Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Influence Of Positivism Interpretivism And Realism Approaches Psychology Essay

Influence Of Positivism Interpretivism And Realism Approaches Psychology Essay All sociological research designs and methods make certain assumptions about the nature of the social world and how knowledge is generated. One of the ways that research can be evaluated and improved is to make these assumptions more explicit (Hibberd, 2005). Positivism, interpretivism and realism give different answers to the nature of scientific knowledge and whether or not it is applicable to societies. Many scholars argue that a great deal of sociological research contains elements of all three (Suppe, 1984; Bickhard, 1992; Hibberd, 2010). To a far extent these arguments have influenced the methodological division of social research. It is claimed that, the quantitative methods have their intellectual underpinning in the positivist and realist paradigms, while the qualitative methods/techniques have their intellectual underpinning in interpretativist, constructivist, and naturalist paradigms (Hanzel, 2010). However, despite these ongoing arguments between the methodological traditions of qualitative and quantitative research (Gage, 1989); combined methods represent a fast developing field of social science methodology. As all methods have specific margins and particular strengths, many discussants propose that qualitative and quantitative methods should be combined in order to compensate for their mutual weaknesses (Tashakkori Teddlie, 2003). Moreover, it is claimed that this movement scripts the beginning of a new era in social research indicated by a tendency to combine quantitative and qualitative methods pragmatically unencumbered by old debates (Johnson Turner, 2003). Therefore it is emphasized that the uses of a mixed-method design provides an important tool in overcoming the limitations of both qualitative and quantitative mono-method research. This essay deals with social theories that influence qualitative and qualitative research methods employed in social sciences as either in principle separable or even as irreconcilable methods of social sciences. It starts with a characterization of positivism, Interpretivism and realism; and links these theories to the foundation of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Then, it shows how they deal with the various aspects of the qualitative-quantitative divide. Finally, it is the intention to show how the combined methodological approach may be integrated in a coherent way to add value and assist in the design of a single research project. With an emphasis on the differences and similarities between quantitative and qualitative approaches providing the basis for exploring the methods of combining both approaches to overcome their weaknesses by providing a commentary of the complementary strengths of each tradition. Characterizing Positivism, Interpretivism and Realism approaches Few sociologists would describe themselves as a positivist, interpretivist or realist. These are terms used primarily by methodologists and social theorists to describe and evaluate the theoretical assumptions underlying different approaches to research (Bickhard, 1992; Johnson, 2006; Hibberd, 2010). There are many different views in sociology about what societies are and the best ways of obtaining knowledge of them. This part of the essay simplifies matters to some extent by characterizing three of the most influential theories of knowledge in sociology: positivism, interpretivism and realism (Bryman, 1998 and 2001; Hibberd 2010). Positivism Positivism is frequently used to stand for the epistemological assumption that empirical knowledge based on principles of objectivity, verificationism, and reproducibility is the foundation of all authentic knowledge (Bryman, 2001; Hanzel, 2010). The term positivist has been critical for some time in the human sciences because positivist tends to subscribe to a number of ideas that have no place in present-day science and philosophy (Hanzel, 2010). Positivism views that sociology can and should use the methods of the natural sciences, that do not usually mean using experiments because there are all sorts of ethical problems with doing that, but positivists do believe that sociologists should use quantitative methods and aim to identify and measure social structures. As a philosophical approach, positivism encompasses a group of notions. Table 1 below, provides main characters for positivist key ideas. It shows that positivists sum up all the items by being against metaphysics (Hackin g, 1983). Character Description emphasis upon verification Significant propositions are those whose truth or falsehood can be settled in some way. Pro-observation What we can see, feel, touch, and the like provide the best content or foundation for all the rest of our non mathematical knowledge. Discoverability Scientific knowledge is something discovered (rather than produced or constructed). Anti-cause There is no causality in nature, over and above the constancy with which events of one kind are followed by events of another kind. Downplaying explanation Explanation may help organize phenomena, but do not provide any deeper answer to Why questions except to say that the phenomena regularly occur in such and such a way. Anti-theoretical entities Positivists tend to be non-realists, not only because they restrict reality to the observable but also because they are against causes and are dubious about explanations. Table 1: Positivism characters Source: Hacking, 1983 Positivist theory argues that the methods of the natural sciences are applicable to the study of societies. In the positivist view, sociology involves the search for causal relationships between observable phenomena and theories are tested against observations (Hibberd, 2009). Researchers adopting a positivist point of view may still be interested in finding out about peoples subjective views. For example, they explore things such as attitudes and opinions through survey research (Michell, 2003). However, they see the task of sociology as explaining why people behave in the way they do, and how people really feel about things cannot be explained scientifically. Interpretivist Interpretivists do not necessarily reject the positivist account of knowledge, but they question the idea that the logic and methods of natural science can be imported into the study of societies. Max Weber was one of the main influences on the interpretivist tradition in sociology. For him, natural science and social science are two very different enterprises requiring a different logic and different methods (Bryman, 1982). At the heart of interpretivist critique of positivism is a humanist viewpoint. Some of those favouring an interpretivist view of sociology have long argued that in their search for a scientific explanation of social life, positivist have sometimes forgotten that they are studying people, and to study people you need to get out and explore how they really think and act in everyday situations. Interpretivists argue that unlike objects in nature, human beings can change their behaviour if they know they are being observed (Collins, 1984; Guba, 1987). So, interpretivists argue that if we want to understand social action, we need to look into the reasons and meanings which that action has for people (Marsh, 2002). Take the example of crime, a positivist would argue that researchers can simply measure crime using quantitative methods and identify patterns and correlations.   