Summarise the main development of a child from the age range 0-2 years, 3-5 years and 5-8 years Essay Example for Free

Summarise the main development of a child from the age range 0-2 years, 3-5 years and 5-8 years Essay The first physical stages in a baby happen after they are born. They will start by learning how to hold their head up. Babies have a grasping reflex which enables them to automatically tighten their fingers when an object is placed in the palm of their hands. Around 6 months a baby will be able to roll forward and maybe start to crawl and shuffle their bodies around. Mobility is hugely increased in babies between 9 and 12 months. They will usually be able to sit upright unaided and even show signs of wanting to stand and walk. By the time a child reaches 2 years of age, they should have mastered the art of sitting, standing, crawling and walking. Some children by this age can begin to run, kick a ball and walk up and down stairs (assisted by an adult). 3-5 years By this age children should be able to stand on tiptoes and jump from very low heights. Climbing should make them feel confident and many will be able to ride a tricycle. A child’s mobility progresses to an advanced level meaning they can move about freely without any help or hesitation. Moves such as catching, kicking, throwing and bouncing a ball will have developed and will encourage children to participate in simple ball games. Between the ages of 4-5 years children will be able to use certain playing equipment such as skipping ropes, hoops and even skittles. Children of this age will understand much better the right of personal space and are also able to move around safely. 5-8 years Children by the age of 5 will be more agile. Some will be able to stand on one foot for 10 seconds. A lot of children in this age bracket can touch their toes without bending their knees. Many will be able to ride a bike without any stabilisers. They may also enjoy games such as sliding, climbing frames and swinging. Their stamina should have increased which means activities such as gymnastics, swimming and athletics are a good choice. Other sports such as football, basketball, will allow them to run around without colliding into someone or something. Intellectual Development 0-2 years Babies are born with primitive reflexes which can include a rooting reflex this is when a baby turns his or her head to suckle as a result of stroking his or her cheek. They will be able to recognise certain sounds and voices. Imitation of facial expressions are enjoyable to them and making eye contact with them is comforting. Bright lights can be exciting for babies of this age and they will also enjoy looking at themselves in a mirror. Between 6 and 9 months babies will enjoy playing with toys and imitating simple tasks such as clapping hands or waving goodbye. Babies will enjoy banging objects together, throwing, dropping and shaking toys/objects around. Memory skills will start to develop. By the age of 2 children will have learnt how to use a spoon and drink from a cup. By this age they will typically have a vocabulary of around 50 words. 3-5 years Children of this age will participate in pretend play. They will be able to use crayons and pencils and maybe even the ability to handle round ended scissors appropriately. Motor skills will be developing by now enabling them to put tiny beads into a string. Their memory is getting stronger they should be able to remember past events and look forward to future ones. Between 3-5 years of age learning is becoming more interesting. They will begin to name colours and understand simple counting. Drawings will be more accurate and easier to recognise. 5-8 years At the age of 5, children will be ready to start school and should be able to string simple sentences together. Drawings may contain simple details such as a face with eyes, ears mouth and nose. Some children may also be able to write their own names. Writing and reading is becoming more interesting. Those children who are read to aloud and are encouraged to read aloud tend to develop more quickly intellectually Time phrases such as morning, afternoon, night, yesterday and tomorrow will be more understandable to them. Numeracy level reaches the ability of adding and subtracting by the age of 6-8 years. Language 0-2 years Babies will cry and gurgle or coo. Crying can differ depending on whether a baby is hungry, hurt or wants a cuddle. Babies between 3 and 6 months can begin to chuckle and laugh and can imitate certain sounds. Babbling becomes more constant and by 9 months a baby ought to be able to copy words such as ‘mama’ and ‘dada’. By the age of 2 a child’s vocabulary has increased from coo-ing and making various noises to having a vocabulary of approximately 50 words. 3-5 years By the age of 3 communication is greatly improved resulting in talking all the time and many questions asked. The most common words used are why, who, where, how, when. Their skills by now should include using sentences which use tenses and possibly even plurals. A child in this age bracket may become frustrated with their inability to tell as much as they think or understand. Around the age of 5 years old a child will be able to talk about past, present and future events. They will also be able to learn songs and rhymes. 5-8 years A child’s vocabulary is widening by this age and they will be learning new words. They will be able to describe things such as toys and games and also give opposite meanings. Emotional Development 0-2 years A baby’s primary means of communication is crying. Babies will start smiling especially at familiar faces. They would have built up a bond with their primary carer. They will realise that they have only one mother and that not all females are their mum/carer. Around 6 to 9 months babies can develop feelings of insecurity resulting in tears or distress when mum leaves the room or is out of sight. At around 20 months children will be able to show preferences and are becoming more aware of those people around them they can be affected by another person’s mood. Self-confidence begins to build and they start to believe in themselves. 3-5 years By this age, a child should be able to communicate how they are feeling and discovering the differences between males and females. They will start to get independent enough to carry out little tasks such as dressing themselves, and going to the bathroom by themselves. Children of this age can start to feel anxious, especially as they are unsure of their imagination and inner feelings. This can also lead to overwhelming emotions and fears regarding the unknown. They often do not know the difference between fantasy and reality. By the age of 5 curiosity is at its most advanced and a child will want to try new things which to them are alien. Usually children of this age are able to form successful relationships that may last for a long time. 5-8 years By now children should be able to express their likes and dislikes. As time passes by they are able to have more control over their emotions and their instincts may be greatly developed, for instance if someone appears to be in distress or sad. Children of this age are better at sharing and engage in co-operative play. Arguments now make more sense compared to those of small toddlers. Peer pressure may begin to affect them. Social 0-2 years Babies will enjoy close physical contact especially with their primary carer. They will enjoy being cuddled, feeding and bathing. Babies will enjoy socialising with other babies of their own age. Between 6 and 9 months babies will start to imitate others and hearing laughter will make them laugh even though they will not really be aware of what they are actually laughing at. Around 9 months they can entertain themselves with toys and games and will have learnt to occupy themselves. Some babies by this age will be able to feed themselves with finger foods and drinking from a cup. 3-5 years Children around the age of 3 will enjoy making friends. Learning to take turns in play and sharing can bring on tantrums as they will all want their own way. Children around this age will also learn to dress themselves and will learn to carry out simple requests. By the age of 5 children will be more understanding of social backgrounds, difference skin colour, religion and even cultures. Children of this age will make new friends and form a close relationship with one â€Å"best friend†. 5-8 years Children will be able to carry out more complex tasks such as tidying up their toys, They should be able to dress themselves without the help of a grown up. They will understand the difference between right and wrong and will know how to value a true friend. Some may become stubborn or even bossy.

