Phenomenological and positivist approaches Essay Example for Free

Phenomenological and positivist approaches Essay The research seeks to study in-depth the Kuwaiti family by determining the impact of working parents on the socialization of their children based on the perceptions of the parents. In doing so, the research seeks to identify and describe the contemporary defining features of the Kuwaiti family, as contribution to the wider research on the family, being made in different countries. The study also looks into the child rearing practices of Kuwaiti families with both parents working and with one parent assuming the role of a full-time carer. The research draws the perceptions of parents on the socialization process of their children in the context of the family structure, with both parents working or with one parent serving as full-time carer, as well as on the effect of hiring foreign nannies on the socialization of their children. To achieve the purpose of the study, the research process utilizes approaches and methods selected to support the collection and analysis of appropriate sufficient and accurate data. Research Design The study uses the phenomenological approach, which applies to investigative attempts to understand the perspectives or views of selected participants regarding social realities (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe Lowe 1991; Morris 2006). Understanding the phenomenological approach better requires a comparison with the positivist approach, which lies at the other end of the spectrum opposite of the phenomenological approach. The comparison is not intended to undermine one approach over the other but to explaining the phenomenological approach and justifying the appropriateness of employing this approach to the present study. The table below summarizes the distinctions between the phenomenological and positivist approaches. Source: (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe Lowe 1991; Morris 2006) The distinctions show that the phenomenological approach is applies to investigations that consider human or social interest in providing in-depth explanation and deriving meaning of phenomenon as distinguished from the positivist approach of focusing on facts, theories or principles, and hypothesis testing. Phenomenology is the appropriate approach of the present study because the purpose of the investigation is to draw in-depth understanding of the contemporary Kuwaiti family in terms of the relationship between the working status of both parents and the socialization of their children. The study is subjective because it is interested in the perceptions of parents over their working status and the effects on the socialization of their children. The research process is grounded on social interest and subjectivity. The present study employs qualitative research, which involves the derivation of accounts or descriptions from the participants or respondents to provide an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon subject of the study (Creswell 2003). Again, to understand qualitative research and to justify its appropriate application to the present study, the table below summarizes the distinctions between qualitative and quantitative research.