While, an interpretivist would argue that we need to understand what people mean by crime, how they come to catego rize certain actions as criminal and then investigate who comes to be seen as criminal in a particular society . The aim of interpretivist approaches in sociology is to understand the subjective experiences of those being studied, how they think and feel and how they act in their natural contexts (Marsh, 2002; Johnson, 2006). Therefore, although interpretivists still try to be objective and systematic in their research, the key criterion in interpretivist epistemology is validity. The favoured research design is ethnography and the main methods are ones that help researchers understand social life from the point of view of those being studied, such as unstructured observation, unstructured interviews and personal documents. Interpretivism has provided a powerful critique of many of the taken-for-granted ideas of positivism that are widely used in sociology and in other social sciences (Marsh, 2002). It has also influenced a whole field of research illuminating peoples everyday life experiences. However, interpretivists accounts are criticised by some sociologists for not providing testable hypotheses that can be evaluated. This can lead to relativism where one theory, or study, is seen as just as good as any other. Realism Realist theory, like positivism, holds that sociology can, and should, follow the logic and methods of the natural sciences, meanwhile, it differs from positivism in its interpretation of science (Hartwig, 2007; Hibberd, 2010). In positivist research, theories are tested against observations and found to be true or false or somewhere in between. In simple terms, the facts are the judge of the theory (Hibberd, 2010). Realists do not make this clear-cut separation because they do not believe that observations can be separated from theories (Parker, 2003; Hartwig, 2007). They argue that no form of science relies exclusively on observable empirical evidence. There are always aspects of any form of reality that remain hidden beneath the surface of what can be observed (Duran, 2005; Hibberd, 2010). According to realists, the aim of scientific work is to uncover the underlying causal mechanisms that bring about observable regularities. Realists see research being guided primarily by scientific criteria, such as the systematic collection of evidence, reliability and transparency. However, because they recognise the importance of the subjective dimension of human action, they also include methods that document the validity of peoples experiences (Bhaskar, 1999). Research designs are more likely to be experimental or comparative in realist research, but there is no particular commitment to either quantitative or qualitative methods (Parker, 2003; Hartwig 2007).The focus of realist methodology, however, is on theory. Realists argue that as there is no such thing as theory-free data: sociological methods should be specifically focused on the evaluation and comparison of theoretical concepts, explanations and policies. The development of a clear, realist epistemology is comparatively recent in sociology and owes much to new realist writers like Bhaskar (1986, 1999) and Pawson (1989). They have provided a different interpretation of science and its relationship to social sciences, and a developing alternative to the dominant theories of positivism and Interpretivism that laid the foundations for a non-empiricist epistemology in social science (Hibberd, 2009 and 2010). However, they would say that this doesnt mean that either set of methods, positivist or interpretive, have to be ditched. The realists argument is that sociologists can be pragmatic and use whatever methods are appropriate for particular circumstances. Social reality is complex and to study it, sociologists can draw on both positivist and interpretivist methods. However, realism is also criticised for exaggerating the dependence of science and social science on theory, and realist epistemology offers, at best, very limited truths about the social world. Many studies in sociology use a combination of positivist, interpretivist and, more recently, realist ideas, just as they use different research methods. The three theories are very general descriptive terms and there are many different theoretical approaches within the general framework of each one. Table 2 shows different research methods associated with each theory. Theory Research design Research methods Positivism Social surveys Structural interviews Experimental Structural observations Comparative Official statistics Interpretivism Ethnography Participant observation Unstructured interviews Personal documents Realism Experimental Non-specific, but methods are theory-focused Comparative Table 2: Theory, Design and methods Source: Bryman, 2001 Conflict of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Paradigms The quantitative methods have their rational foundation in the positivist and realist paradigms, while the qualitative methods have their rational foundation in interpretativist, constructivist, and naturalist paradigms. The opposition between these paradigms was succinctly characterized by Guba as follows: The one precludes the other just as surely as belief in a round world precludes believing in a flat one (Guba 1987, 31). The opposition between these paradigms is then expressed as shown below in table 3 (Lincoln and Guba 1985). Axioms About Positivist Paradigm Naturalist Paradigm The nature of reality Reality is single, tangible, and fragmentable. Realities are multiple, constructed, and holistic. The relationship of the knower to the known Knower and known are independent, a dualism. Knower and known are interactive, inseparable. The possibility of generalization Time- and context-free generalizations (nomothetic statements) are possible. Only time- and context-bound working hypotheses (idiographic statements) are possible. The possibility of causal linkages There are real causes, temporally precedent or simultaneous with their effects. All entities are in a state of mutual simultaneous shaping, so that it is impossible to distinguish causes from effects. The role of values Inquiry is value-free. Inquiry is value-bound. Table 3: Contrasting of Positivists and Naturalists Paradigms, Source: Amended from (Hanzel, 2010; Lincoln and Guba 1985) Consequently, it is commonly claimed that quantitative research is based on positivistic assumptions, whereas the qualitative approach is grounded on anti-positivistic positions (Lincoln Guba, 1985; Lund, 2005). Several researchers and academics (Creswell, 1995; Gall Borg, 1996; Ryan Bernard, 2000) have given additional explanations to both methods; they are asserting that quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships within the social sciences. Thus, the objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and hypotheses pertaining to social phenomena. The process of numerical measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Qualitative research is distinctive by nature in aiming to collect detailed accounts investigating into the understanding of human behaviour. The qualitative researcher assumes that flexibility in human behaviour