The Challenges Of Learning A New Language English Language Essay

The Challenges Of Learning A New Language English Language Essay During my time in Voc. Ed., I developed further into a mediocore student and a somnambulant problem solver, and that affected the subjects I did have the wherewithal to handle: I detested Shakespeare; I got bored with history. My attention flitted here and there. I fooled around in class and read my books indifferently the intellectual equivalent of playing with your food. I did what I had to to get by, and I did with a half a mind. Mike Rose, I Just Wanna Be Average I can recall a certain part of my life when I had to learn English as my second language. It was the year 1998 when I first moved from the Philippines. During that period, I was living in San Pablo with my parents, who were illiterate at the time. Technically speaking, I did learn some English in the Philippines but not the kind of English one would expect from America. What was on my mind when I stepped in a room full of kids in a 2nd grade environment? One word, nervousness. Based on my memories, I remember being the quiet/shy kid who didnt make many friends because I The Challenges of Learning A New Language 2 couldnt speak the language. It wasnt until later on that I gained some confidence in speaking the language, and also being able to write in a basic manner. Its self-evident that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to English (or any other subject for that matter), but I will tell my story of the struggles I had to face learning a new language (and for that matter something I still need to work on today). In some ways, my parents illiteracy transformed my life. It wasnt until my middle school years that I realize that Im fortunate learning English as a second language and performing decently well in school unlike my parents, who were struggling to write and speak English. In the beginning, however, I struggled to speak even the most basic words in English. I did okay in all other subjects except English, which I received a below average. My memory cant recall most of my Elementary years but from what my parents tell me is that I was basically a struggling student trying to make ends meet when it came to grades. Fortunately I do remember my 5th grade teacher Ms. Pamela telling me that I was doing extremely well in all of my subjects. I also recall the time she nominated me as the best-improved student in the class and that made me feel good about myself. This was also the year where I made a good amount of friend and interacted more towards my peers. The kinds of friends I had were rel iable and trustworthy, and for the most part, were one of my main sources of help besides the teacher. For the most part I was a reserved student so being able to interact and communicate with my peers The Challenges of Learning A New Language 3 improved my overall well-being. It was that moment of time that I gained the confidence I needed to try harder and succeed. But that confidence suddenly disappeared at the start of 6th grade. At that time, there was an English placement test to check for proficiency in English. My score was ELD 4 (English Language Development; Level 1, 2, 3, 4) so I was one level away from moving up to regular English. Even though my parents both went to college in the Philippines, they couldnt use what they learned and ended up in mediocre jobs. I was struggling, for the most part, in middle school and had that feeling of self-doubt. For a short period of time (8th grade in particular) I felt liberated in the sense of finding a new positive direction in terms of my self-doubts. It was during 8th grade that I was able to move up from a remedial class to an advanced English class. I was surprised when I found out that I was going to take an advanced class rather than a normal English class, and at that time counselors werent widely available so I just let it be. At first I was indifferent until I met Ms. Floe, who was in wheelchair, with one disabled arm. Her way of teaching was difficult at first, however, throughout the course, she taught with an open-mind and inspired her students. Even though I never got an A or B in the class, I learned a lot even though the level of difficulty was beyond me. It was from this moment on that I knew that advanced English classes werent for me but at least I never gave up. At least in the end I got a C. The Challenges of Learning A New Language 4 High school was the start of a new era in terms of reading and writing. For the most parts I had astounding English teachers starting my freshman year. Mrs. Monroe was my one of the few English teachers that thoroughly checked for every single mistake in terms of grammar, clarity, focus, and etc. Since her grading scale was more extraneous, I never got a high grade on my essays; however, there were a lot of comments and improvements she wrote making it easy to know what needs to be refined. Sophomore, junior, and senior years were the same teacher and her teaching style was something I wasnt fond of. Somehow I was able to survive and do well in her class even when she never graded our essays thoroughly and gave explanations of what need to be fixed. In my opinion, I never learned as much as I should even though I got mostly As and Bs in my high school career. My definition of a teacher is someone you can look up to and or someone who inspires you to learn. One of the professors that inspired me to learn and to learn about life in a whole different manner is Professor Begonia. He taught Psyche and Behavior of Pilipinos and we didnt just read a book and write about something, but we got into groups and had our teammates with our own group name and group motto. And this quote he said during one of his lectures was quite inspiring to say the least and defines what a teacher really is. The poor teacher tells. The mediocre teacher tells. The superior teacher demonstrates. But the truly outstanding teacher inspires. I never pushed my limits to try harder because something was preventing me The Challenges of Learning A New Language 5 from doing so. That reason is that I was diagnosed with bi-polar mania or manic depression in the summer of 2010. The doctor explained to me the possible causes and the one that caught my attention was that this disorder can make it hard to concentrate; i.e. reading, writing, being worried all the time, etc. It explains a lot of how and why I had such a hard time concentrating in school. I look back and I see the how this experience shaped my attitude, choices, and overall experience in my academic life. Today, more than a decade later, I still struggle with reading (not so much) and writing. Yet I am optimistic that everything will be okay and I can move on from my past. Sometimes I still have doubt that I wont do well in English but I just have to focus and try harder no matter what. To me, were like a firework waiting to ignite and it just takes time to realize our true potential and sometimes that takes time.