The Debate on Austerity

The Debate on Austerity The adoption of austerity post the financial crisis in 2010 by the UK government is heavily debated. This essay evaluates the arguments for and against this fiscal contraction deliberating on the applied and possible fiscal policy measures and the limitations of monetary policy after the fiscal stimulus provided in 2008. When the housing bubble burst and Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, the subprime mortgage crisis magnified into a global financial crisis. Governments had to rush in and save banks. If not, the fall of public confidence in the banking system would have made the problem far more severe. Large fiscal stimulus packages were rolled out to cushion the blow. But for how long would a government be willing to take further debt for expansionary fiscal policy? They could have continued to increase public expenditure to compensate for the fall in private expenditure in accordance with the Keynesian theory. Or increase savings, let the wage rate drop and have the demand rise due to a price advantage in the long run (Hayek, 2006). By 2010, United Kingdom’s national debt reached 75.6% of its GDP (Eurostat). Had bond yields increased due to falling market confidence, the fiscal situation would have been worse off. It would imply that the risk associated with government bonds is higher and have negative implications about the government’s credibility, all raising the cost of public debt in the future. Thus, in the 2010 elections, the campaigns of both the Conservative and Labour parties suggested reducing the fiscal deficit. No one spoke in favour of further stimulus and austerity was adopted. The UK government feared a Greek-style meltdown. A country having borrowings in its own currency and a friendly central bank may not have to fear public debt as much. It could always keep a control on interest rates or postpone repayment by issuing new bonds. However, then governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, appeared to favour austerity. It remains uncertain if he would have sanctioned further quantitative easing. Typically, central banks reduce interest rates to stimulate the economy in such conditions. Lower interest rates promote consumption which would have decreased due to lower fiscal expenditure. The drop in interest rates from 5.5% in 2008 to 0.5% generated  £350 billion to inject into the economy (Giles, 2018). But with interest rates at an all-time low of 0.5% since 2009, there wasn’t much that could be done on the monetary policy front (Bank of England). The drop in interest rates from 5.5% in 2008 to 0.5% generated  £350 billion to inject into the economy. the Value Added Tax (VAT) was raised to 20% and public expenditure was cut to bring down the deficit (Finch, 2010:1). The combination of additional revenue and a lower deficit would cut down the need for further debt and help service the existing. Austere spending decisions lowered the welfare expenditure. The employment level decreased because of lower government expenditure. As a result, demand plunged and so did the gross domestic product. High uncertainty had lowered the public confidence. The GDP growth rate was insufficient to counter the shrinking in the economy caused by austerity. International Monetary Fund (2012) warned that the country might face permanent damage to its productive capacity if the same policies were continued. The government’s tax revenues took a hit owing to lower output. This resulted in a higher debt to GDP ratio as the budgetary deficit grew. As real wages of public sector workers and local council budgets fell, homelessness and reliance on food banks rose. Social care for the elderly was negatively impacted and help from Red Cross was called in to shoulder the increased pressure on the NHS (Gillett, 2017). Mark Blyth (2013) noted that there was disparity in the impact of austerity across different levels of society. He pointed out that the consequences were felt more severely by the larger share of public service users who didn’t have enough wealth to counter the cut in welfare spending.   In theory, falling deficit would result in lower taxes in the future. This should increase consumer confidence in the economy. However, critiques of austerity blame the government for the plummeting consumption levels. They believe the government should have continued with quantitative easing when the private spending shrank. Wage rates fall with falling public expenditure. This gives the economy a cost advantage as compared to its competitors in the global markets. To benefit from this, it is necessary that foreign demand for the domestically produces goods increases. But many Eurozone were implementing austerity themselves and thus, there was no substantial increase in foreign demand for British goods. Moreover, countries like China had induced a fiscal stimulus in their economies despite not having been impacted as greatly by the crisis. Hence, there was already enough supply in the market for any country to benefit from rising demand.   