is socially constructed, as so, seeks to reason and analyses factors that govern such behaviour; in doing so the qualitative method investigates the why and how of decision making, not just the quantifiable what, where or when occurrences. Similarly, Jana Plichtovà ¡ (2002) claims that the differences between the quantitative and qualitative research methods are based on a paradigmatically different understanding of the subject matter of and the sense of cognition in the social sciences, that is: The quantitative approach starts from the premise that we can arrive at trustworthy knowledge only if the human being is reduced to a set of measurable variables between which we can presuppose the relations of causation. It sees the sense of cognition in prediction and control of human behaviour. While, the qualitative approach does not agree with that reduction because it degrades the human being to a reacting mechanism, It proposes such research strategies which respect the fact that the human being is an acting being pursuing certain intentions, creating and understanding meanings, and that it is a socio-cultural being whose adaptation has a mediated and social charac ­ter (Plichtovà ¡, 2002). Moreover, Gall et al. (1996, cited Lund, 2005) presents key differences between quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Part of the difference refers to what researchers assume, the other part focuses on the truth of these assumptions, irrespectively of whether or not they are adopted by researchers. Onwuegbuzie and Leech (2005) have other classifications to the differences between both methods; they argue that the quantitative-qualitative paradigm conflict has resulted in the evolution of three major schools of thought, namely: purists, situationalists and pragmatists. The difference between these three perceptions relates to the extent to which each believes that quantitative and qualitative approaches can co-exist and be combined (Bryman, 1984). These three camps can be understood as purists and pragmatists exist on opposite ends, while situationalists are somewhere in the middle. The following account focuses on Onwuegbuzie and Leech (2005) perspective. For purists, the assumptions associated with quantitative and qualitative paradigms regarding how the world is viewed and what it is important to know are irreconcilable. They envisage that both methods stem from different metaphysical and epistemological assumptions about the nature of research (Bryman, 1984; Collins, 1984; Tashakkori Teddlie, 1998). Purists advocate that the methods and tenets from positivism and post-positivism cannot and should not be mixed (Smith, 1983). They believe that the axioms of post-positivism and positivism have mutually exclusive assumptions about society; therefore, the research methods derived under each are considered to be mutually exclusive as well In agreement with purists and acceptance of both positivist and post positivist paradigms, situationalists maintain that qualitative and quantitative methods are complementary but should not be integrated in a single study. However, they believe that definite research questions relate more to quantitative approaches, whereas other research questions are more suitable for qualitative methods (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005). Thus, although representing very different directions, the two approaches are treated as being complementary. By contrast, pragmatists, unlike purists and situationalists, contend that a false separation exists between quantitative and qualitative approaches (Newman Benz, 1998). They advocate the integration of methods within a single study. Sieber (1973) articulated that because both approaches have intrinsic strengths and weaknesses, researchers should utilize the strengths of both techniques in order to understand better social phenomena. Indeed, pragmatists assign to the philosophy that the research question should drive the methods used (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005). In any case, researchers who ascribe to epistemological purity disregard the fact that research methodologies are merely tools that are designed to aid our understanding of the world. Table 4 presents a summary of the qualitative-quantitative divide, understood as a clash of paradigms, each characterized by the characteristics shown in the table (Reichardt and Cook 1979). Here the divide is approached by means of a possible link between the respective method and the attributes of a paradigm. Another characterization of the nature of the qualitative-quantitative divide is presented by A. Bryman, as shown in table 5 (Bryman 1988, 94). Qualitative Paradigm Quantitative Paradigm Advocates the use of qualitative methods Advocates the use of quantitative methods Phenomenology concerned with understanding human behavior from the actors own frame of reference Logical-positivism; seeks the facts or causes of social phenomena with little regard for the subjective states of individuals Naturalistic and uncontrolled observation Obtrusive and controlled measurement Subjective Objective Grounded, discovery-oriented, exploratory, expansionist, descriptive, and inductive Ungrounded, verification-oriented, confirmatory, reductionist, inferential, and hypothetico-deductive Process-oriented Outcome-oriented Valid; real, rich, and deep data Reliable; hard and replicable data Ungeneralizable; single case studies Generalizable; multiple case studies Holistic Particularistic Assumes a dynamic reality Assumes a stable reality Table 4: Reichardt and Cook on Attributes of the Qualitative and Quantitative Paradigms Source: Amended from (Hanzel,2010) Based on such characterizations of the differences between qualitative and quantitative research, the issue of the qualitative-quantitative divide in social sciences could be approached from two points of view. The first, mod ­erate, according to which one deals only with two different sets of techniques that can be, if required, mutually combined; and the second, radical, accord ­ing to which the divide and the respective techniques/methods are rooted in paradigmatically opposed epistemologies and, thus, the respective methods/techniques cannot be combined.   Aspect Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Role of qualitative research Preparatory Means to exploration of actors interpretations Relationship between researcher and subject Distant Close Researchers stance in relation to subject Outsider Insider Relationship between theory/concept and research Confirmation Emergent Research strategy Structured Unstructured Scope of findings Nomothetic Ideographic Image of social reality Static and external to actor Processual and socially constructed by actor Nature of data Hard, reliable Rich, deep Table 5: Bryman on Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Source: Amended from (Hanzel,2010) Similarities between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Approaches It is possible to argue that there are overwhelmingly more similarities between quantitative and qualitative approaches than there are differences (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005). Bothe and Andreatta (2004), add that both approaches involve the use of observations to address research questions, describe their data, construct descriptive arguments from their data, and speculate about why the results they