Franz Liszt: Biography and Works

Franz Liszt: Biography and Works Franz Liszt and the New German School In pre-modern Europe, most artists were content to follow a proud classical tradition, offering creative embellishments of their own as a contribution to the field and following the rules of composing a proper sonata, concerto, or waltz paying special attention to chord progression, harmonics, and tonality. Because much of the music was purely instrumental, each piece identified a theme in the title (i.e. Danse Macabre, Mephisto’s Waltz, Liebestraume, Moonlight Sonata etc.) and sought to bring it to life through music. While there were noteworthy artists in the field, very few had the creative ability to usher in a new era or popularise a new form of expression, which is probably why only a handful of Europe’s finest are known offhand today such as Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart and Wagner. In the mid-nineteenth century, the idea of the New German School was born and Franz Liszt was one of the most important members. It did not matter that he was not born in Germany, but bec ause the art and culture of Germany had such great influence over his work, he was claimed as one of the Great German Artists by Franz Brendel and other music commentators associated with him. Most classical aficionados have heard of Franz Liszt because of the dark dynamic quality of his work, and the artistic risks he had taken in many of his compositions—he broke conventions relating to harmonics, chord structure, tonality, and quite often did not give the work a suitable ending.[1] This is rather startling because most people settle into a routine at an advanced age—i.e. they would have ‘found their voice’ and spent much of their time refining the message—indeed, it was expected. However, many of his critics believed that Liszt’s later work was not the birth of something new. Instead, it was considered a diminishment of capabilities and a sign of some internal sickness that attacked one’s artistic sensibilities. According to Ernst Gà ¼nter, ‘the music of Liszt’s final decade (1876-1886) is the product of aesthetic weariness and distrust of the very principles of art. The disaffection of the later Liszt, which he vouched for only in isolated remarks, becomes effective in the compositions as the destruction of the aesthetic norms.’ However, one can argue that his later work was a natural progression of his earlier work and tragic events in his personal life and the rapid rate of change in the world may have had a greater influence on his later compositions than simply mere disenchantment with art itself. Instead, much of the research suggests a growing disenchantment with the world itself as he comes to face his own mortality and his interest and focus is further removed from the world around him to the afterlife instead. This paper will examine a sample of Liszt’s final works and attempt to answer the question of whether his change in style is the result of ‘aesthetic weariness’ or the next logical step in his creative path and reflective of his journey as an artist reflecting the times in which he lived. We will examine a few of his past compositions to establish a context and then discuss personal events that had taken place around the time he began to exhibit the noteworthy abandonment o f ‘norms.’ Liszt’s Persona Even today, scholars have a difficult time characterising Franz Liszt’s contribution to the musical world and what he stood for. He certainly had harsh critics and adoring fans during his stage career as expert interpreter and composer and his biography makes it difficult to put him into a box, personally or artistically. According to Liszt Scholars Michael Saffle and Rossana Dalmonte: ‘Here is where many differences of opinion concerning Liszt and his music originate. Liszt’s lifetime spanned the transitions from Napoleon’s Europe to Bismarck’s, and from the earliest railroad trains to electric lighting; his works reflect both romantic (which is to say, modern) and post romantic (which is to say, modernist) concerns. Thus, in the last analysis, it proves extremely difficult to place or describe Liszt, even through comparisons to other great figures of the past. So much is lost if we simply consign him to this or that box.’[2] During his career, he had become something akin to the nineteenth century equivalent of a rock star. Women would fight over his handkerchiefs and gloves, and the expressive passion he brought to his performances often reduced many a patron to tears. Not surprisingly, he was renowned as a ladies’ man and often found patronage (and love) from wealthy noble women. During his travels, he introduced much of the work of German composers such as Schubert, Schumann, Franz, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn to the rest of Europe, and when he switched gears from performance to composition, the German influence became evident although he hails from Hungary. As a composer, his primary aim was to wed music and poetry—a fact that he shared with Agnes Street-Klindworth, a woman with whom he had an affair and corresponded with until his death in 1886.[3] As with most poets, his songs reflected his internal state. At the time, he was absorbed in presenting dramatically flawless interpretations of the masters and he incorporated some elements of theirs into his music, though many of his critics believed that he had taken the wrong ones (i.e. Brahms).[4] Intriguingly enough, many of his contemporaries acknowledged that many of his transcriptions and interpretations of other’s works are so creative that they had taken on a life of their own. However, one can speculate that his early compositions reflected his own grand ambition to utterly master the piano as he rearranged the songs of many of the greats in his field into something that only he, with his unusual hands, could play.[5] Toward the end of his life, he had become much more contemplative, devoting much of his time composing spiritual choral pieces and wandering across Europe, which may also be considered ‘unconventional’ for a man in his mid-sixties (especially as most people did not get to live that long in the first place). Gunter notes that Liszt’s work began to ‘slip’ after 1876, however, it can be argued that his style began to shift radically from the mainstream to a new form of expression entirely. As with many artists, much of the inspiration from Franz Liszt’s music had come from his life experience, his natural temperament, and his passion for his art. In Ihr Glocken von Marling a late composition, it becomes increasingly clear that he is turning toward the more religious themes that started to creep into his work during the latter part of the 1860s. That decade brought much personal loss to Liszt. He had buried his son, daughter, and mother, his marriage to Princess Carolyne was thwarted, and he had to endure smear campaigns by a psychotic stalker.[6] At the same time, he began to turn away from the material toward the spiritual and he began to resemble more closely the archetype of the wandering ascetic. In 1876, he suffered an accident that left him the use of only nine of his fingers—even so, he was still the standard by which most pianists of his time compared themselves and composed at the speed most people write letters.[7] In his final decade, his compositions had become more concerned with the themes of death and dying as his growing ill health and spiritual sentiment was coupled with his belief that he truly had no talent. For instance, Ihr Glocken von Marling approximates the sound that calls the villagers to worship. The repetition of the chords imitates the pealing of the bells in the churchyard. The fact that it is more or less written entirely in the treble clef lends an ethereal sound to the work.[8] While that claim is ludicrous, it is a rather valid concern because he did spend most of his career creating transcriptions of other compositions. He has always had an obsessive and perfectionist streak, which he channelled effectively through his art. In one of his later letters he writes: ‘For the last two weeks I’ve been absorbed in cypresses†¦I have composed two groups of cypresses, each of more than two hundred bars, plus a postludium, to the cypresses of the Villa d’Este. These sad pieces won’t have much success and can do without it. I shall call them Therenodies, as the word elegie strikes me as too tender, and almost worldly. A few more leaves have been added to the cypresses—no less boring and redundant than the previous ones! To tell the truth I sense in myself a terrible lack of talent compared with what I would like to express; the notes I write are pitiful. A strange sense of the infinite makes me impersonal and uncommunicative.’