There was perhaps not once cause to the declining consumer spending in the UK. While UK’s own fiscal policy changed in 2010, the economic environment globally was also impacted by several countries introducing policy changes. The commodity prices changed and the Federal Reserve was keeping global rates low, all of which had some impact on the UK economy (Buttonwood, 2015). In spite of the falling consumption, there was a need to reduce government expenditure to reduce the deficit. Further fiscal stimulus, after what was introduced during the financial crisis, would have led to a sharp increase in government debt. Such a high debt level would make fiscal policy unsustainable and repayment challenging (Emmerson, Keynes and Tetlow, 2013). In terms of real total spending, the cut wasn’t as much from 2010 to 2015. Britain’s general total disbursements as a percentage of national income were the third highest amongst the G6 nations between 2007 to 2009 and remained so in 2013 (OECD, 2014). Annualised average real increase in spending on social security and health rose and real spending on working age and pensioner benefits grew between 2010 and 2013 (Keynes and Tetlow, 2014: 16-17). The economy’s recovery in 2013-2014 sparked another debate. Had austerity worked or was it the result of policy alteration in 2012? Klein (2015) asserted the growth was a result of a reversal from austerity. Smith (2015) refuted, stating that the government was still austere in spending decisions with the fiscal tightening being larger than 3% of GDP. Krugman (2015), however, maintained that abandoning further fiscal cuts after two years of austerity led to the economic growth. Whether the economy would have been in a better position without austerity will remain unknown. What can be concluded though is that austerity was not an economic necessity then. But with UK’s ageing population, welfare expenditure will only increase in the future. Such a welfare cap will become necessary for better policy decisions as the pressure on NHS and public services escalates. Continued quantitative easing in 2010 would have made public finances more unsustainable and fiscal austerity in future more drastic. Spending cuts or higher taxes, no matter when, will always be met with heavy criticism. Hence, a developed country with ageing population could aim at increasing sources of income, reducing income inequalities and reducing the dependence on welfare expenditure. Bibliography Bank of England [online] Available from: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/boeapps/iadb/Repo.asp (Accessed 24 April 2018) Blyth, M. The Austerity Delusion. Foreign Affairs [online] Available from: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2013-04-03/austerity-delusion (Accessed 15 April 2018) Buttonwood (2015) What is austerity?. The Economist [online] Available from: https://www.economist.com/blogs/buttonwood/2015/05/fiscal-policy (Accessed 15 April 2018) Emmerson, C. & Keynes, S. & Tetlow, G. (2013) Public finances: outlook and risks. The IFS Green Budget: February 2013. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available from: http://www.ifs.org.uk/budgets/gb2013/GB3013_Ch5.pdf Eurostat [online] Available from: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=sdg_17_40&plugin=1 (Accessed 24 April 2018) Finch, J. (2010) Budget 2010: VAT rise to 20% ‘could cause double-dip recession’. The Guardian [online] Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/jun/22/vat-rise-recession-fears (Accessed 15 April 2018) Giles, C. (2018) Bank of England defends response to financial crisis after criticism. Financial Times [online] Available from: https://www.ft.com/content/4231c5a0-3caf-11e8-b9f9-de94fa33a81e (Accessed 24 April 2018). Gillett, F. (2017) NHS calls in Red Cross volunteers and staff amid humanitarian crisis. Evening Standard [online] Available from: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/nhs-calls-in-red-cross-volunteers-and-staff-amid-humanitarian-crisis-a3434901.html (Accessed 15 April 2018) Hayek, F. A. (2006) The Paradox of Saving. [online] Available form: https://mises.org/library/paradox-saving (Accessed 15 April 2018) International Monetary Fund (2012) United Kingdom : Staff Report for the 2012 Article IV Consultation. [online] Available from: https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/CR/Issues/2016/12/31/United-Kingdom-Staff-Report-for-the-2012-Article-IV-Consultation-26083 (Accessed 15 April 2018) Keynes, S. & Tetlow, G. (2014) Survey of public spending in the UK. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available from: https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/1791 Klein, M. W. (2015) Eurozone Recovery and Lessons About Austerity. The Wall Street Journal [online] Available from: https://www.blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/05/16/eurozone-recovery-and-lessons-about-austerity/ (Accessed 15 April 2018) Krugman, P. (2015) The case for cuts was a lie. Why does Britain still believe it? The austerity delusion. The Guardian [online] Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2015/apr/29/the-austerity-delusion (Accessed 15 April 2018) The Organisation for Economic Co-operation (2014) Economic Outlook No 95 May 2014 OECD Annual Projections. [online] Available from: https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=EO95_INTERNET (Accessed on 24 April 2018) Smith, D. (2015) The Myth of Abandoned Austerity. [online] Available from: http://www.economicsuk.com/blog/002094.html (Accessed 15 April 2018)

