Unstructured interviews to investigate violent crime Essay Example for Free

Unstructured interviews to investigate violent crime Essay Assess the strengths and weaknesses of using unstructured interviews to investigate violent crime. (15 marks) Violent crime is difficult to study in the context where it occurs; this is because by their nature, violent crimes are often swift and unexpected. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for a researcher to know when and where a violent crime is likely to be committed. Unstructured interviews are a research method which entails a sociologist asking participants a series of open-ended questions in an unstructured format. This method has both strengths and weaknesses, but is overall preferred by interpretivists as it provided qualitative data and is highly valid. This method is highly valid as it uses open-ended questions which allow for follow up questions to be asked. There aren’t any pre-set questions on the topic; the participant’s answer to a question determines what is asked next. This means that participants are more likely to answer questions about violent crime and they will be more inclined to give in depth answers which can be used to paint a true to life picture. However, unstructured interviews lack reliability, this is because they aren’t standardised. As the questions are created based on previous answers, no two people will have the same interview; they also cannot be repeated as it is unlikely that someone will provide the same answers on separate occasions. Also victims of violent crime are likely to answer differently to perpetrators as they have different experiences, for example, in cases of domestic violence. Another issue is representativeness as unstructured interviews are very time consuming, sociologists can only focus on small groups of people. Also as they are so personalised, they may not be representative of all who have a connection with violent crime. A factor in unstructured interviews is the interviewee’s view; participants can speak freely about themselves due to the fact that there are not set questions. The greater freedom allows the participant to bring in new ideas about themselves and what they have experienced within violent crime. One problem found with using interviews to study violent crime, is that victims are less likely to agree to participate, especially if the violence was recent (Crawford et al, 1990). Aldo investigating the perpetrators of violent crime after the event raises problems of cooperati on, memory and ethics. Unstructured interviews allow for the interviewer to form a rapport with the person being studied.

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Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydropower in the world, has claimed to be a project that gives â€Å"hope† to the people in China. Located on the Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world, the Three Gorges Dam is the symbol of China’s technology and economic progress. For years, the government has claimed that it could benefit people’s living quality by improving the navigation on Yangtze River, providing hydroelectric power, and improving flood control. But does it true? Do the people in China get any benefit from this project? This paper will discuss about the environmental impact, the social consequence, and the current status of Government’s plans toward the Three Gorges Dam. Flood control is the main reason for building the Three Gorges Dam. Since Han Dynasty (300BC), flood has been killed millions of lives, and destroyed millions of acres of farmland and homes every ten years. Billions of money has been spent on recovering the damage. The Three Gorges Dam is meant to be responsible for controlling the flood by changing the water height of the reservoir upstream from the dam according to season. It was planned to allow the water level to reach 185 meters above the sea level during the dry season, from November to April, and reduce to 135 meters during flooding months in order to attempt to contain flood waters. ("Biggest flood control,") Energy production is the second major reason for the construction of Three Gorges Dam. China’s demand of energy has been increasing rapidly that the Government have to find ways to fulfill the huge demand. The Three Gorges Dam becomes one of the solutions in meeting the needs. According to China Three Gorges Corporation, the dam contains twenty-six turbines, each generating 700MW, thus ... ...s very inefficient. Besides hydroelectricity, China has a lot of potential in other alternative energy, like wind energy and solar power. The investment of these alternative energy could be cheaper and faster compare with the large dam. According to the China Academy of Meteorological Sciences, the potential of wind energy is massive, with 235 GW of practical onshore wind power potential and 750GW offshore. For the solar power, China is already a global manufacturer of PV panels which makes it likely to have a large market for grid-tied solar in the future. ("Three gorges dam:," 2008). The Chinese government’s goal is to get 15% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020. With the strong financial and political power of China government, China could become the world leader of energy revolution while protecting the environment and human rights at the same time.

Meals

Meals on Wheels Meals on Wheels was a very good community service that taught me some good things. Meals on Wheels is a voluntary work service that deals with elderly people who are sick, from diabetes to cancer. We as voluntary workers drop food off to these sick people who are registered through the hospital. There are many different types of patients you meet. They all happen to be around the same area as well. As we stop by the meals on wheels headquarters we first sign in and then pick up cooler full of cold food and a warm lunch bag to put the hot meals in.We then drive over to SST. Jude hospital where we pick up the hot food that has the patients names labeled on them. From here we drive to each patients house or apartment complex and drop off their assigned foods, which is one cold food meal pack, one milk, and a hot meal pack. Some places are so easy as getting off and dropping it off in the ice box they have set in front of their house or apartment complex while other patie nts e have to ring the door bell and hand it to them.Some days we will talk to some of these patients. For instance, at one of the first stops an older lady would come outside as we drop the food off and explain to me as she's very sick and doesn't feel well. Then go to explain how we walk with Jesus because we are doing this for her and how we are very blessed for doing it. It goes to show me how lucky I am for being young and healthy at the age I am and not take life for granted.Another Instance loud be an elderly guy who sits outside with his dog everyday before we pull up to drop his food off. He always seems to be In a very good mood and explains to me how I should be at the beach and not here doing this service. It shows the different kinds of people that are out there and there perspective towards things. Most of the people have their kids or husbands answer the door for them to get their food. At the end of the day we have delivered the food to twelve different people and he ad back to theMeals on Wheels headquarters where we drop off the lunch bag and the cooler. That Is the typical day of the Meals on Wheels service work. Hopefully some day In the future I can do this again on my free time.

Self Interest Vs. Selfishness - 949 Words

Sharay Jones 06/25/2016 PHL 104 475 Essay Paper 1 Rough Draft Self Interest Vs Selfishness If people sometimes act for others, it is only because they think that it is in their own best interests to do so (David MacKinnon)†. I would say all actions is motivated by self-interest because self-interest, constantly have people striving to think of new ways to achieve their ambitions and protect their interests. The only possible way to get someone to not spend their lives as a devious deceitful person with power would be to persuade them that striving for more power and pleasure to enjoy an eternity in heaven. However, self-interest acts do not always require us to live in order to achieve our goals. One can just as much die to hurt people as easy as they can die to save people. For example, terrorism they are willing to die to kill. They see good in their actions and feel like they have good intentions. But the thing with morality is knowing the consequences of what they intend to do. People may lie to themselves to justify their own actions. When it comes to doing selfish and self-less acts we have to remind ourselves that they both have the word self in them. Whether you value your life or value your morals or both, you will value one more than the other when it comes down to the last few seconds of your life when you are forced with a choice. As in to run and possibly die, or play hero and save the lives of your fellow friends. It all comes down to making the choiceShow MoreRelatedCharacteristics Of Enduring Relationships And Seven Relational Contradictions1406 Words   |  6 Pagesthe health and longevity of a relationship. Of the fourteen characteristics to enduring relationships, seven of the ones I chose that are applicable to your situation are variability, frequency, revelation, anxiety reduction, inti macy, history, and self-expansion. Variability is process of getting to know somebody in many different situations. 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