observed happened as they did. Both sets of researchers select and use analytical techniques that are designed to obtain the maximal meaning from their data, and so that findings have utility in relation to their respective views of reality (Kelle, 2006). Both methods investigators utilize techniques to verify their data. Such techniques include persistent observation with continuous and prolonged investigation of the research study with consideration to rival explanations. Replication of the chosen study method to other cases (of which may include extreme scenarios) provides the opportunity to gain validity of findings and the methodological approach used, by means of a representative study group to allow for reliable generalisations to be made. Triangulation, verification of researcher effects and weighting of the evidence identifies and resolves researcher bias and thick description (Creswell, 1998, cited Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005) which may impact on the findings. Debriefing of study participants may obtain valuable feedback from participants also. Moreover, quantitative and qualitative researches represent an interactive range and the role of theory is central for both paradigms. Specifically, in qualitative research the most common purposes are those of theory initiation and theory building, whereas in quantitative research the most typical objectives are those of theory testing and theory modification (Newman Benz, 1998). Clearly, neither tradition is independent of the other, nor can either school encompass the whole research process. Thus, both quantitative and qualitative research techniques are needed to gain a more complete understanding of phenomena (Newman Benz, 1998). Hence, there are many parallels exist between quantitative and qualitative research. Indeed, the purity of a research paradigm is a function of the extent to which the researcher is prepared to conform to its underlying assumptions (Luttrell, Wendy, 2005).This suggests that methodological pluralism (Larsson, 2009) should be promoted, the best way for this to occur is for as many investigators as possible to become pragmatic researchers (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005). Combined research methods and function in the research process A combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches can assist in practical solutions to overcome limitations of mono-method research discussed for the last 50 years (Kelle, 2006). However, it is rarely addressed in current debates whether it is possible to develop solid methodological strategies for structuring research methods based on that insight of combining qualitative and quantitative methods (Creswell et al., 2003; Tashakkori Teddlie, 2003; Onwuegbuzie Leech, 2005), though there is a broad agreement that a use of multiple methods with complementary strengths and different weaknesses can add value to a single research. Despite this, the discussion provides only sparse information about which designs could overcome which weaknesses of mono-method research. Furthermore, there is still a lack of agreement about the exact classification and terminology of different mixed methods, combined method or multi-method designs which are used in research practice (Tashakkor i Teddlie, 2003, cited Onwuegbuzie Leech, 2005, p:307 ). By starting the research process with a qualitative study, researchers may obtain access to knowledge that helps them to develop the appropriate theoretical concepts and to construct consistent research instruments later on that cover relevant phenomena by consequential and relevant items. Such a design helps to overcome the limited transferability of findings from qualitative research as well as the initially mentioned hazards of the heuristics of commonsense knowledge (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005, p: 307). This approach can help to construct consistent research instruments that cover relevant phenomena by consequential and relevant substances. Meanwhile, combining qualitative and quantitative methods the opposite way could be useful in many cases; that means starting with a quantitative study, followed by qualitative questions (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005; Lund 2005). In this quantitative-qualitative approach, problem areas and research questions are identified by carrying out a quantitative study which will have to be further investigated with the help of qualitative data and methods. The problem of quantitative research addressed by this design is often the difficulty to understand statistical findings without additional socio cultural knowledge. Furthermore, the quantitative part of a sequential quantitative-qualitative design can guide systematic case comparison in the following qualitative inquiry by helping to identify criteria for the selection of cases and by providing a sampling frame (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005; Kelle, 2006). Thus, this design can help to overcome an important threat of validity existing in qualitative research that researchers focus on distant and marginal cases. Another problem of qualitative research can be addressed by this design: it helps to avoid a qualitative study with an outsized scope that covers a domain too wide to be captured with the help of a small qualitative sample. Onwuegbuzie and Leech (2005) give a simple example to understand the above problem: a qualitative study of family life in a contemporary city would have to take into account many more different forms of families than a similar study in a traditional rural community in the first decades of the twentieth century. By drawin g on statistical material about the distribution of different family forms, the minimum requirements for qualitative sampling could be easily captured, and may be well advised to downsize the research question and research domain (Bryman, 2001; Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2005). On the other hand, a parallel qualitative-quantitative design can fulfil similar functions to a sequential design: the qualitative part of the study can provide information that helps to understand statistical relations, to develop explanations and to identify additional variables that increase variance already explained in the quantitative data. A great benefit of a parallel qualitative-quantitative design is that it helps to identify measurement problems and methodological artefact of both qualitative and quantitative data, as the same persons are interviewed with different techniques (Bryman, 1992 and 2001). However, this parallel design approach encloses an important disadvantage, it is that qualitative sampling and data collection cannot be systematically developed from research questions derived from quantitative data; therefore it can easily be the case that the available qualitative data provide no answers for questions coming from the quantitative study, as they were not col lected for that purpose. Conclusion It is shown throughout this essay that the theoretical approach influences the methodological approach and vice versa. Many studies in sociology use a combination of positivist, interpretivist and, realist ideas. The essay demonstrates that the influence of positivism has inspired much of social research most prevalent research methods. Some of these include surveys, questionnaires and statistical