Criminology Research Methods

Criminology Research Methods Using examples from published research, critically consider that way that choice of study design might influence research findings and conclusions.   A study design is a fundamental component of any piece of research, providing a structure within which to implement a suitable methodology for the collection and analysis of information and data. The choice of study design employed in criminological research will inevitably influence the findings and conclusions drawn, which may subsequently be used to shape the direction of future policies and interventions within the sphere of criminal justice. This is particularly the case in relation to domestic violence, which remains a socially and politically contested area with regards to the extent to which it merits and requires criminalisation. I therefore intend, with reference to published research, to critically examine how choice of study design may yield different findings and contributions to contemporary understandings of domestic violence. Before considering the various types of study design, it is necessary to provide a brief account of the nature and context of domestic violence. Academics highlight that it is a distinct phenomenon from other forms of conventional violence, often characterised by a series of ongoing violent episodes as opposed to one discrete event and a typical reluctance on the part of victims to recognise and voice their victimisation (Mirrlees-Black, 1999). Criminological research in this area has assumed heightened importance in recent years due to shifts in Government policy towards criminalisation  [1]  . It is therefore vital that any research in this area necessitates an appreciation of the contextual circumstances within which perpetrators and victims operate. A number of study designs are available for the purposes of criminological research, the primary distinction existing between experimental and non-experimental designs; which include randomised control trials, quasi-experiments, cross-sectional and longitudinal designs as well as ethnographic studies. The choice of design will affect the strength of both the internal  [2]  and external  [3]  validity of the findings and conclusions. Bryman notes that the study design chosen reflects a decision about the priority being given to an array of dimensions. These include articulating causal connections, generalising the findings, understanding behaviour in a specific context and having a temporal awareness of social phenomena (2008:35). In addition, certain designs may lend themselves more easily to quantitative or qualitative data, which may impact upon a researchers choice of design given the fundamentally diverse characteristics of both.  [4]   The true experimental design is often referred to as the gold standard (Bryman, 2008:38), despite being rarely employed in criminological research (Wesiburd, 2000:181) due to its potential to yield findings with strong internal validity, particularly if randomised control trials are employed. The experimental design involves the manipulation of the independent variable in order to elicit variation in the dependent variable, a classic example being Bushmans (1995) investigation into the impact of violent films on those pre-disposed to aggression. In randomly assigning subjects to control and experimental groups, he was able to control for rival causal factors, resulting in findings with strong internal validity. True experiments may be either laboratory experiments  [5]  or field experiments  [6]  , although it can be argued that conclusions drawn from laboratory experiments may not have the same level of generalisation due to their artificial setting. However, it is argued th at it is the theoretical principles that are being generalised, not the specific characteristics of the sample, setting or measure (Anderson and Bushman, 1997:22). The experimental design was utilised by Sherman (1984) in investigating the specific deterrent effects of arrest on perpetrators of domestic violence, whereby three types of police response (arrest, mediation ad separation) were randomly assigned to legally eligible cases. The dependent variable, in this case recidivism, was measured over the course of 6months following police intervention using both official data and victim reports. The studys conclusion, that swift imposition of a sanction of temporary incarceration may deter male offenders in domestic violence cases (Sherman, 1984:270), is often cited in support of mandatory arrest policies. However, given that experimental designs are notorious for their weaker external validity  [7]  , it is questionable whether Shermans findings lend themselves to such a sweeping generalisation. Indeed, follow up studies in other US cities revealed more mixed results, with some concluding that arrest had negative effects for victims (Garner et al. 1995). The findings and conclusions by Sherman have been attacked on a number of grounds. Dobash contends that the experiments were designed and carried out with little knowledge of existing and theoretical positions regarding violence against women (2000:254). Indeed, it can be argued that the failure to appreciate the possibility that