This essay will analyze the drawbacks and benefits of focal point groups as a research method. First a focal point group is an interview with several people on a certain subject. Focus groups are no different from other qualitative methods as there are times when they should be used and others when they should be avoided. All the benefits and drawbacks of focal point groups come from its shaping characteristics ; foremost the trust on the research worker puting the focal point and secondly the group ‘s interactions. This essay will get down by foregrounding the benefit of how interviewees in focal point groups can oppugn and dispute each other ‘s positions. It will so reason that a drawback in focal point groups is how group effects can happen and pull strings people ‘s responses. It will so reason that a benefit of focal point group research is the ability to analyze manners of talk and interaction. It so argues that the research worker ‘s ability to put the focal point is cited as a drawback. It so identifies the comparatively little groups as being a drawback as it reduces the ability to generalize.

Focus groups manage to capitalize on research participant communicating to bring forth informations. Research participants are able to dispute each other and as a consequence clear up their ain positions.

Alternatively of the research worker inquiring each individual to react to a inquiry in bend, people are encouraged to speak to one another, inquire inquiries… and notice on each other ‘s experiences and points of position. ( Kitzinger, 2006:21 )

This ability to dispute and reason with one another means that the research worker is more likely to stop up with a more realistic thought of what people really think. This is due to the research participants being forced to rethink their positions and in some fortunes revise these positions. However, this ability to reason and dispute people ‘s positions can be a drawback as it could take to group effects. This is when ‘persons adjust their ain behavior in response to their feelings of other group members, and in relation to their ain demands and history. ‘ ( Carey and Smith, 2010:124 ) . If this is the instance the ecological cogency of focal point groups can be questioned as it one could reason that the research is non good founded therefore it can non be generalised accurately to the existent universe. It is besides believed that for some types of participants discoursing certain subjects in the presence of a group tends to impact their positions through what they say and how they say it. This can be due to certain persons in the group puting taking lead and being really vocal and intimidating or merely because they act otherwise when they are around people that they do non cognize.

A benefit of focal point groups is the opportunity it gives research workers to analyze a group ‘s manners of talk and interaction. Focus groups allow research workers to ‘tap into the many different signifiers of communicating ‘ that people use twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours ; this is truly of import because ‘people ‘s cognition and attitudes are non wholly encapsulated in sound responses to direct inquiries ‘ . ( 2006:22 ) . Analyzing peoples manners of speech production and interaction is a benefit as it can demo more about what people no or see which may non otherwise be observed. This allows focal point groups to analyze deeper into the manner people act and it can foreground ( bomber ) cultural values or group norms.

The research worker ‘s ability to put the focal point is cited as a drawback. ‘The fact that the research worker creates and directs the groups makes them clearly less realistic than participant observation so there is ever some residuary uncertainness about the truth of what the participants say ‘ ( Morgan, 1997:14 ) . This is a major drawback to concentrate groups as you are finally analyzing the participants therefore you need every bit small external intervention as possible and if the research worker is interfering, the consequences become less realistic and valid. The research worker may merely try to keep the interviews focal point ; nevertheless, this can be damaging as this will act upon the group ‘s interactions. Therefore, any research worker will happen it highly difficult to hold minimum influence on the group and you will hold to take this into history.

Another drawback of focal point groups as a research method is that these groups tend to be comparatively little as it is logistically difficult to pull off big groups, hence, it is really hard to generalize the sample. ‘group members may non be representative of a larger population, because [ of ] the little Numberss. ‘ ( Stewart, 2007:39 ) . Even though focal point groups do hold restrictions which one must take into consideration, these restrictions are non synonymous to concentrate group research.

This essay began by foregrounding the benefit of how interviewees in focal point groups can oppugn and dispute each other ‘s positions. It so argued that a drawback in focal point groups is how group effects can happen and pull strings people ‘s responses. It so argues that a benefit of focal point group research is the ability to analyze manners of talk and interaction. Then it argues that the research worker ‘s ability to put the focal point is cited as a drawback. It so identifies the comparatively little groups as being a drawback as it reduces the ability to generalize.