[9] Perhaps his uncommunicativeness can be interpreted as his growing inability to conform to mainstream preferences. It is true that many of his later works focus on spirituality and Hungarian nationalism. This religious sentiment grew to a raging crescendo as he was writing the Via Crucis in which he was forced to contemplate the passion and death of Jesus and his own emotions on the matter, as he was a deeply religious man. ‘The Via Crucis possesses a complex cyclical structure unified on a variety of levels through precisely controlled motives and pitch relations, many of which take on an iconographic significance. This strange and profound work should silence those who cast doubt on the sincerity of Liszt’s religious beliefs. It is the product of deep, anguished contemplation of the passion of Jesus, a process during which one can well imagine Liszt came to identify strongly with the suffering Christ. Via Crucis conveys not only the horror and sorrow of the crucifixion, but also the wonder of God’s redeeming love for humankind.’[10] It is very clear that at this point in his career, he is finished competing with the greats of his age and is simply looking to express his true self through his art. In other fields, refusal to imitate was often seen as an affront to the scene and the fruits of one’s labour were not even considered art (i.e. Vincent van Gogh). Rather than simply producing brilliant transcriptions, he is looking to himself as a Christian, as a Hungarian, and a man that is looking at the winter of his life for inspiration. Instead of becoming despondent about his art, he was invigorated with passion, creating pieces that he intended for performance, particularly about the great Hungarian heroes in history, Mosonyi in particular. Although he had not previously done much work in the Hungarian style during the 1870’s, during the 1880s, he had become much more interested in freeing himself from the stylistic constraints of Western European music. When we had quoted him previously, Liszt said that he lacks the talent to express what he wants to say because there are so many tropes and ideas that he wanted to create through music and he simply did not have sufficient talent to carry it out. From what we know of him historically, he was never one to suffer from a lowered sense of self so he may have meant that his ideas have simply outgrown his ability to express them in art. Using the portrait theme was one of the defining art forms of the 1870s as Mussorgsky created his famous Pictures at an Exhibition ten years before. However, unlike the nationalist sentiment that had become a form of religion in modern Europe, it did not displace his faith in God as noted in Liszt’s letter to his publisher when he first brought up the idea in 1885.[11] As with Via Crucis, scholars concur that his Hungarian Portraits have the depth, resonance, and relevance to the period and served as a foreshadowing of other pieces of that nature. ‘The piece touches upon a number of harmonies which resonate with significant moments earlier in the cycle. It builds to a climactic apotheosis of the main theme in D minor, which subsides to a tender recollection of the contrasting theme in D major, and closes on a solemn note of faith and hope. In spite of the strong projection of the tonic at the conclusion, however, Liszt rigorously avoids stating the tonic root in the low bass, perhaps signifying that life is part of a greater continuum in which only God has the final word.’[12] Conclusion Much of Liszt’s work in the last decade of his life revealed an even deeper understanding of life than when he was younger. Although he was more likely to observe the conventions of composition in his youth (quite brilliantly in fact), he did not yet have more than the intellectual understanding that art was expressive and indicative of life—indeed, that it was not separate from that of the creator but instead flowed organically from his mind and his talents. Unfortunately for Liszt, his knowledge of life’s pain and the existence of other great talents in the arena (i.e. Wagner) led him to doubt his own abilities as an artist. Because he had experienced one of the most devastating losses of all—the deaths of his children, he may have lost all faith in the ‘natural order of things’ recognising that life was often chaotic, out of harmony, and progressed along unexpected paths. Because art is not formed in a vacuum, he poured his energy into crea tion, which is why the body of his later work is characterised by a focus on the sacred, death and dying. In his later years, he tried to turn these realizations into art, and indeed succeeded in creating poetry from his music. Do Liszt’s late compositions perpetuate the progressivism of the 1860’s? Not by a long shot: his songs are religiously themed with sub-themes of destruction, death, and dying in a time characterised by invention, discovery and increasing secularism. Nevertheless, it would not be fair to say that his works signalled artistic breakdown because his exploratory approach created the brilliant sacred pieces Via Crucis and Rosario, Years of Pilgrimage, and The Hungarian Portraits among many others. However, in an age where spirituality becomes increasingly unpopular, artists that reflect it in their work are often alienated by the mainstream and their work is deemed inaccessible. Bibliography Baker, James M. ‘Larger Forms in the Late Piano Works’ in Ed. Hamilton, Kenneth. The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005 Botstein, Leon. ‘A Mirror to the Nineteenth Century: Reflections on Franz Liszt’, Franz Liszt and His World. (eds. Christopher H. Gibbs Dana A. Gooley) Princeton: Princeton University Press: 2006 Gorrell, Lorraine. The Nineteenth-Century German Lied. New Jersey: Amadeus Press LLC, 2005 Hamilton, Kenneth. ‘Liszt’s early and Weimer Piano works’ in Ed. Hamilton, Kenneth. The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005 Liszt, Franz Agnes Street-Klindworth. Franz Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth: A Correspondence, 1854-1886. New York: Pendragon Press, 2000 Saffle, Michael and Rossana Dalmonte. Liszt and the Birth of Modern Europe. New York: Pendragon, 2003 Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt: The Final Years, 1861-1886. Cornell: Cornell University Press, 1997 1 Footnotes [1] Leon Botstein. ‘A Mirror to the Nineteenth Century: Reflections on Franz Liszt’, Franz Liszt and His World. (eds. Christopher H. Gibbs Dana A. Gooley) (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press: 2006) 518 [2] Michael Saffle and Rossana Dalmonte. Liszt and the Birth of Modern Europe. (New York: Pendragon, 2003) 8 [3] Franz Liszt Agnes Street-Klindworth. Franz Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth: A Correspondence, 1854-1886. (New York: Pendragon Press, 2000) 116 [4] Hamilton, Kenneth. ‘Liszt’s early and Weimer Piano works’ in Ed. Hamilton, Kenneth. The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005) 57 [5] Hamilton, 65 [6] Alan Walker. Franz Liszt: The Final Years, 1861-1886. (Cornell: Cornell University Press, 1997) 175 [7] Walker, 369 [8] Lorraine Gorrell. The Nineteenth-Century German Lied. (New Jersey: Amadeus Press, LLC, 2005 ) 246 [9] Liszt qt. Walker, 370 [10] James M. Baker. ‘Larger Forms in the Late Piano Works’ in Ed. Hamilton, Kenneth. The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005) 126 [11] Baker, 134 [12] Baker, 135

Korean Pollution :: essays research papers fc

Deadly particles are circulating within our air supply. They are â€Å"the most life threatening for of air pollution.† These are tiny particles of soot and other matter released from diesel engines in lorries, buses, and coaches. They are believed to have played a role in the premature deaths of 8,000 people. Other pollutants known as GMM’s are causing such damage. GMM’s are genetically modified micro-organisms. These micro-organisms are released from factories and laboratories and go into the atmosphere, and water supplies. They are most life threatening to elderly, and already ill people. (McCarthy 1) Large clouds of these particles were originally believed to originate in Britain, but studies show now that they may also originate in continental Europe. These large clouds drift across the English Channel, and into the North Sea., thus contaminating the sea. Some of the main pollutants are as follows: Benzene, 1,2-butadiene, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, a nd sulfur dioxide. There have been different goals set to lower the amount of these pollutants, however some aren’t expected to be decreased until 2008. In this time many lives may be lost prematurely. England, who is still believed to be the primary contributor of such toxins is planning to take action, but slowly, still maintaining that cleaning these pollutants is â€Å"unachievable, even if every engine on British roads was turned off.† We believe that this is more harmful than Britain realizes, and more action must be taken. Such pollutants may kill animals, and lower the food supply, especially fish in the North Sea. More time and money must be dedicated to the immediate removal of such contaminants, and new emissions standards should be set.

