Uni Social Club

Archive for the ‘social studies’ Category

There is another method of gathering information which is relevant and must be described. It is called case studies and it is the most adjustable of all research designs. At the level that is the simplest they give descriptive accounts of the case.

The subject of case studies is considered to be one or more examples of social existence, such as communities, organizations, life histories, families, roles and relationships; the provided examples are studied with the use of a number of data collection techniques. After the topic of the research is defined, selective case studies can concentrate on particular aspects to refine information. At the level that is the most rigorous; case studies are created to reach experimental isolation of the chosen social factors or processes within a context of the real life in order to conduct a test of predominant explanations and ideas.

Besides, case study research is connected with receiving a roundish picture of a situation from the perspectives of all involved into research people, usually applying a number of methods. Case studies are usually grounded on two or more methods of gathering information. Using multiple evidence lets case studies provide more roundish and full accounts of social processes. Applying multiple sources of evidence and investigators when the case study either descriptive or explanatory makes it one of the most powerful research designs. This research design is the preferable strategy when “why” or “how” questions are being asked, when the researcher has not much control over situation and when a contemporary phenomenon is being focused on. Besides, the case study is especially apt when there are no clearly confirmed boundaries between the phenomenon and the context. The case study manages the technically distinctive situation in which there will appear more variables of interest information points, and as one result depends on multiple source of proof, with information needing to combine in a triangulating fashion.

When deciding to adopt a child, you will needed to be assessed for suitability as an adoptive parent before you become a successful candidate. The Home Study is one of the processes you will need to go through if you wish to adopt a child. If you are involved in a custody case with the your children’s parent, a positive home study report will be very important for you. Here are the methods that you can use in the adoption process in preparation for a home study.

The mere mention of a home study can make some people suddenly quite nervous, though there is really nothing to be afraid of. The home study is needed before the custody of a child can be decided, whether it be to a family wishing to adopt or a child’s biological parent, if they have suffered abuse or been neglected by the other parent. This process is a simple one usually carried out by a qualified social worker in the community. This procedure is necessary to find out more about you and all the members of the family who reside with you; and also to ensure that the child being placed in your future care will be in a loving and safe environment.

The home study is a long process so you must be patient and prepare yourself in the best way that you can. When the social worker comes into your home, they stay there for a few hours – sometimes even longer. This is so a thorough evaluation can be done, not in any way to make you feel uncomfortable, but to satisfy the social worker that the living environment is appropriate for the child being adopted. Any areas that the social worker is concerned will be discussed with you and opportunity will be given for you to make any necessary changes. You may be issued with a copy of detailed report if the social worker has compiled one. That way any concerns raised can be addressed given the appropriate of time necessary to address the issues.

The social worker should contact you in advance usually by phone and make an appointment for the home study, so that you have time to prepare and be ready for their visit. Anything that needs to be done at the last minute like cleaning, can be done before the visit so that the house is in order or as you wish it to be. Many people may do more than cleaning than usual and that is fine. It is understandable just before the home study, but it is also important to remember that the social worker may return, unannounced, so you must be prepared that this can happen unexpectedly. This gives a true test as you should keep your home in good order for those surprise visits. In some cases, many in fact, the initial home study has not been prebooked, so you should always keep your guard.

A series of questions will be asked to discover more about yoursel. This will possibly include questions to do with your personal history, your work, your personal beliefs and values. You should at all times be honest and diplomatic with your social worker, be yourself, and soon they will get to know you as a person. You can start to feel at ease and you must remember the importance that it is better to tell the truth.

The various aspects of social psychology could be examined within the wide concepts of intelligence, gender, advertising, consumer culture, stress and psychological issues that define society. Considering consumer behaviour, social psychology uses convincing theories to explain addictive consumption, the influence of advertising and the phenomenon of purchasing. Advertising is seen as a subtle psychological manipulation as it creates desires and anxiety in the potential consumers (Papers4you.com, 2006). Advertising can have both psychological and commercial aspects including misattribution, bias, suggestibility, and could be studied from global or local perspectives. Organisational consumption is seen as different from individual consumption although generic psychological theories of human motivation such as that of Maslow and Freud can explain consumer behaviour. However consumer behaviour can also be studied in terms of the notion of quality and its relation to customer satisfaction (Silva et al, 2005). The objective measures of customer needs, pricing and expectations of the customers may have to be analysed within Service Quality or Expectations models. Hogg and Garrow (2003) highlighted on the psychological aspects of gender and the influence on consumption of advertising. Advertising has been found to be processed and interpreted differently according to gender schemas and perceptions. This would in turn relate to psychological theories of gender such as the theory of biological determinism, Freudian theory of personality development, cognitive-developmental theory, and feminist theories. Bridging the gap between gender studies and gender differences in consumption could provide us with new insights on social and psychological aspects of consumer behavior. Orth (2005) indicated that consumer behaviour largely depends on consumer personality and susceptibility to interpersonal influence, consumer situational disposition such as risk taking and curiosity, purchasing behaviour and purchasing frequency and demographic variables such as age and gender. Contemporary consumer culture could be studied in relation to an excessive emphasis on beauty and appearance and an obsession with youth, a phenomenon that has seen an increased dependence on cosmetic surgery. The increased importance of the body in the consumer culture could be studied along with the significance of appearance in modern society, the role of marketing and advertising images, and the psychological need for self-expression (Papers4you.com, 2006).

Social psychology is however focused not just on consumption and public attitudes on advertising, but also on group behaviour, general individual and collective attitudes towards various social issues including war, work, violence and quality of life. This would in turn explain how individuals deal with stress, and focus on the psychological consequences of stress. Although psychological disorders may in some cases be a direct result of social stress, deviant behaviour in society could be explained with the help of several theories such as the theory of subcultures by Parker, the structural strain theory by Merton, or the theory of conformity. Social psychology is thus focused on explaining a wide range of issues from advertising and consumer behavior to public attitudes on social issues and antisocial behaviour.

Bibliography

Hogg M.K.; Garrow J. (2003) Gender, identity and the consumption of advertising Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Volume 6, Number 3, June, pp. 160-174(15)

Orth, Ulrich R.(2005) Consumer personality and other factors in situational brand choice variation The Journal of Brand Management, Volume 13, Number 2, November, pp. 115-133(19)

Papers For You (2006) “P/M/510. Advertising: means of psychological manipulation”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtpsy3.htm [22/06/2006]

Papers For You (2006) “P/M/646. Causes of addictive consumption in modern society”, Available from Papers4you.com [21/06/2006]

Silva Jr, Nelson da; Lírio, Daniel Rodrigues (2005) The postmodern re-codification of perversion: On the production of consumer behavior and its libidinal grammar International Forum of Psychoanalysis, Volume 14, Numbers 3-4, Number 3-4/December, pp. 217-223(7)