the reason the arrest of perpetrators resulted in lesser recidivism was not due to its deterrent effects but a result of the victim failing to call the police again or to report their victimisation to interviewers due to fear of a repeated retaliation by the perpetrator that might have followed the initial arrest. This is particularly since qualitative studies have revealed the extent to which victims reluctance to involve the police are a direct product of their fear that an arrest will lead to an escalation of the violence (Felson et al.2002). In addition, Fagan highlights that the short follow-up period of 6months failed to take into account the episodic and cyclical patterns of family violence (1989:382). It therefore appears that Shermans pre-occupation with experimental form, in this case a randomised control experiment, precluded a proper consideration of the nature and contextual characteristics of domestic violence. A variation of the true experimental design is the quasi-experiment, commonly employed in the evaluation of criminal justice interventions due to the ethical difficulties associated with random assignment. Such experiments have been used to research the effect of rape law reforms on the number of rapes reported to the police.  [8]  However, due to the absence of random assignment, such a design may not yield findings that are considered as strong in terms of their internal validity due to the lack of control over intervening causal variables. The Violent Men Study (Dobash, 2000) employed a non-equivalent control group design to evaluate the impact of different criminal justice sanctions on domestic violence, involving the matching of subjects within the different groups. The qualitative data revealed much higher rates of re-offending than the quantitative arrest records portrayed, leading the authors to remark that these stark differences cast grave doubt on the veracity of criminal justice statistics as indicators of the levels of violence or of the effectiveness of interventions (Dobash, 2000:267). In addition, in contrast to the experimental study of arrest that merely speculated the reasons for reduced levels of recidivism following arrest (Sherman, 1984), the Violent Men Study was able to contribute to an understanding of both how and why certain interventions could lead to a cessation of violence (Dobash, 2000). Such findings were arguably facilitated by the fact that the study design was more attuned to the context and dynamics of domestic violence, such as the fact that it was longitudinal in nature, tracing victims experiences and perpetrators criminal involvement over a period of 12months at regular intervals and drawing a comparison between the two sets of data  [9]  . The advantages associated with this design have led to a replication of it in subsequent research.  [10]   An example of a non-experimental study design is the cross-sectional, involving the collection of information and data relating to a designated phenomenon at a particular instance in time. A classic example is the investigation of the effects of visible public and social order on evolving crime rates in Chicago (Sampson and Raudenbush, 2001). However, the problems associated with such a design relate to both the internal validity and the ambiguity of the direction of causality, which may therefore significantly influence any conclusions drawn, as was the case in the Chicago study which could not establish whether the high crime rates resulted before or after a variation in social control (Bachman and Schutt, 2007:154). A study by Hoyle and Sanders (2000) of victims within Thames Valley police force areas utilised a cross-sectional non-experimental design to investigate victims perceptions of the value of various criminal justice interventions. The non-experimental dimension facilitated a more in-depth exploration of victims experiences and beliefs and a deeper contextual understanding of the nature and effects of domestic violence, with the authors highlighting that the more powerful the controlling behaviour of their partners, the less likely it is women will seek to involve the criminal justice system (2000:21). However, a significant drawback of the cross-sectional design is that it results in findings that inevitably fail to capture the recurring and ongoing nature of domestic violence. By contrast, a longitudinal design, involves the collection of information and data at several points in time, which can also resolve any ambiguity concerning the direction of causal influence. Thus, academics assert that the value of longitudinal data is so great that every effort should be made to develop longitudinal research designs whenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦appropriate (Bachman and Schutt, 2007:155). A study by Sullivan and Bybee (2004) interviewed 278 women, who has just left a domestic violence shelter, at various intervals for three years. By collecting and analysing data over a substantial period of time, the study was able to provide a greater understanding of the unique trajectory of domestic violence. However, the problem of attrition is particularly salient for longitudinal designs, with Bachman and Schutt highlighting that those in greatest need