The Symbolic Role of Birds in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay

The Symbolic Role of Birds in Kate Chopin's The Awakening The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a truly enlightening novel about a young woman who begins to really live her life for herself, breaking out of the various barriers of society and family. Chopin uses symbolism as an excellent tool to slip her ideas to readers, causing them to think, giving readers a glimpse into the life of this young woman at a time when women were harnessed by many restraints. The birds that appear throughout the novel are the most intriguing symbols; they are used many different ways, to mean many different things, and to portray various emotions and situations. As the novel begins, Chopin likens Edna to a bird in a gilded cage. Edna is not free, but that is okay because she has not yet begun to see what life has to offer; she has not yet begun to awaken. Through Edna's desire for Robert, she begins to realize that she is like the bird in the cage, not wanting for anything materially but still trapped. Edna cannot fly away to freedom; she is tied by social constraints and especially by he...

Jesus Christ and The Misfit in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard t

Jesus Christ and The Misfit in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find In Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find,† there are many Christian motifs found throughout the story, but the one that I found most interesting is the fact that O’Connor is apparently drawing parallels between The Misfit and Jesus Christ. Initially it seems like there is no way that this could actually be true- what could the Son of God who sacrificed Himself for the good of humanity have in common with a thief and a robber who escapes from jail and kills a family of six in cold blood? Upon closer examination, we can see that they are more similar than one might initially think. The first insight we may be able to draw is on the subject of names. The Misfit is a term that could easily be applied to Christ. In His time, Christ was an outcast, a rebel, and a man who did not fit the norms of the society in which He lived. He worked on the day of rest, He befriended tax collectors and prostitutes, and He drove the moneychangers out of the Temple in Jerusalem. (Mark 3, Matthew 9, Matthew 21). T...

Compare the portrayal of men and women in Turned and in Tony Kytes, the arch -deceiver :: Charlotte Perkins Gilman Thomas Hardy

‘Turned’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and ‘Tony kytes, the arch-deceiver’ by Thomas Hardy, are both short stories. They are about the relationships between men and women. ‘Turned’ is a more severe story. It is about a man called Mr Marroner going abroad for work, and his wife finding out that Mr Marroner had slept with their servant Gerta. Gerta then becomes pregnant and, consequently Mrs Marroner tells Gerta to leave. However, Mrs Marroner soon realises that it was Mr Marroner’s fault, and therefore Mrs Marroner and Gerta leave before Mr Marroner returns home. ‘Tony Kytes, the arch deceiver’ is a more light-hearted story. Tony is a man that likes a lot of women, and there are a lot of women that like Tony. Tony is supposed to be engaged to a young women named Milly, however on a journey home from town he meets two other girls. Both are previous girlfriends and they start flirting with him. Tony ends up with two girls hiding in the back of his wagon and one sitting beside him. He gets in a bit of a muddle. However he ends marrying Milly. This story is about a man who is unsure about how he feels towards his fiancà ©. Mrs. Marroner from ‘turned’ was a well educated, high society woman. She lived in Boston, an upper-class suburb, had a Ph.D. and once lectured at university. A woman being highly educated was very rare for the early 20th century. Because of her suburban upbringing and education she was a confident, free thinking and independent women who relied on no one. She was the more dominant person in her marriage. We know that she has interesting life as the author says ‘her well-filled, well-balanced mind, her many interests.’ This proves that she has an interesting life and has many interests. Mrs Marroner’s feelings for Gerta change a lot throughout the story. When she first found out that Gerta was pregnant, she was devastated, very emotional. She could not believe that something like this could happen because Gerta was almost like a daughter to Mrs Marroner. When Mrs Marroner had thought about what had happened her feelings for Gerta changed again, she re alised that it was Mr Marroners fault. She then decided to forgive Gerta. Many women would put up with a bad husband rather than have no husband, however, Mrs Marroner isn’t like this. She leaves her husband to take care of Gerta.