models. Researchers applying a positivist methodology for their study consider large-scale sample surveys and controlled laboratory experiments as suitable research methods. These methods can be justified as they allow positivist researchers to employ empirical and logical quantitative data. While, interpretivism employs qualitative methods to understand people, not to measure them, it attempts to capture reality in interaction, however, does not necessarily exclude quantitative methods. Whereas, quantitative results from a positivist method like a survey are unlikely to provide understandi ng of this deeper reality and therefore should not be a major part of any realism research project, basically, because realism research data are almost always qualitative data about meanings. The essay provides several benefits of performing mixed method research. Researchers of social science use a wide variety of research methods to gain and enhance knowledge and theory. The different types of research methodologies, quantitative and qualitative, are associated with the epistemological and theoretical perspectives the researcher wishes to adopt. The essay demonstrated that quantitative and qualitative methods can fulfil different, yet, complementary purposes within mixed-method designs. Quantitative methods can give an overview ab

Monday, January 20, 2020

F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Great Gatsby is a symbolic novel of the disintegration of the American dream in an era of extraordinary prosperity and material excess. On the surface, we see that it is a story about the love between a man and a woman but the overall theme is the collapse of the American dream in society. We find that every character in their own way is searching for their American dream but as a result, their desire for wealth and pleasure, caused them to find themselves lost in the corruption of the aristocrat society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daisy is one of the characters that is trying to search for her American dream but the readers don’t really notice this because it seems that Daisy has everything already – wealth, a husband, love and family. It is everything she could possibly want but as we get to know Daisy, the reader sees that there is something else Daisy desires besides wealth and luxurious material. â€Å"I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.† - Pg 21. Daisy’s America dream is to be this â€Å"beautiful little fool† she envisions. Daisy is beautiful and it is told through the characters that she is charming and beautiful but they could see right through her. They knew what she wanted in life and the fact that she was void of any loyalty or care. Daisy sought after this image of being this â€Å"beautiful little fool† so that she could hide her selfish ways and put on this fake faà §ade so the other characters would see she is innocent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the novel, Daisy acts snooty and stuck-up around the other characters as if she is better then them. She also acts very child-like when she cries over â€Å"beautiful shirts.† â€Å"They’re such beautiful shirts,† she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. â€Å"It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such – such beautiful shirts before.† – Pg 98. From this it shows that she only cares about luxurious material. Through her actions, we see that Daisy is not this girl that we should sympathize or look up to as â€Å"great† compared to Gatsby. â€Å"Even if we are cousins. You didn’t come to my wedding. I wasn’t back from the war. That’s true. She hesitated. Well, I’ve had a very bad time, Nick, and I’m pretty cynical about everything.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Production vs Operation Management Essay

Production management and operations management are management jargon that needs to be simplified for those who are sitting on the fence or those inside an organization unable to comprehend them clearly. Sometimes it becomes confusing to be talking about production management inside operations management but they are separate and distinct entities in the study of management as ultimately, production is a part of the whole cycle of operations. Read on to clarify the doubts. Operations Management The study of set of activities comprising supervision, planning and designing of business operations in the field of manufacturing of goods and services is termed as operations management. The purpose of operations management is to make certain that the operations of a business are efficient and effective and result in minimum of wastage. Operations management tries to cut down resources involved in operations while at the same time making operations more effective and productive. In fact operations management is more concerned on processes than people or products. Operations management in a nutshell is using physical resources in an optimum manner, converting input into output, so as to supply to the market the desired and finished product. Production Management Production management on the other hand focuses specifically on the production of goods and services and is concentrated upon churning output from input. It is a broad sum of activities that go into turning raw material into final, finished product. One may feel that production management is a subset of operations management, but production management in itself is a broad subject that comprises production planning and control, inventory management, and operations control. Production management includes all management activities spanning selection. Designing, operating, controlling and updating production system. In brief: Operations vs Production Management †¢ Both production management and operations management play an important role in an organization in increasing the efficiency and productivity. †¢ While operations management is focused upon administration, planning and execution of operations involved in production of goods and services and trying to minimize the resources at the same time increasing output, production management is more concerned with input/output and churning out products in the shape of desired finished product.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Essay on Centralia Number 5 Disaster Approaches - 1078 Words