are often the most likely to drop-out (2007:159). This has obvious implications for the validity of findings, since a drop-out of the most domestically victimised subjects could mask the extent and seriousness of domestic violence. An interesting study design that is rarely employed, but could nevertheless provide a valuable insight into the phenomenon of domestic violence, relates to ethnography. The purpose of which is to look more in-depth at the mechanisms underlying a social process and to gain an insight into the interpretations and perceptions of actors (Crow and Semmens, 2008:37). Such an approach was taken by Websdale, who provided a critical ethnography of how rural patriarchy shapes the perpetration and policing of domestic violence (Adelman, 2004:135). Although such findings and conclusions cannot obviously be generalised, ethnographic designs serve to reveal important details about the experiences of particular sub-groups of the population, which may not be adequately reflected in the findings of more conventional study designs. In conclusion, it is apparent that choice of study design in criminological research can have a marked influence on the findings and conclusions drawn. In relation to domestic violence, whilst it appears that true experiments yield results with the strongest internal validity, they nevertheless fail to account for the dynamic processes operating which trigger the variation in the dependent variable. The context-specific approach taken by other designs may have the potential to fill this gap by affording a greater emphasis on process as opposed to outcome. In addition, longitudinal designs are vital in capturing the intrinsic trajectory nature of domestic violence which is often ignored by cross-sectional designs. However, it is apparent that a deeper and proper understanding of domestic violence, in order to implement effective policies, necessitates the exploitation of the various strengths of both experimental and non-experimental study designs. To conclude otherwise would be to ig nore the inherent nature of domestic violence and to relegate it to the status of any ordinary violent crime, from which it is clearly distinct. Word Count: 1992

My first trip

Immediately they unloaded Eider's shiny black Ford Focus, and headed to their hotel suite. Once they were inside they all picked out a room, and went to get a nights rest. Allison woke up before anyone else, so she went to make coffee. As the smell of the strong, coffee filled the suite, everyone began to awake. Dillon looked like half awaken zombie as he made his way to the kitchen. Allison poured everyone a cup of coffee, and turned on the TV Just as the breath taking image of snow fell across the screen. It seemed to be the weather forecast for that very day.They all began to listen carefully as the weather man described the windy, wet, and snowy day that was ahead of them. They couldn't help but cringe. Weather conditions like that make for a harsh day on the side of the mountain. Allison seemed to be out her daze and back into her own head again, as Dillon started laughing. â€Å"What's that funny' Allison replied. â€Å"The look of anxiety on your face, Just stay calm, today will be fine! † Dillon said. He was right, maybe not the ideal weather for skiing but they would still enjoy it. Before Allison could say anything, Dillon started digging through the gear on the table.Looking at the mound of gear thrown everywhere it reminded them of a post tornado. Jackets, boots, goggles, gloves, helmets, and bibs completely dispersed. Allison knew that her bright silver boots would stand out, she backed up and evaluated the whole table. Sure enough she found them. Dillon then started complaining about his bindings on his board and criticized the salesman for his lack of knowledge about the gear he sales. As the knocking noise of the ski-lift drifted through the mountains, they all held on carefully, looking down at all the steep, scary, slopes below them.This was Ellison's first time skiing, so she was extremely excited to try it out! While the ski-lift rocked back and forth Dillon, told Allison some advice for surviving the slopes on the mountain. She coul dn't pay attention because she was so ecstatic to ski that his advice went in one ear and out the other. They came to the top of the lift and Jumped off, Allison fell onto her back as her skis slide out from under her feet, while Dillon lidded smoothly down the slick little hill proceeding the lift.Allison stood up in time to see the shiny snow start to fall down on the slopes. She snapped her feet back into the skis and looked down at the terrifyingly, steep mountains. Allison took a deep slow breath, no turning back now. Ellison's adrenaline picked up and flew through her body faster than the speed of lightening. She was amazed and terrified all together. Going down slopes made her feel like she is floating on air. With the snow leaving fresh layers of white dust laying al about, it felt like being shot straight out of a rocket.The slopes seemed endless. Her goggles kept fogging up, and the thought of falling off the side of the mountain or hitting a tree kept crossing her mind. W ith her face covered in freezing ice, she tried to clear