Amadou Ham Pate Ba

Amadou Ham pate Ba (1901-1991), Malian ethnologist, narrator and author, played an important role in introducing the world to African oral heritage, especially the folktales of West Africa. The man known as the â€Å"living Memory of Africa† he liked to say he was â€Å"one of the eldest sons of the century,† was one of the major intellectual literary figures of the 20th century. The saying with which he will always be associated for (his often quoted statement), that â€Å"In Africa when an old man dies, a library has burned down† has become so famous that it is sometimes used as an African proverb.He was commenting on the loss of African oral heritage, in praise of both old age and oral tradition, which contributes to the historical components of humanities memory. â€Å"The folktale is a key source of oral tradition, as are other forms of narrative and rituals that are considered essential components of cultural anthropology and ethnology†. (folkculture . org) There is a certain characteristic and significance of indigenous knowledge, especially in Africa. Indigenous knowledge has been defined as the local knowledge. Knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society.The expressions traditional local and indigenous knowledge, are used in the literature inter-changeably, is learned through repetition which aids in its retention and reinforcement. Agricultural or desert-based societies slowly created communities that were mostly self- contained and based on self-help. Their approach to problem solving was through ambulated individual or communal experiences and knowledge derived from trial and error. This aggregated validated knowledge improved and increases in time but remained mostly unrecorded. Even in the present information age, agricultural and desert-based communities, have remained practically cut off, thus they have been out of the mere necessity and for the sake of their survival, depending on and making use of their tr aditional unrecorded knowledge†. (Anwar, 1998) Amadou Ba feared that a lot of it is being lost due to rapid urbanization and continuous attrition in the older population. â€Å"Indigenous knowledge is predominantly tacit and embedded in practices and experiences and exchanged within the community through oral communication and demonstration.Recording and disseminating it across communities is not easy† (Anwar. 2005). It’s sometimes fragmented. It does not exist in its totality either in one place or one individual. It is distribution is socially differentiated, based on gender and age. â€Å"When discussing language, ethnic groups, cultures (and subcultures), and religions. The key concepts are diversity and complexity. There are conservatively many hundreds of different ethnics groups. Thus, there are many hundreds of distinct languages and cultures.The sheer number of such groups throughout Africa makes this dimension unique to the continent. † (The Oth er World ch. 6 pg. 187) Amadou Ham pate Ba passed away in 1991, leaving the world a library and an extensive archive to protect the wealth of knowledge that he had collected from fire, which he warned about repeatedly. He said â€Å"that part of every speech is lost to fire; chaos can result from tiny sparks just as a match can lead to a fire that destroys an entire village†. (folkculture. rg) What role do oral traditions play in the displacements and/or migrations of communities? Oral tradition: â€Å"the process of handing down information, opinions, belief, and customs by the word of mouth or by example† (Merriam-Webster unabridged 7th Ed). A transmission of knowledge and institutions through successive generations without written instruction. Thus an inherited principle, standard, or practice serving as the established guide of an individual or group. In comparing different cultures we tend to evaluate the custom of others in light of our own beliefs and values.Mem bers of all cultures assume that their own design for living is the best and only correct way. The belief that one’s own culture is the only true and good way, as well as the tendency to judge other cultures by those standard, is call Ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism serves several important functions for individuals and groups. Certainly about the rightness of one’s beliefs and behaviors reinforces the tendency to confirm and to defend one’s society. Ethnocentrism becomes dysfunctional when beliefs in one’s superiority lead to hostility and conflict. More important, oral traditions can provide a rich history predating the written word. † (The other world ch6 pg. 189) In traditional soufies people tend to regard the way things have always been done as sacred, which stems from the beliefs and practices passed down from generation to generation. Account of first European contacts with black Africa are a study in Ethnocentrism the letters and journals of 1 5th and 16th century explorers, merchants, and missioners, overflowed with lurid descriptions of cannibalism, incest and unbridled lust. Since the Africans did not practice Christianity they were labeled ‘heathens’; since their laws were incomprehensible to the European, they were said to be ‘LAWLESS’; and since their marriage and family practices differed from those prevalent in Europe they were judged to be ‘savages’ and ‘barbarians’. (George 1968) â€Å"Africa was artificially divided to suit the objectives of the colonial governments. Preexisting ethnic, linguistic, and cultural until were ignored. Throughout Africa, closely knit people speaking the same language were suddenly separated†. The other world Ch6 pg. 190) As evident in the class text book (see enclosed references) European colonization of the coast of Africa in 1884 (see fig 6. 2) undoubtedly hasten the displacement and migration of the indigenous people furt her inland toward the desert (see fig 6. 1) so they could control; the rich fertile land. By 1895 (see fig 6. 3) it only got worse. Even today the African map reflects the extraction goals of the imperial powers. ‘’ Moreover, foreigners exploited the natural habit in many parts of the region.For instance, the colonial powers instituted cash crops and export of livestock, which in turn meant widespread clearing of the land and sometimes depletion of the soil. Similarly, Europeans carving up the continent created or heightened local rivalries, which resulted in conflicts that also affected the landscape (ch6 p. 201) Carried to an extreme, ethnocentrism is destructive as evidence by the Nazis in Germany who believed in absolute superiority of the white Aryan race and culture.The result was the displacement and death of millions of people who didn’t fit that category mostly Jews. In American history, each different ethnic, religious, or racial group was thought to be inferior to white Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP) and therefore deserve less than humane treatment. â€Å"Ethnic divisions are a powerful force today. Ongoing struggles in such diverse states as Angola, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya,Liberia Mauritanian, Nigeria, Ruanda and Sierra Leon may be explained in past by deep-seated ethnic division