From February 7, 1942 to the deaths of 111 miners on March 25, 1947, Centralia Number 5 was a disaster waiting to happen. So many things could have been done that were not. Scanlans first report on February 7, 1942 was a premonition of the disaster to come. Scanlan as an inspector should have and could have done more to prevent this tragedy. This paper will discuss the four measures that Scanlan could have taken to avoid the catastrophe that resulted in so many deaths. The Clock Begins: The Choices Available Life is unpredictable. So many things that happen are beyond mans control. However, Centralia Number 5 was not one of them. This incident was a calamity waiting to happen. There were several points along this path of†¦show more content†¦Scanlans decision not to close down the mine is a reflection of what happens when mock bureaucracies become the norm. Scanlans based his decision not to close down the mine on the assumption that the Director would reopen the mine and fire or replace him with a more reasonable inspector. In government one of the first things a person learns, is to follow the chain of command. Your supervisor is not the last step, but the starting point. When a supervisor fails to perform, their legal, ethical, or moral duty, the next step in the chain is to report him or her to their supervisor and so on. Scanlan started using the chain of command and then stopped. When his initial attempts met with failure, as a public administrator, Scanlan had a duty to protect and ensure the enforcement of state laws. When his reports went unanswered, he allowed political bias to prevent him from doing the right thing. The saddest part [ about coal mining safety] is that in many instances the bias takes the form of concealing or glossing over unsafe conditions or practices (Harrington, 1926, p. 97). As a public administrator, Scanlan had the duty and obligation to make sure his reports went to correct person. If this meant hand delivering them, then he should have done so. Following the chain of command goes hand in hand with being an activeShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications8159 Words   |  33 Pagesneeded, to facilitate a consistent and orderly method towards change. Rijal, S. (2012). Leadership Style and Organizational Culture in Learning Organization: A Comparative Study. International Journal of Management amp; Information Systems, 14(5), 119-128. Rijal’s focus in this article is the importance and prevalence of a strong leadership style and culture transformation, in order for an organization to become a learning organization and remain strong amidst environmental uncertainty.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Beloved Child,. If You Had The Power To Go Back In Time,

Beloved Child, If you had the power to go back in time, would you? How much more good can you do, with the power of hindsight? How many lives might you save, how much wealth can you effortlessly accumulate? What you consider now merely mundane would allow you to stand among the geniuses and history-makers of the past. All you would have to do is to give up the conveniences you modern humans take for granted. Have you heard of the story of the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur s Court? Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote it as a parody of this tendency of the modern to think of the past as dirty and ignorant. For it is the way of all modern civilizations to consider themselves superior to all that had gone before. From Romans to the†¦show more content†¦No J. Random High Schooler (or a college graduate, or even most people with doctorates) is ever really going to pull off a Connecticut Yankee in a parallel world. There is too much to remember. Even the Hang This in Your Time Travel Machine poster is of limited usefulness. It is a tools to make the tools problem. For example, pasteurization. Heat milk to below the boiling point with what thermometer are you using to measure heat so that it does not begin to affect the taste? Vaccination? With what steel needles and glass plungers in an iron age society? Annoyed with the inability to work well after dark? Run electricity through a tungsten wire what does tungsten even look like? A carbon arc lamp might be easier to make but how do I make batteries to store electricity for mobile light and firestarting? Toilet paper? Turning paper into wood pulp involves heavy machinery and/or chemicals. What chemicals? Grow potatoes to alleviate food shortages? Potatoes are over there in the New World, what do I even have a ship through the Atlantic? The cosmopolitan man, in any era, possesses an approximate knowledge of many things. For in-depth knowledge of anything outside of individual special skillsets, there came to be a generation that sees fit to offload thinking skills to the Web. For whatever question? Just [Googol] it. It makes sense, for in the distant future of 2015 there is far too much to know, and even more being discovered, or commented upon, orShow MoreRelatedConfronting the Past, Living the Present, and Enjoying the Future in Toni Morrisons Beloved1342 Words   |  6 Pagesthe old adage, History always repeats itself, rings true due to a failure to truly confront the past, especially when the memory of a period of time sparks profoundly negative emotions ranging from anguish to anger. However, danger lies in failing to recognize history or in the inability to reconcile the mistakes of the past. In her novel, Beloved, Toni Morrison explores the relationship between the past, present and future. Because the horrors of slavery cause so much pain for slaves who enduredRead MoreBeloved Literary Analysis Essay1672 Words   |  7 Pagesreminisce details of their brutal and inhumane treatments. Many in which are unable to accept their past and look into their future. Toni Morrison concludes the novel â€Å"Beloved,† with an inconclusive phrase, â€Å"It was not a story to pass on...This is not a story to pass on,† suggesting the path of the characters to come. Throughout the novel, Beloved, the ghost of Sethe’s murdered daughter and a representation of slavery, forces the characters to recognize the pain from their past before they can work throughRead MoreSlave Narratives: Beloved by Toni Morrison1644 Words   |  7 Pagesnot experienced these hardships, and weren’t even born to witness it. Slave narratives are memoirs that were written while slavery was still legalized, for example Harriet Jacob’s â€Å"Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl†. However, Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Beloved† is considered a neo-slave narrativ e because it is a story that is written after the abolishment of slavery. These stories of slavery still haunt Americans, black and white. Slave narratives are significant because there are psychological scars thatRead MorePrejudice Essay On Love And Prejudice1184 Words   |  5 Pagesmore contemporary setting. This abiding love story tells the tale of Eurydice and Orpheus, whose love, almost, conquers all. The themes of this play: love, death, and the power of music have all had a massive impact on my life, causing this play to mean much more to me: I have lost loved ones from death, I have felt the power of love through family and relationships, and I have been connected with music through dance and singing. Love is the biggest theme in this play, as it also is in my life.Read MoreAugustus Caesar and Emperor Nero Comparision980 Words   |  4 PagesI believe that being a beloved leader has a huge effect on being a better ruler. In 44 B.C. Julius Caesar was assassinated by his s enate chamber. Soon his nephew and adopted son, Gaius Octavian, would join forces with Mark Anthony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus into a three-way dictatorship. This transformed Rome from being a Monarchy into being a dictatorship. Lepidus left Rome soon after Octavian began reign and went on to lead parts of Africa and Hispania. In 37 B.C. Mary Anthony met Cleopatra. TheyRead MoreLove Is a Gifted Token Gradually Accepted by a Fragile Heart Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesWithin this world where love is a gifted token gradually accepted by the fragile heart, love itself is a power, a blessing in all its glory. For love brings the beauty of the ripest fruit and carries the whispers of lustrous eves. Yet within such a delicate world, love itself is often a curse; thorns that prick the careless skin left bare from the worlds impurity. Ripened