her goggles while keeping her balance. She hadn't learned to slow down or stop on her skis yet, and instantly regretted it. While she attempted to swerve around the other hundreds of skiers, her speed had picked up so much that she became afraid of the next couple of actions that could cake place on the gigantic slope.Gaining even more speed, and losing more balance, she knew that she would have to stop herself soon before the speed took over her body and became dangerous. Taking a huge breath in, trying to stop her skis she was flung forward out of her skis, tumbling down the horrific hill. Completely disoriented from the fall, she tried to stand up but her legs were shaking like an uncontrollable seizure. She was soaking wet from the beyond freezing snow that covered her whole body. Dillon quickly approached her, carrying her skis, along with his board; His face seemed terrified. Are you okay, Ally? † Dillon asked, â⠂¬Å"I'm fine, Just a little shaken up† replied Allison. She knew she couldn't give up, finally standing back up but still feeling wobbly from the accident, she gave it another try. Knowing things could have ended much worse, she attempted it over and over again, until she got it right. Even though she had fallen down multiple times, skiing couldn't compare to any other feeling in the world, and she had a great time on her first skiing adventure!

Business Practices Omega Consolidated Industries ( Oci )

Organizations are constantly seeking ways to enhance its operations by developing its business practices on a global scale, which often requires building additional facilities to effectively serve its customers. Omega Consolidated Industries (OCI) is a worldwide corporation who has plans of constructing a new manufacturing facility in China. Faced with a construction completion timeframe of two years - from start to finish - the OCI president formed a well-rounded team to head the project. The newly formed project team was comprised of a Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Vice President of Engineering (VPE), Procurement Manager (PCM), and the Plant Manager (PLM) who will oversee the new facility. The team members from various departments, with various skillsets, would help define the project’s requirements, oversee the construction, and monitor the progress to ensure requirements were being addressed. Inclusive to the project team’s duties was the task of developing a reque st for proposal (RFP) to solicit proposals from a number of qualified contractors to build the manufacturing facility. This paper seeks to address OCI’s approach to implementing a plan to ensure the new manufacturing facility was constructed based on the organization’s requirements and specifications, within budget, and on schedule. The discussion will review the OCI project team’s approach to soliciting the support required to complete the project, the vendor selection process, and potential alternative

William Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream - 830 Words

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream weaves stories of social ranks in the commedia dell’arte and some of its easily recognized stock characters. Shakespeare uses commedia dell’arte characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to capture our imagination and amuse us. Commedia dell’arte includes three classes of characters in its performances. These characters are the vecchi, innamorati, and the zanni (McCarter.org). The vecchi are usually the nobility or masters. The vecchi in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are represented by the Athenian upper class: Duke Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus. In the play, the innamorati are portrayed by Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena. Innamorati are primarily in love with themselves and being in love with their beloved. The zanni in Shakespeare’s play consist of the fairies and the mechanicals: Bottom, Quince, Flute, Straveling, Snout, and Snug. The mechanicals provide common humor in the play, such as comic vision of Bottom’s head turned into the head of an ass, to the mechanicals’ performing for the vecchi at the beginning of Act V, which is laughable because their performance is so atrocious. Bottom is a hilarious example of an actor that believes he is talented. Nick Bottom is a notable character that evokes laughter and he personifies Il Dottore of commedia dell’ arte (Shane-arts.com). Bottom deludes himself and thinks that he is a talented performer, however he is the victim of much of the mischief in the comedy. BottomShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1339 Words   |  6 PagesHonors For A Midsummer Night s Dream By William Shakespeare 1. Title of the book - The title of the book is called A Midsummer Night s Dream by William Shakespeare. 2. Author s name - The author of the book A Midsummer Night s Dream is William Shakespeare. 3. The year the piece was written - A Midsummer Night s Dream by William Shakespeare was believed to have been written between 1590-1596. 