Good Marriage Essay

Jim went down to the kitchen where the smell of good food beckons him. He smiled to himself, pleased to note that his wife is cooking his favorite food. They’ve been together for twenty-five years, their kids are all grown up. Yet Ana hasn’t forgotten that he likes Thai cooking, slightly spicy and rich with seasoning. He saw his wife adding cut green pepper on the diced meat that is frying on the stove. Ana turned around and saw him standing in the doorway. She bade him sit down while she finishes her cooking. Instead of sitting down, Jim went to the cupboard to get plates and utensils for their meal. The couple has always find ways to please and help each other, a practice they have kept over the years. 2. A good marriage is characterized by husband and wife’s delight in a give and take relationship. There is mutual respect for each other. Husband and wife helps each other in decision-makings, the raising of children, and doing tasks. They both take care of each other and notes what are the likes and dislikes of each party. In a good marriage, the man and wife are both happy in their decision to be with each other for the rest of their lives. That commitment is reaffirmed time and again despite difficulties and trials. In a good marriage, there is laughter and conversation. Both husband and wife will always find things to talk about, and have the time to listen to each other. 3. Looking at Jim and Ana’s lives, their twenty-five years of marriage has not always been a bed of roses. Ana is scrupulously neat, while Jim is a little scatter-brained. Ana keeps a list of things that needs to be done and does them in an organized and timely manner. She likes getting an early start, eating breakfast and finishing work ahead of time. Jim has a tendency to oversleep in the morning, getting up really late on weekends, and spending half of the day sleeping during 2 vacations. He hates putting anything on his stomach before eleven in the morning and likes to work late at night. Ana would sometimes find Jim deeply asleep after she had her bath and breakfast on a day when they’re supposed to go to the dentist. At a time when Ana likes to get an early start, while Jim wasn’t complying, she’d often get bad-tempered and a little quarrel would ensue. These little quarrels didn’t get out of hand because both of them are capable of stepping back and releasing anger. More importantly, Jim and Ana avoid bringing up past issues during arguments. They stick to what’s at hand and settle them without resorting to foul language and by properly expressing their sentiments and criticisms in a constructive manner. 4. A good marriage is not just about seeing the good side of a person. It’s about knowing his or her little habits that may or may not turn out to be annoying. Each party has to accept the totality of the other person and learn to adjust and adapt. In a good marriage, the couple must not try to change each other. Instead, they must try to meet in the middle and compromise. In a good marriage, the couple don’t start running away when things become a little complicated and difficult. 5. A good marriage, simply defined, is comprised of the good and bad things. There are times to laugh, to talk, to argue, and to make up. It is characterized by a lasting friendship where trust and responsibility go hand and hand. Meeting halfway and speaking up are necessary elements to make the relationship endure. Both parties must work hard and stick it out with one another through thick and thin. Husband and wife must selflessly think of each other’s welfare particularly when there are major issues to face and settle. It’s very important to do things together and to go away on vacations to recapture the moments when you both fall in love with each other.