Religion :: essays research papers

Genetic Engineering Genes, or chromosomes, are often referred to as "blueprints" which are passed down from generation to generation. From the study of these hereditary materials, scientists have ventured into the recent, and rather controversial, field of genetic engineering. It is described as the "artificial modification of the genetic code of a living organism", and involves the "manipulation and alteration of inborn characteristics" by humans. Like many other issues, genetic engineering has sparked a heated debate. Some people believe that it has the potential to become the new "miracle tool" of medicine. "Advances in the field of genetic engineering could mean progress on an unprecedented scale for all civilization" - Gail Dutton To others, this new technology borders on the realm of immorality, and is an omen of the danger to come. They are firmly convinced that this human intervention into nature is unethical, and will bring about the destruction of mankind. "†¦ the promise of genetic engineering as a tool of medicine is matched only by the threat it would pose to human society and civilization." - Ann E. Weiss Rapid advances in medical science have fuelled the question of bioethics. However, as science takes leaps and bounds towards its goals, ethics are often just learning how to crawl. In fact, it has even suffered major backslides in some cases. Genetic engineering "raises serious ethical questions about the right of human beings to alter life on the planet". Changing the basic physical traits of an organism can lead to an unprecedented threat to life on the planet". With such dire consequences, where do we draw the line? What View Does Science Have on Genetic Engineering? For the first time in history, evolution has taken a backseat to the meddling of humankind with their own genetic makeup. There is an "ongoing realization that humanity is capable of directly shaping its own and other species’ evolution". As we ease into the twenty-first century, we realize that genetic engineering is undoubtedly going to have a dramatic effect on our lives. It seems that "with genetic engineering, science has moved from exploring the natural world and its mechanisms to redesigning it." Now, we must ask ourselves this, will that influence be for better, or for worse? However, even the responses of science differ in this topic. Scientists remain divided in their opinions. Some have warned against the hazards of genetic engineering, while others have dismissed these perils as inconsequential. Two opposing viewpoints, which is right?

Instructor’s Resources Essay

1.Philosophy Behind the Strategic Management Course Strategic Management is the capstone course for business administration majors. Students learn new strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation concepts and techniques. Students use this new knowledge, coupled with knowledge acquired from other courses, to chart the future direction of different organizations. Strategic Management students analyze firms in different industries, make objective strategic decisions for companies, and justify those decisions through oral or written communication. Students recommend strategies for the organizations studied and specify how those strategies could best be implemented. Strategic Management is a challenging and exciting course for students. Strategic Management is an interesting course to teach because the problems and issues of strategic management cover the whole spectrum of business, including finance, marketing, management, management information systems, production operations, economics, and statistics. Strategic management is an emerging and rapidly developing discipline. Weighing the pros and cons of alternative strategies entails a total enterprise perspective and a talent for judging how all relevant factors fit together. This is quite a contrast to other required and elective courses, which are generally concerned with a narrower, more specialized body of knowledge. Although the features of Strategic Management pose an instructional challenge, there is plenty of opportunity to make the study of strategic management the best course in the business curriculum. There are different ways to teach a good course in Strategic Management. Some instructors supplement the text with a management simulation game; some instructors assign outside readings; some use experiential exercises in class; and some instructors invite guest speakers to class. Most Strategic Management professors use cases. The amount of class time devoted to lecture and case analysis varies considerably among instructors. If you are experienced in teaching Strategic Management, you may have resolved many pedagogical issues to your own satisfaction. However, if this is the first time you are teaching Strategic Management, then the information provided in the next few pages could help you structure your own course. 2.Importance of Strategic Management Cases Strategic Management cases represent the most commonly used method for applying strategic-management concepts and techniques in different types and sizes of organizations. A Strategic Management case typically describes the external conditions and internal situation facing a firm and presents sufficient information to develop, analyze, and choose among alternative  strategies. Strategic Management can be a very exciting course with the use of just text and cases alone. The 29 Strategic Management cases in the Thirteenth edition of Strategic Management represent the most up-to-date compilation of cases ever assembled in a policy text. The cases cover a broad spectrum of business and industry situations. All of the cases in this text are undisguised. The cases are about real organizations and real people. Most of the cases concern well-known firms. Using the cases in this text, students do not have to put themselves back in time to understand the economic and political conditions surrounding the strategic decisions to be made. Students can go to their college library and easily find additional information to supplement all of the cases in this text. Students find current cases more interesting, more exciting, and more realistic than older cases. This fact adds a great deal of life and realism to Strategic Management when the Strategic Management text is used. All of the cases in this text have been class tested to ensure that they are interesting, challenging, and effective for illustrating strategic-management concepts. I believe you will find the collection of cases to complement any approach you use in teaching Strategic Management at the undergraduate or graduate level. You will also find the teachers’ notes in the Case Solutions Manual to be exceptionally well done. The 29 cases in this text are listed along with the respective case authors and their school affiliation. The industries represented by the cases are also given. The cases are listed below in the order in which they appear in the text. The case manual contains information about the topics that the individual cases cover. Cases Included in the Thirteenth Edition of the Textbook 1. Walt Disney Company — 2009, Mernoush Banton 2. Merryland Amusement Park — 2009, Gregory Stone 3. JetBlue Airways Corporation — 2009, Mernoush Banton 4. AirTran Airways, Inc. — 2009, Charles M. Byles 5. Family Dollar Stores, Inc. — 2009, Joseph W. Leonard 6. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. — 2009, Amit J. Shah and Michael L. Monahanat 7. Whole Foods Market, Inc. — 2009, James L. Harbin and Patricia Humphrey 8. Macy’s, Inc. — 2009, Rochelle R. Brunson and Marlene M. Reed 9. Yahoo! Inc. — 2009, Hamid Kazeroony 10. eBay Inc. — 2009, Lori Radulovich 11. Wells Fargo Corporation — 2009, Donald L. Crooks, Robert S. Goodman, and John Burbridge 12. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (KKD) — 2009, John Burbridge and Coleman Rich 13. Starbucks Corporation — 2009, Sharynn Tomlin 14. The United States Postal Service (USPS) — 2009, Fred and Forest David 15. National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) — 2009, Kristopher J. Blanchard 16. Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties — 2009, Mary E. Vradelis 17. Harley-Davidson, Inc. — 2009, Carol Pope and Joanne Mack 18. Ford Motor Company — 2009, Alen Badal 19. Kraft Foods Inc. — 2009, Kristopher J. Blanchard 20. Hershey Company — 2009, Anne Walsh and Ellen Mansfield 21. Johnson & Johnson — 2009, Sharynn Tomlin, Matt Milhauser, Bernhard Gierke, Thibault Lefebvre, and Mario Martinez 22. Avon Products Inc. — 2009, Rochelle R. Brunson and Marlene M. Reed 23. Molson Coors — 2009, Amit J. Shah 24. PepsiCo — 2009, John and Sherry Ross 25. Pfizer, Inc. — 2009, Vijaya Narapareddy 26. Merck & Company Inc. — 2010, Mernoush Banton 27. Nike, Inc. — 2010, Randy Harris 28. Callaway Golf Company — 2009, Amit J. Shah 29. Chevron Corporation — 2009, Linda Herkenhoff A question that arises concerning cases is the appropriate number of cases to cover in an academic term. That can vary depending on factors such as whether a Strategic Management simulation game is used, how many written  comprehensive case analyses are assigned, whether the class is divided into teams of students, and whether outside readings, class speakers, or videotapes are used. I personally find 10 cases to be an appropriate amount to cover, as indicated in the course syllabus presented in a few pages. 3.The McDonald’s Cohesion Case This edition features a new Cohesion Case on McDonald’s Corporation. The Cohesion Case allows students to apply strategic-management concepts and techniques to a real organization as chapter material is covered in class. This integrative or cohesive approach readies students for case analysis. The Cohesion Case provides a continuous illustration of the interdependence of parts of the strategic-management process. Assurance of Learning Exercises at the end of each chapter apply concepts to the Cohesion Case. 4.Assurance of Learning Exercises This is about the only Strategic Management text that offers strategic-management Assurance of Learning Exercises both on-line and at the end of chapters. The end-of-chapter Assurance of Learning Exercises are designed to get students involved, to increase students’ interest in the course, and to aid students in learning how to apply important concepts and techniques. The Assurance of Learning Exercises allow students to test newly learned theories, concepts, and analytical techniques. The exercises also help students make the transition from school to work more easily. The Assurance of Learning Exercises can be used for homework assignments, individual class work, group assignments, or extra-credit work. They offer a great change of pace in class. On average, there are five exercises at the end of each chapter. A couple of the exercises apply chapter material to the McDonald’s Cohesion Case. At least one exercise applies chapter material to the student’s own college or university and at least one exercise instructs the student to contact or visit a local business to explore important strategic-management topics. You will not be able to do all of the Assurance of Learning Exercises, due to time limitations in class, but take the time to do as many as possible. I personally devote about 15 minutes of each class to Assurance of Learning Exercises and assign students one exercise homework assignment for each class. Ask students to put answers to the Assurance of Learning Exercises either in their notes or on a separate sheet of paper rather than writing in the text itself. This would present a problem in usage of the text in later semesters if answers to the exercises were written in the text. The Assurance of Learning Exercises Included in the Thirteenth Edition Chapter 1: Exercise 1A: Gathering Strategy Information Exercise 1B: Strategic Planning for My University Exercise 1C: Strategic Planning at a Local Company Exercise 1D: Getting Familiar with SMCO Chapter 2: Exercise 2A: Evaluating Mission Statements Exercise 2B: Writing a Vision and Mission Statement for McDonald’s Corporation Exercise 2C: Writing a Vision and Mission Statement for My University Exercise 2D: Conducting Mission Statement Research Chapter 3: Exercise 3A: Developing an EFE Matrix for McDonald’s Corporation Exercise 3B: The External Assessment Exercise 3C: Developing an EFE Matrix for My University Exercise 3D: Developing a Competitive Profile Matrix for McDonald’s Corporation Exercise 3E: Developing a Competitive Profile Matrix for My University Chapter 4: Exercise 4A: Performing a Financial Ratio Analysis for McDonald’s Corporation Exercise 4B: Constructing an IFE Matrix for McDonald’s Corporation Exercise 4C: Constructing an IFE Matrix for My University Chapter 5: Exercise 5A: What Strategies Should McDonald’s Pursue in 2011-2013? Exercise 5B: Examining Strategy Articles Exercise 5C: Classifying Some Year 2009 Strategies Exercise 5D: How Risky Are Various Alternative Strategies? Exercise 5E: Developing Alternative Strategies for My University Exercise 5F: Lessons in Doing Business Globally Chapter 6: Exercise 6A: Developing a SWOT Matrix for McDonald’s Exercise 6B: Developing a SPACE Matrix for McDonald’s Exercise 6C: Developing a BCG Matrix for McDonald’s Exercise 6D: Developing a QSPM for McDonald’s Exercise 6E: Formulating Individual Strategies Exercise 6F: The Mach Test Exercise 6G: Developing a BCG Matrix for My University Exercise 6H: The Role of Boards of Directors Exercise 6I: Locating Companies in a Grand Strategy Matrix Chapter 7: Exercise 7A: Revising McDonald’s Organizational Chart Exercise 7B: Do Organizations Really Establish Objectives? Exercise 7C: Understanding My University’s Culture Chapter 8: Exercise 8A: Developing a Product-Positioning Map for McDonald’s Exercise 8B: Performing an EPS/EBIT Analysis for McDonald’s Exercise 8C: Preparing Projected Financial Statements for McDonald’s Exercise 8D: Determining the Cash Value of McDonald’s Exercise 8E: Developing a Product-Positioning Map for My University Exercise 8F: Do Banks Require Projected Financial Statements? Chapter 9: Exercise 9A: Preparing a Strategy-Evaluation Report for McDonald’s Corp. Exercise 9B: Evaluating My University’s Strategies Chapter 10: Exercise 10A: Does McDonald’s Have a Code of Business Ethics? Exercise 10B: The Ethics of Spying on Competitors Exercise 10C: Who Prepares a Sustainability Report? Chapter 11: Exercise 11A: McDonald’s Wants to Enter Africa. Help Them. Exercise 11B: Does My University Recruit in Foreign Countries? Exercise 11C: Assessing Differences in Culture Across Countries Exercise 11D: How Well Traveled Are Business Students at Your University? 5. Description of the Supplements for the Thirteenth Edition Supplements are available for adopting instructors to download at www.pearsonhighered.com/irc. Registration is simple and gives the instructor immediate access to new titles and new editions. Pearson’s dedicated technical support team is ready to help instructors with the media supplements that accompany this text. The instructor should visit http://247.pearsoned.com/ for answers to frequently asked questions and for toll-free user support phone numbers. Supplements include: Instructor’s Manual—This manual includes lecture objectives, outlines, and answers to all end-of-chapter material and Assurance of Learning exercises. In addition, several supplemental Assurance of Learning exercises and answers are included. Case Instructor’s Manual—this solutions manual includes abstracts, discussion questions, and audits for each case. PowerPoint Presentations – The PowerPoint slides highlight text learning objectives and key topics and serve as an excellent aid for classroom presentations and lectures. Test Item File – This test bank features for each chapter on average 50 True/False questions, 50 Multiple-Choice questions, and 10 Essay questions with page references and difficulty level provided for each question. The Test Item File has been written specifically for this edition and is provided in MS Word, so that instructors can easily incorporate select questions into their own tests. TestGen (test-generating program) – The test bank is also available on TestGen, a test-generating program that allows instructors to add, edit, or  delete questions from the test bank; analyze test results; and organize a database of exams and student results. Videos on DVD—The DVD contains video segments that illustrate the most pertinent topics in management today and highlight relevant issues in the news, demonstrating how people lead, manage, and work effectively; ISBN 0-13-612547-6. Video Guide – The video guide provides a brief summary of each clip and suggested questions for discussion followed by possible answers. MyManagementLab – MyManagementLab provides help beyond homework with a range of assessment options and tutorial resources that help students learn from their mistakes. Allowing you to teach a course your way, use this as an out-of-the-box resource for students who need extra help, or take full advantage of its advanced customization options. For more information, go to www.mymanagementlab.com.

Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches Essay

Qualitative Research Design Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Qualitative research design is an approach used in research by researchers and scientists to study the behaviour and habits of human beings in the society. According to Flick, (2009 p. 17) the research design is used in various fields such as health, social sciences, business and other social sciences to study different behaviours. In health, qualitative research may be used to study issues on health awareness, availability of health facility, and access to primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare services. The data obtained is then used as the basis for health improvement recommendations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consequently, the qualitative research design can be applied in business to study the problems affecting business and how solutions can be modelled to improve performance of the industry. According to Saunders et al., (2012 p. 6) business research is a systematic research aimed at studying problems and solutions to business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the fact that business is a wide field, the design is also adapted in specific disciplines of business such as product design, marketing, advertisement, human resource, and studying new business opportunities. For example, in product design, the designers may want to obtain data about the existing products based on consumers’ feedback and use the information to improve or design new product using interviews, focus groups or ethnographic studies. Similarly, the same approach can be used in market research to establish the demand of certain products and the product penetration in the market. The researcher prepares questions to be used in either interviews or focus group. The information obtained from the interviews is then analysed to understand the demand of a given product in the market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Example of qualitative research for product designer may include: product designers may want to study the gap in the market for a certain product for them to introduce new product that meet consumers’ tastes and preference. The designer may opt to interview several people in the targeted area and ask questions that may give information about the gap in the existing products. For example, they may obtain information about a detergent that does not work effectively to remove stains and thus design a new product that would meet consumers taste and preferences. Hence, qualitative research design forms the most efficient tool to obtain the data required to make the decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The design is also used as a lead for quantitative design. The viability of hypothesis is tested through the qualitative design and then proved using the quantitative design through mathematical analysis. Hence, the design is very important for preliminary studies where the researcher may want to gather information about the topic before embarking on detailed quantitative research.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Siegel & Olshansky, (2012 p. 53) there are several approaches used to obtain the data in qualitative design, which include: Interviews Focus groups Ethnographic research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interviews and the focus groups will be studied in details in the rest of the paper through critical evaluation and analysis to understand the application and how their cons can be improved in order to improve qualitative research design. Interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interviews involve questions and answer session between the researcher and the participants (DiCicco†Bloom, & Crabtree, 2006 p. 317). The researcher or the interviewer asks the questions while the participant responds to them based on his experience or the knowledge about the questions. The interviewer guides the respond throughout the interview until all the questions are answered comprehensively. The interview may involve individuals or groups. According to Seidman, (2013 p. 113) interviews can be carried out through various methods such as; face-to-face interactions, telephone or electronic devices such as internet-enabled computer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are different types of interviews depending on how they are carried or how the interview questions are structured. The paper will elaborate, evaluate and analysed four forms of interviews namely: Structured interview Semi-structured interviews Unstructured interviews and Iinformal interviews Types of interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The types of interviews are discussed based on Creswell, (2014 p. 189) explanations. Structured interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They are the main tool of research when the researcher has well understanding of the research topic. This is because the researcher is able to formulate all the possible research questions and get as much information from the participants as possible. The researcher may be interested in proving a theory or previous studies. Hence, interview is based on the literature reviewed or observations related to the topic during less structured interviews. The interview is developed using topic specific and close-ended questions. This is from the fact that the researcher has well understanding of the topic and scope and thus limits the information that he or she should obtain from the participants. Although the researcher is able to obtain information that is specific to his or her study, it may be hard for the respondent to answer all the questions well since he may be limited to answers. In addition, lack of knowledge about a certain question may result in incomplete interviews. Semi-Structured interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interview is used when the researcher has limited time, respondent availability is not guaranteed, and thus different people conduct the interview in the field at the same time. The interview has well explained instructions to guide the interviewers in order to provide accurate and qualitative data in addition to trainings meant for understanding the topic. The interviews are preceded by informal interviews and observations in order to help the researcher to understand the topic in order to develop the semi-structured interview. The interview questions are mainly open ended and thus the respondent has the freedom to answer the questions in his own understanding and experience. The interview becomes interesting when the respondent understands the topic and thus he or she may give as much information as possible. The additional information can be noted in a notebook to support the data during presentation. Unstructured interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They are carried out when the researchers lack enough understanding on the topic and hence have allowance for additional information from the respondent. The researcher tries to gets as much information from the respondent as possible in order for him or her to build on the existing information. The questions are open ended and the researcher has no influence on the respondents’ answers. However, the researcher has a clear understanding of the research setting. Informal interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The method is commonly used for social research and or during the early set up of the study. In this type of interview, the researcher aim is to obtain as much information from participants as possible. This is because the topic is poorly understood and there is little literature on the topic and thus information can only be obtained from primary sources to build on the existing information. Most informative interview approach are carried out for studies that are based on experience, interests, or a given culture that is not researched and so the researcher uses observations to develop more understand of the inquiry and develop a rapport. Like the structured, the interview questions are open ended as the respondent’s information is crucial towards development of the study. Pros of the interviews Accurate data   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Seidman, (2013 p. 1oo) interviews give more accurate data than other data collection methods. The researcher explains to the respondents some questions that might be difficult of him or her and thus end up getting the required information. In addition, the researcher explore the topic or questions using probe that enables him or her to get more information and details, which results in more accurate data. That is, the researcher has a chance to clarify and explain some questions that the interviewee my lack the knowledge and understanding thus getting the intended information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interview provides a rich data with details and insights about the topic. The respondent describes his or her own understanding on the topic with the help of the researcher. In addition, the researcher can create a favourable environment for the interview thus resulting in general and sensitive information that is important to the study compared to other methods of data collection such as questionnaires and focus group. For example, in focus group, the interactions of a number of respondents at the same time may hinder discussion of sensitive information due to lack of confidentiality. However, interview between the researcher and respondent only creates a favourable environment to give all types of information. Feedback   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is direct response from the interviewee and the feedback. This ensures that the information sought is obtained and in case of disparity. In addition, the researcher ensures that the information is obtained from the intended person. In other types of methods such as questionnaires, information may be obtained from unintended person. Observations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interviews can be carried out at the same time with observations to gain more understanding and information on the topic. Unlike other methods used in research, interviews allow researcher to make observations that may be important source of information. In addition, the research may compare the