4. Major Characters - There are three major characters in the book A Midsummer Night s Dream by WilliamRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1474 Words   |  6 Pagesinstance, one could look at the movies A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Shakespeare in Love. The latter follows the life of William Shakespeare himself, everything from his love affair with Viola de Lesseps to his creation of Romeo and Juliet. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is one of the most famous plays of Shakespeare’s, revolving around the tumultuous relationships of four lovers, aided, and sometimes thwarted by the mischief of fairies. Although Shakespeare in Love outlines a few of the characteristicsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1548 Words   |  7 Pagesspoken by Helena in Act 1 Scene 1 line 234, explains that it matters not what the eyes see but what the mind thinks it sees. In the play, A Midsummer Night s Dream, written by William Shakespeare, there are several instances where the act of seeing is being portrayed. The definition of vision is the ability to see, something you imagine or something you dream. This proves that even though one has the ability to see; the mind tends to interfere and sometimes presents a different picture. VariousRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream867 Words   |  4 Pagesspecifically how they will benefit that other person, you’re in love.† In A Midsummer Night s Dream, William Shakespeare intertwined each individual characters. Through the concept of true love and presented to the audiences a twisted yet romantic love story. The love stories of Renaissance are richly colorful, so Shakespeare used multiple literary techniques to present to the readers a vivid image of true love. Shakespeare applied metaphor in the lines of Lysander. In Act 1, scene 1, Lysander saysRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream990 Words   |  4 PagesSymbols in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Symbols help to play an important part in giving a deeper meaning to a story. William Shakespeare uses a variety of symbols in his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream and by using these symbols he offers some insight onto why certain events take place in the play. Symbols are sometimes hard to decipher but as the reader continues to read the symbol’s meaning might become more clear. Shakespeare uses a variety of symbols in A Midsummer Night’s DreamRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1397 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s comedies, like those of most Renaissance playwrights, involve love and its obstacles. Much of the comedy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream derives from the attempt of Lysander and Hermia to remain together while overcoming the adult authority figure who attempts to hinder the love of a young couple. The overcoming of an obstacle functions as a common motif in Renaissance comedy. The audience must wonder, however, whether Lysander and Hermia, as well as Demetrius and Helena, actually loveRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1207 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been categorized as a comedy play because of all the characters being passionately in love to the point of being foolish. It’s a play all about love, and the characters that are in love are only young adults, so they are still naive when it comes to love. Their naivety and foolishness regarding love is what allows them to be taken advantage of by mischievous fairies when they all run away into the woods. By critiquing the love affairs and numerousRead MoreA Midsummer Night s Dream By William Shakespeare1882 Words   |  8 PagesWritten during the Elizabethan era where gender roles played an important part in society and relationships, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare portrays the interaction between both sexes, and the women’s respo nse to the expectation of such norms. Although the characters: Hippolyta, Hermia, Helena, and Titania, are portrayed as objects (both sexual and material) contingent upon their male lovers, they are also given empowerment. During the Elizabethan Era, and present throughout MNDRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1277 Words   |  6 Pagestogether. Nor will love ever be a controllable compulsion. Maybe we are fools for going into the perilous, eccentric universe of love; yet what fun would life be without it? William Shakespeare s play A Midsummer Night s Dream investigates the unconventional, unreasonable and unpredictable nature of love during his time. Shakespeare conveys this through the main plot of the play, which is composed of the relationships between three couples. The three couples show examples of three different types ofRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1442 Words   |  6 Pages William Shakespeare is estimated to have lived from 1564 to about 1616. He is often recognized as great English poet, actor, and playwright, and paved the way for many on all of those categories. Over that span he wrote many pieces that are still relevant today such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. I would like to take a deeper look into one on his pieces â€Å"A Midsummers Night’s Dream.† This piece is estimated to have first been preformed in about 1595 and then later published in 1600. Many