Bibliography

Kitzinger, Jenny ( 2006 ) , “ Focus Groups ” , in Pope, Catherine and Mays, Nicholas, Qualitative Research in Health Care, Blackwell Publishing: Oxford

Carey, Martha and W Smith, Mickey ( 2010 ) , ‘Capturing the Group Effect in Focus Groups: A Particular Concern in Analysis ‘ , Sage Publications, Volume 4 pp. 123-127

Morgan, David L. ( 1997 ) , ‘Focus Groups as Qualitative Research ‘ , Sage Publications Ltd: California

Stewart, David W. And Shamdasani, Prem N. And Rook, Denis W. ( 2007 ) , Focus Groups ; Theory and Practice, Sage Publications: California

A discourse analysis of Barack Obama ‘s reference to Iran

Obama ‘s reference to Iran during the Nowruz festival in 2009 was seen as an olive subdivision extended by the Obama disposal that were offering a ‘new beginning ‘ . This reference offers a alone political and cultural building of world from Obama ‘s point of position.

Obama ‘s videotaped reference to Iran had constructed a peculiar version of ‘reality ‘ for the spectator. This reference made the dealingss between the two provinces seem a batch better than they really were at the clip. Even though Obama acknowledged that for about ‘three decennaries ‘ dealingss between the two states were ‘strained ‘ . Obama intentionally did non utilize strong words in his reference in order to seek and woe the Iranians as the dealingss between Iran and the US were at best hostile. The reference tends to build a reasonably optimistic version of world for the intended spectator as Obama is turn toing the Iranians straight hence he has to take this tone as he is seeking to woe them to come to the negotiating tabular array. He stresses that the two states have ‘serious differences that have grown over clip ‘ which is true and he offers his possible solution to this puting with ‘diplomacy that addresses the full scope of issues ‘ .

Both politically and culturally the US and Iran highly different and Obama stresses this point nevertheless, he manages to turn this into an advantages by stating that ‘Here in the United States our ain communities have been enhanced by the part of Persian Americans ‘ . In order to link with the ordinary Persian and the leaders of Iran Obama was seeking to make out to them through demoing understanding and consideration for the Persian civilization. The cultural context is polar to the reference as Obama has purposefully sent this olive subdivision to Iran in their celebrations for the reaching of spring. This shows that Obama is doing an attempt and it portrays him as being more sincere and echt about this ‘new get downing ‘ . Obama besides refers to a celebrated Persian poet named Saadi, and by citing him he once more seems more sincere and more echt about this wish to set away the past difference and under his new disposal to work together towards better ties and dealingss.

The political context at the clip of the reference was one of uncertainness as Obama ‘s disposal was new and the two states had non yet officially put their policies towards each other as Obama was elected on a authorization of speaking to the Iranians to seek and decide their differences. At that clip this was a really of import gesture as it was a large alteration from the old Bush disposal ‘s policy of non communicating with Iran and this had the possible to convey the Iranians to the tabular array in hunt for existent long enduring peace. So this ‘new get downing ‘ non merely intend a new beginning in dealingss but besides a new political stance by the US spearheaded by the new leader. The reference has a batch of relevancy to the broader political context as Obama is utilizing that and the possible for alteration in the manner Iran is viewed in the international community to alter from a ‘rogue state ‘ to a great state and civilisation.

Bibliography

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/20/barack-obama-usa

hypertext transfer protocol: //english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/03/20093205308488720.html

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=HY_utC-hrjI

Dissertation Research Proposal

The Core inquiry that I will be turn toing in my thesis is,

‘A critical analysis of the Western methods of giving assistance to Africa: Is there a more effectual option ‘ .

This inquiry is really of import and relevant to today ‘s modern-day society as there are still high degrees of poorness in Africa whilst one million millions of dollars are being squandered in assistance to seek and battle this poorness. Western selflessness or non, assistance to Africa is right and logical nevertheless, today the Western theoretical account of giving assistance is non working as money is being squandered on useless undertakings and lost in corruptness. The inquiry will critically analyze the western theoretical account of giving assistance in order to seek and understand where it has gone incorrectly. It will so analyze different theoretical accounts such as that of the Chinese method of assistance in exchange for resources and so make up one’s mind whether there exists today or could of all time exists a better method of giving assistance. It will so analyze whether assistance is the reply for Africa at all or if a better system would be to merely cut the sum of assistance to Africa until it reaches 0.