fruit will surely sour and become distasteful upon indulgence. Love itself will perish and it’s budding will come to an unsatisfyingRead MoreAnalyzing Morrison ´s Beloved1339 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel Beloved by Toni Morrison weaves a story about African American refugee slaves caught between remembering and forgetting what they have been through. Morrison, although evoking various complex emotions from her readers, has structured the novel so that we are unable to identify with any of the characters, especially Sethe, due to how slavery has deconstructed their lives. Slavery brings down these characters, causing them to lose their individuality. As a result of their sub-human treatmentRead MoreThe Aeneid By Virgil, The Oresteia, And Sappho By Sappho1283 Words   |  6 Pagesour emotions and prevents them from getting too out of hand. There are three texts from seminar that demonstrate this idea of emotional power: The Aeneid by Virgil, The Oresteia by Aeschylus, and Sappho by Sappho. In The Aeneid, the text discusses Aeneas’ journey to Italy and the many encounters he had. It was in this text that the females displayed emotional power. The Oresteia is a play about murder, revenge, and justice within the royal family of Argos. Emotion is what drives this play about murderRead MoreEssay about The Iliad of Homer1055 Words   |  5 Pagesarrive at the camp of Achilles, his fear suddenly subsides and â€Å"the old man makes straight for the dwelling where Achilles beloved of Zeus was sitting.† A decisive moment has arrived for both men. When Priam enters, Achilles knows that he must accept his own death with open arms while Priam is forced to sit at the knees of Achilles and kiss the hands that have killed his beloved Hektor. Homer seems to stop the action for a moment to let us feel the intensity of this extraordinary encounter. PriamRead MoreThe Iliad1088 Words   |  5 Pagesarrive at the camp of Achilles, his fear suddenly subsides and the old man makes straight for the dwelling where Achilles beloved of Zeus was sitting. A decisive moment has arrived for both men. When Priam enters, Achilles knows that he must accept his own death with open arms while Priam is forced to sit at the knees of Achilles and kiss the hands that have killed his beloved Hektor. Homer seems to stop the action for a moment to let us feel the intensity of this extraordinary encounter. Priam

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Karl Marxs Theory of Capitalism Essay - 2234 Words

Karl Marxs Theory of Capitalism Marxism like functionalism is concerned with the overall picture of society. Marxism is seen as a conflict theory, Mainly because they see the primary interests of society as a whole as being made up of conflicting groups with conflicting interests or beliefs. We are a very materialistic society. A society made up of those who have, and those who have not. Marxists sociologists say that there will never be true social harmony because there are too many inequalities within our cultural society. Marx gave names to the haves and have nots, they are known as the Bourgeoise and the†¦show more content†¦This arises from both its unfinished nature and Marxs shifting points of emphasis across his lifetime. The focus of Marxs work, however, was undoubtedly on the historical basis of inequality, and specifically inequality under capitalism. Marxs critiques of the capitalist system - its tendency towards crises, the necessity of inequality - are still relevant today. The Dialectic Marxs powerful critique has as it basis a unique approach to reality - the dialectic. Taking from G.W.F. Hegel (1770 - 1831), Marx believed that any study of reality must be attuned to the contradictions within society and, indeed, he sees contradiction as the motor of historical change. Unlike Hegel, Marx believed that these contradictions existed not simply in our minds (i.e., in the way we understand the world), but that they had a concrete material existence. At the heart of capitalism was the contradiction between the demands of the capitalist to earn a profit and the demands of the worker, who wants to retain some profit to subsist. Over time, the workings of the capitalist system would exacerbate this contradiction, and its resolution can be had only through social change. The Dialectical Method The dialectical approach does not recognize the division between social values and social facts. To do so leads away from any real understanding of the problems people face. Additionally, theShow MoreRelatedKarl Marx and Capitalism Essay880 Words   |  4 PagesKarl Marx, in the Capital, developed his critique of capitalism by analyzing its characteristics and its development throughout history. The critique contains Marx’s most developed economic analysis and philosophical insight. Although it was written in 1850s, its values still serve an important purpose in the globalized world and maintains extremely relevant in the twenty-first century. Karl Marx’s critique of political economy provides a scientific understanding of the history of capitalism.Read More Karl Marx and His Radical Views Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesKarl Marx and His Radical Views Karl Marx[i] Karl Marx is among the most important and influential of all modern philosophers who expressed his ideas on humans in nature. According to the University of Dayton, â€Å"the human person is part of a larger history of life on this planet. Through technology humans have the power to have an immense effect on that life.†[ii] The people of his time found that the impact of the Industrial Revolution would further man’s success within thisRead MoreMarx: The Economic Basis of Human Societies 1093 Words   |  5 Pagesagency of historical change† (Collins English Dictionary, 1994: 959). In this assignment the worldview of Karl Marx will be discovered and the crux of Marxism will be uncovered. Marx’s Life and Work Karl Marx was born in 1818 in Germany during an oppressive time. His Jewish father who; under the discriminatory laws had to convert to Christianity in order to become a lawyer. Although Karl Marx was raised as a Protestant he soon abandoned religion. He ventured on to the University of Berlin as aRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto And Das Kapital1151 Words   |  5 PagesKarl Marx was a philosopher, economist, socialist, and journalist in the 18th century. He is most famous for his books the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital. Among his theories he discussed ideas involving the economy, politics, and social relations. Some of his most important phrases most central to Marx’s thinking were alienation, freedom, surplus value, and social relations of production. The new ideas he presented regarding politics and economics, his critiques of other theories and politicalRead MoreMarx s Theory Of Historical Materialism1495 Words   |  6 PagesCapitalism is an economic system in a s ociety in which private owners control industry and trade within a country, rather than the state. Both Karl Marx and Max Weber, have written theories on how this system develops in countries and creates a nation state that is characterised by production and wealth. Marx’s theory takes more of a top-down approach, suggesting that people have little power in how their society is run. On the other hand, Weber’s bottom-up approach demonstrates how