information from the respondents and what he or she observes and inquire for clarity when disparity is noticed. Building Rapport   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Close interactions between the researcher and interviewee creates a more relaxed environment, which results to the respondent answering questions based on his or her experience rather than giving direct answers to the topic. The researcher then use the information obtained from the researcher to build a rapport with topic. The researcher may explore additional information from the respondent that may help to develop more understanding on the topic Flexibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interviews are conducted at any time, locations, or based on the circumstances of the individual,. Thus, they are the most convenient method of data collection. For example, the researcher can conduct interviews in residential areas, trading areas, farming locations and any other place that may be convenient to the respondent. Cons of interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Time-consuming: the process of scheduling, conducting, and analysing the interviews consumes a lot of time (Zikmund, 2013 p. 150). The process of visiting the respondents and carrying the interview face-to-face can be tedious and time consuming. Since huge data is obtained from interview, it becomes tedious to enter the data and a lot of time is consumed. Therefore, it is important to have a data entry and analysis plan before data collection. Costly   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interviews are costly because they require the interviewers to be trained, the schedules to visit respondents to be prepared and the actual interview process. They require physical participation of respondent and the researcher. Biasness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The physical appearance of the interviewee may affect the attitude of the respondent and thus giving biased information that may affect the accuracy of the data. Other factors that may results in biased information include the respondents’: voice tone and opinion, gender and race, inadequate note taking. Biasness affects the main purpose of the study, which may produce contradicting data from the existing one. This can mislead future studies that may rely on the data. Inconsistencies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The flexibility of the interviews may result in inconsistence data during interactions due to variation in interview setting such as changing environment. For example- interruption of interviews by passersby or other factors such as rain can make the respondent to lose track and give inconsistence information Focus groups   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Focus group involves collection of data through semi-structured interview from a group of respondents who are identified based on diverse but related characteristics to form a diverse group that represent the actual population. The interview is moderated by a group leader and involves discussion of a specific topic. Fiske and Merton introduced the method during their studies that were based on audience participants (Sprenkle & Piercy, 2005 p. 87) Pros of focus group Developing research topic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Focus group give information to the researcher about a given subject, which help him or her to develop the topic and build rapport. The aim of the focus group is to obtain as much information as possible that is necessary for the study and thus it is a common method for preliminary study. Time saving   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Large amount of data from a big population can be obtained within the shortest time possible (Hesse-Biber, & Leavy, 2011 p. 164). Data is collected from groups of respondents at the same time. This is in contrary to interviews where the questions are asked to a single respondent for a given time and it may take a lot of time to cover a given number of respondents as opposed to focus groups. Accurate data:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The discussion involves the consensus among the group members. In case of diverse information, members agree on given information that giving accurate and homogeneous data The data is also specific on the researchers’ topic. Economical:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Huge data can be summarized using group consensus and thus data entry and analysis is cheap and time saving as opposed to interviews where huge amount is obtained from very large number of respondents Observations:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just like interviews, the researcher can get additional data from the participants’ behaviour, feelings and thought about the topic. In addition, focus group helps to generate information for a study that could have unobservable features. Cons of focus group Biasness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The moderator of the group or the researcher makes the final judgment and interpretation of the discussion. Subjective judgment and poor interpretation has high risk of introducing personal businesses in the discussion and thus biased data. The participants may tend to follow the initial opinions thus resulting in biased results Risk of incomplete and inaccurate data   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The planning, scheduling and contacting participants may be costly and involving and thus poor management may result to incomplete study that may affect the quality of data collected. Sensitive information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not a good method for addressing sensitive issues. This is because people may feel uneasy sharing sensitive information among their friends or enemies that might be in the group, which may have a negative contributory factor to the quality of data obtained. Addressing the interview cons Time consuming   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of alternative means of communication such as telephone and computer can decrease the time spent in scheduling and visiting the respondents. Therefore, avoiding face-to-face interviews can help to save time and making the method more economical. Time that could be spent to travel to respondent and carry physical interview is minimised. Planning should also be done prior to the study in order to avoid time wasting during the actual study. Costly   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Activities such as data entry and analysis can be carried along with the interviews to ensure that no additional cost that is incurred during independent data entry. Minimised travelling through phone interviews would cut down on cost. Biasness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Presentable physical appearance should be encouraged. The physical appearance of the interviewer that would not have influence on respondents should be emphasized during training. Interviewers should be discouraged from making subjective judgments that would affect the interactions. Inconsistencies:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interview should be conducted in a neutral environment that has no effect on information delivery. The researcher should spend a considerable good amount of time in looking for a natural setting for the interview conducive for the respondents (Merriam, & Merriam, 2009 p. 17). For example, interviews in closed rooms may have minimal interference, thus maintain consistence information delivery, and thus maintain high quality data. Addressing focus group cons Biasness:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to avoid biasness, the moderator of the focus group should be well trained about making subjective judgment and interpretations. Good relationship between respondents and the researcher promotes mutual understanding that contributes to accurate interpretations of the information (Marshall, & Rossman, 2011 p. 101). The moderator should not be an active part of the study and should be limited to the information on the expected result of the study. Risk of incomplete and inaccurate data:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Proper management should be done prior to the study so that all the scheduling and contacting of the participants is made in time. This will ensure that the participants are aware of the scope of the study and their roles and thus the study will be complete successfully. When participants are well-prepared psychologically, they become patient and go through the whole process thus giving complete data. Sensitive information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The moderator should inform the participants about the confidentiality of the information shared in the focus group and create a friendly environment. This will give the participants confidence and freedom to share all the information that they may have including the sensitive one and thus the quality of the data will not be compromised. Participants may feel that some issues belong to the community and that it should not be addressed to a stranger. The researcher may also involve people from the communities to help them moderate the discussion and thus creating favourable environment for discussing sensitive information that is vital to the final data. References Creswell, J. W. (2014).  Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. DiCicco†Bloom, B., & Crabtree, B. F. 2006. The qualitative research interview.Medical education,  40(4), 314-321. Flick, U. 2009. An introduction to qualitative research. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Leavy, P. (2011).  The practice of qualitative research. Los Angeles: SAGE. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2011). Designing qualitative research. Los Angeles: Sage. Merriam, S. B., & Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. 2012. Research methods for business students. Pearson Seidman, I. 2013.  Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences. New York: Teachers College Press Siegel, J. S., & Olshansky, S. J. 2012.  The demography and epidemiology of human health and aging. Dordrecht: Springer. Sprenkle, D. H., & Piercy, F. P. 2005.  Research methods in family therapy. New York: Guilford Press. Zikmund, W. G. 2013.  Business research methods. Mason, OH: South-Western. Source document