Qualititive method, focus group Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Qualititive method, focus group - Research Paper Example And help researchers of any field or company to get an insight of human attitudes (Kitzinger, 1995). Researchers have found that the investigation made in this method, is unique from other research methods, as the question asked are not technical but conceptual. This allows an individual to put forward one’s concept and contribute equally in the research (Devers, 1999, p.1155-1156). The focus group research method is one of the types of the qualitative method which has gained significant popularity in the new businesses, helping them collect data about their company’s standards and internal issues more effectively (Gibbs, 1997, p.5-7). A simple definition of a focus group method given by David L. Morgan (1996) states that the focus group tends to look into the concepts and believes, forming human attitudes and norms (Morgan, Focus Groups, 1996, p .129). Unlike, the brainstorming method of researching, where everyone just raise their point, the focus group centers around one main topic and encourages people to give their responses on that topic. The group of people is chosen such that they do not differ from each other much, in their status, class or education, so they can be open in sharing their knowledge and experiences (Packer, Race, & Hotch, 1994, p.1-3). The focus group method has benefited largely in the field of academic literature, making easier for researchers and writers to get an insight of one’s life. Often a simple questionnaire is design to give an idea about the objective of the research to the participants. And to dilute a complicated topic, to make the participants comprehend and respond easily (Gibbs, 1997, p.5-7). Initially, this method was used in the field of social sciences, as a tool to define human attitudes and psyche, but by the passage of time it earned vast acceptance in the field of medical research. The reason lies in the flexibility of the method, in dealing with any kind of issue equally well

Using examples, examine the connections between gender, fear and urban Essay

Using examples, examine the connections between gender, fear and urban space - Essay Example While there are men who have small physical builds in comparison to other men, it is more likely to find a man with a build larger than a woman’s than to find the opposite scenario. Given this difference it is clear that, generally, women face a set of obstacles that most men will not have to ever experience. On the other hand, because of seeming biologically driven needs to defend one’s space, men are often faced with challenges that, similarly, women will unlikely ever have to face. Thus, as distinct as each gender’s biological makeup creates them to be, so too are the vast differences between the obstacles they must face. These differing gender fear invoking issues will be examined within the context of urban space. The urban environment can pose many stress inducing variables for any individual despite gender. Crime, natural disasters, and other such factors create a spectrum of varying fear and anxiety inducing possibilities for both men and women on a daily basis. Needing to be extra careful with personal possessions in public arenas and making sure to be respectful of an individual’s space are added factors that become automatic parts of one’s thought process while living in an urban environment. While both genders must face many similar urban space stressors, the differences begin to come to play when situations become more dependent on a person’s gender versus, for instance, specific environmental weather factors. For women, urban life poses specific problems due to biological factors. Because women are generally smaller and physically weaker than men, women must take this into account when they travel alone or even with other women to specific urban destinations. â€Å"Fear leads women to take precautions which are often spatial, such as avoiding certain parts of the city or not going out after dark† (Koskela, 1999, pp. 111). In other words, the reality