Sentiment on foreign assistance today varies from the Jeffrey Sachs who argue that foreign assistance should be increased in order to do it more successful and efficaciously cut down poorness, so we have the William Easterly ‘s who argue that assistance is no remedy of poorness but alternatively one of the causes of poorness. William Easterly ‘s ‘CIAO ‘ theoretical account will so be analysed as a possible recommendation for mending the current assistance system. Easterly criticises ‘grandiose ‘ programs such as the MDG ‘s as in this theoretical account all assistance bureaus and receivers are jointly responsible significance that no 1 is straight responsible for the execution of the assistance or no 1 who can be blamed if and when it goes incorrect. Easterly ‘s argues that

‘The ground the assistance programs go so incorrect is because they lack the “ C, ” which is client feedback ; they lack the “ I, ” which is inducements ; they lack the “ A, ” which is answerability ; and as a consequence, they lack the “ O, ” which is the good result that would come from any intelligent attempt to stop universe poorness. ‘ ( Easterly, 2006: 2 )

Dambisa Moyo ‘s ‘Dead Aid ‘ has made major inroads into the foreign assistance argument. I will analyze her onslaught on the current western method of given assistance. Her statement for utilizing assistance to promote non-aid methods of finance to assist cut down assistance over clip until we have an ‘aid-free universe ‘ ( Moyo, 2009: 76 ) . Dead Aid besides praises the Chinese method of advancing foreign direct investing ( FDI ) coupled assistance as being a more effectual method than the West ‘s political conditionality ‘s and structural accommodations. Moyo ‘s solution is reasonably simple in that it argues assistance is the job in itself and the alternate she offers is merely but effectual in that she is reasoning there is excessively much assistance fluxing into Africa and this is damaging to African states themselves. Paul Colliers statement that assistance is capable to decreasing returns reinforces Moyo ‘s statement that this western implosion therapy of assistance into Africa is damaging. Collier high spots

‘the Centre for Global Development, a Washington think armored combat vehicle, [ who ] came up with an estimation of decreasing returns connoting that when assistance reaches about 16 per centum of GDP it more or less ceases to be effectual. Africa was n’t far off that degree even before Gleneagles… we have loosely reached the bounds to help soaking up ‘ ( 2008: 100 ) .

Therefore, basically you get less with every ?1 million of assistance you give to a state.

My thesis will hopefully take a fresh attack to the argument on foreign assistance to Africa. Like Moyo and Easterly my thesis will knock the western method of giving assistance to Africa today as being excessively abruptly sighted and moving like an terminal in itself where it should alternatively be a agency to an terminal. It will so hopefully present what the best method of giving foreign assistance to Africa is.

The research design on my thesis will be based largely on qualitative methods nevertheless ; it will besides hold some quantitative analysis. My thesis will look at current instance surveies of different theoretical accounts of supplying assistance, states like Ethiopia which are to a great extent dependent on western assistance will be contrasted with topographic points such as Somaliland who receive minimum assistance and states like Tanzania who receive chiefly a different method of assistance provided by the Chinese. I will look at old instance surveies conducted on these states as it would non be executable to see them myself. I will carry on interviews with functionaries relevant to this argument such as embassadors to the states that I wish to utilize as a instance survey. I will non utilize one peculiar theoretical position throughout but alternatively I shall utilize theories such as post-colonialism liberalism to analyze the grounds behind the West ‘s grounds for giving assistance, so I will utilize these findings to analyze the effectivity of the current methods of giving assistance.

I wish my thesis will supply a alone part to the argument environing the best method of administrating assistance to Africa. With Africa having 100s of one million millions of dollars in assistance in the last few decennaries this argument is cardinal and economically indispensable both for the assistance receiving states but besides for donor states themselves.