people have theRead MoreThe Contribution Of Karl Marx Essay1337 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay considers the contribution of Karl Marx to the study of sociology, throughout this essay I will be discussing what Marxism is, how Marxism has affected today’s society as well as academics that did not agree with Marx’s theories. Marxism is the social and economic system based on the theories of Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels. Karl Marx was born in Trier, Germany in 1818, Marx studied law and Berlin University but later changed to philosophy until finally perusing his interest in journalismRead MoreKarl Marx s Influence On Society1149 Words   |  5 PagesKarl Marx emphasized conflict in the society due to consumerism, religion, intersectionality. He saw this conflict and determined that hidden structures can benefit him and others by using the term of ideology which can rely on true or false consciousness. Marx was a unique sociologist who expressed his own ideas in various ways. Applying to Marx’s Theory towards slavery, it showed how the society use to be and how it impacted the slaves to be part of their culture to manifest the society. Read MoreAnalysis Of The Book Common Sense By Thomas Paine1474 Words   |  6 Pagesmodern economics. One author wrote two books that would forever change the course of history. These books would lay the foundation to communism and influence leaders like Lenin and Tse-Tung. Karl Marx’ works, Capital and The Communist Manifesto, have forever changed the course of history. On May 5, 1818, Karl Heinrich Marx was born in Trier, Prussia (modern day Trier, Germany) to Heinrich and Henrietta Marx. Throughout Karl’s schooling years, he was considered to be an ordinary student and did notRead MoreKarl Marx : A German Influential Philosopher And One Of The Intellectual Fathers Of Communism1477 Words   |  6 PagesKarl Marx is known to be a German influential philosopher and one of the intellectual fathers of communism, writing when the industrial revolution and imperialism period was changing the nature of both the economies of individual nations and the global economy itself. He eradicated his view on the effects these changes had on individual workers and society. This introduced many of his theories, one of which was the idea of alienated labor. Alienated labor was written in 1844, Marx sets the view thatRead MoreKarl Marx s Theory Of The Classical Era1699 Words   |  7 Pages Karl Marx’s Ideas on Sociological Theory in the Classical Era Karl Marx was a philosopher, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. Born in 1818 in Prussia, part of the German Confederation. He later became jobless and was forced to move to London, England where he spent the rest of his life writing. Marx had many ideas that created radical people in several countries and ideas that cause many opinions to flourish about capitalism and democracy. Marx’s specific theories about society and their

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Ants Story Compares To American Government Today Of All Politics Essay Sample free essay sample

The film Antz is merely like the American Government today because it has all tips of political relations. In the film it has many authorities issues like the settlement was led by a president. In the settlement there was ever person who would make up ones mind â€Å"who gets what. when. and how. † The intent for person to make up ones mind something and holding a authorities is to hold order of things. The film Antz shows that it has a queen and in the queen has the power and control over the whole settlement. The Antz have to follow the regulations and Torahs that the queen puts and they have no say in it the settlement was an indirect democracy. In the film Antz they had no life. autonomy and belongings the chief character Z wanted to travel outside the settlement but he didn’t hold his autonomy to make so. We will write a custom essay sample on Ants: Story Compares To American Government Today Of All Politics Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the film the military represents a unsafe force they take advantage of their power and portion of their settlement dice in conflict. But in this film there is merely one Dictatorship running the ground forces the queen does non acquire into the dissection but can do the last. I think we do necessitate a military. non to be contending with other states but to develop adolescents and immature grownups subject and to be all they can be. Having the armed forces besides benefits us greatly by holding our state secured so our ground forces will halt those enemies that want to assail us. Of class the economic system of the emmets is a bid economic system. and everyone has to work towards â€Å"the good of the colony† . The chief emmet that controls the ground forces would ever set that in the Antz head to ever remain together and work all the clip. In this film they don’t have a authorities but that’s why the settlement is so manipulated by the chief emmet that controls the ground forces. They need the Government because it has the ultimate authorization to make up ones mind how struggles will be resolved and how benefits and privileges will be allocated. The Antz merely had one authorization and would ever obey that authorization because that is what they have ever done. In the film they had no equality. where the thought that all people are of equal worth in this instance the Antz were nil but workers and they wouldn’t even have a choose what they would make. The chief Ant was the Queen who had the last say in everything she was like the whole authorities he would be the 1 who would make up ones mind when to declare war and when to come in into a pact and established and control armed forces. The settlement did non hold to amendments nor was the fundamental law the settlement led like a communist state. The other thing the Antz did non hold been at that place civil rights that refers to the rights of all Americans to be protection under the jurisprudence. The one think that Z did was the freedom of address after he switches topographic points with a soldier emmet non cognizing he will be traveling to war. The authorities dictated the full settlement and every facet of the Ants lives. But after that he knew he had the â€Å"Right† to make what he wanted to make. The general had no say in his life so the settlement started to see that they had there life. autonomy. and belongings and started to move on it. They were besides able to demo how individualism belongs to everyone and that you must contend for your right to make as you please. every bit long as it is non impeding person else’s freedom. The ant settlement authorities strongly disagreed with Z and his individuality because it led other people to believe for themselves alternatively of acquiring blindly led by the Queen and General Mandible. The film besides had what they call a whistle blower. A whistle blower is person who brings gross governmental inefficiency or an illegal action to the public’s attending. In this instance Z was the whistle blower to the queen because of the general Z had a tough choose to do because like many people now in yearss don’t attempt to acquire involved because at the terminal it doesn’t turn out good for them. The civil service reform act prohibits reprisals against whistleblower by their higher-ups.