; dealing with the form, organisation and administration of a state or part of one, and of the regulation of its relations with other states†¦political [means] belonging to or pertaining to the state, its government and policy. Oxford English Dictionary. There are two types of political systems, the Centralised political system, and the Decentralised political system. The centralised political system is a means to run the country under central control, with no local authorities creating rules and regulations for a specific area, an example of this is the former Soviet Union, or modern China. This ruling is known as communism. Sports in communist countries are controlled in the same way as any other social agencies, such as education. Sport was used for boosting morale, production, and effectiveness of the military and to provide a successful image for their regime around the world. The athletes of the communist bloc regimes dominated world sport for many years until the cold war ended. A decentralised political system is one where the administration of government is re-organised into smaller autonomous units such as local authorities in the UK and individual states in the USA. Each area decides its own policies on sport provision and effectiveness of sport in schools. Many sports people see sport as a means of escaping every day life, which is controlled by the government and do not which to see sport controlled except by their own governing, bodies e.g. IOC, FIFA. However, government influence cannot be avoided in some circumstances. Sport has been used for government propaganda purposes, for example the Nazi propaganda in the 1936 Olympic Games, which Hitler used to promote his Nazi ideals. In Russia, the government insisted that a fitness campaign called â€Å"Ready for labour and defence† was compulsory for all its citizens and was still operational in the latter half of the 20th century. In our own country, following heavy losses in the Boer war, it was felt that the military was not fit enough and so compulsory fitness exercises was instigated in all state schools in the early 20th century to improve the fitness of the working class. More recently, we can see how politics and sport cannot be separated when the English cricket team pulled out of a group match due to political unrest between Zimbabwe and England. Sport can be used to introduce or reinforce social harmony. By introducing good sporting facilities into areas that have suffered unrest, the government hopes to lure youths to use the facilities wisely in their spare time rather than be involved in anti-social behaviour. The governments Education Act of 1988 affected the provision of sport in schools. The conservative government wanted more control over the teaching of physical education in schools and produced a report called â€Å"Raising the game.†Ã‚  In reality, sport needs politics as much as politics needs sport. For example, the government can provide finance and locations to stage major sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Cup. In return, sporting teams who perform well promote a country to the rest of the world, and raises national pride. All beneficial to any government. Drugs have been used throughout history, since the time of the Greeks and Romans who took substances to improve their performance and so it is not a modern problem. However, drug use in modern sport has become more widespread, and is now shown to be a problem across all the sports and in both genders, at both amateur and professional levels. An increase in drug use came about through various factors such as advances in biology and medicine, the use of drugs in WW2, the development, and availability of testosterone steroids and growth hormones in the 1950’s. Weight trainers saw the potential of these drugs and used them to their own advantage and other athletes were able to see the potential of using drugs to improve their own play e.g. snooker players used beta-blockers to steady nerves.

Global Communication Essay

Communication (especially good communication) is called the heart of all business in these modern times where every piece of information is visible to everybody. However when we consider the level of globalization has reached too, we often find organizations facing a difficult time trying to survive in this competitive environment. To ward off this problem, the management of global communications decided to outsource most of their work to India and Ireland so that the unit costs could be decreased. The current problem that has severed the smooth operations of the organization has been brought by the high intensity of competition. The company had to cut down its profits and hence reduce their share value. Unable to match the prices and costs their rivals were giving, Global Communications moved to a head-on fight by planning an outsourcing strategy. This strategy had two facets; 1) it would bring massive downsizing in the company, and 2) expertise and low cost could be achieved with outsourcing. Analyzing the scenario from the companies perspective we get a bring future for the employees of the company in the future and profits which would promote high growth. Although this strategy would help the company regain the market, from another perspective, Global Communications would have to let go of their intellectual assets i. e. their employees who were considered as their competitive point. Another destructive problem for the company is that by not involving the Union leaders into this decision, the image of the company is put on stake while the communication problem due to cultural differences and norms would play a major role in the near future. This situation for the company is not at all good at the moment. Although the outsourcing maneuver was a good decision, its execution wasn’t right thus the company finds itself in deep water. In this crucial time the organization needs to keep its few employees close and organized. The company should bank on their employees who have always been a point of strength for them. Deals and meetings should be held with the Union leaders to help them understand the gravity of the situation and difficult situation the company is in which requires difficult decisions to be taken. Apart from this, the organization should secure a good outsourcing company that understands their problem and truly helps to solve them. With such a plan in motion the future can be made stable and eventually growth can take place. But for the moment, the key lies in strengthening the employee base, connecting with them and make them work as a team. In the employees lie the future of the organization. References 1. Morgan D. Jones (1998) The Thinker’s Toolkit: 14 Powerful Techniques for Problem Solving. Three Rivers Press.

Help Desk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Help Desk - Essay Example Otherwise you risk sending the customer away. Mobile email and broadband solutions, as well as collaboration tools like web video conferencing enable businesses of all sizes to remain professionally operational at all times. They give you the freedom to work in the way that you need to from any number of locations, so you can respond to colleagues and customers in the way that suits you, and them, best. And now with hosted services available, it’s even easier to stay in-touch as there’s no initial investment or expensive IT infrastructure to maintain as this can all be managed by a service provider on your behalf. In research, Vertex, a customer service company in the UK, found that customer response time should be between two and four hours. It should be long enough to address the query properly and to respond with enough detail but its also short enough not to result in a follow-up email asking, ‘Did you get my first email?’ A large international information hosting company is documented for its customer-friendly approach and fast response times. It’s no answer machines and no voicemail: customers will get straight through to the can work on resolution their problems. It claims to answer â€Å"99.4 per cent of support calls with real folks among 5 seconds†. These days over hr of Fortune one thousand companies2 commit to establish on-line communities by 2010 and to deliver client service social networking retailers. However, the key issue to recollect is that theres no purpose in having or developing contact channels if you are doing not perpetually monitor them and use them to reply back to customers. Many corporations area unit currently interacting with customers via mobile applications that build transactions quicker and less complicated, nonetheless still personalized. As an example, in the UK, Ocado3, a grocery delivery company, helps you to