Mastery of Concepts - Research Paper Example

Mastery of Research Concepts al Affiliation) Section Article According to the article, crime dropped drastically in the US in the 1990s. Demographic changes, drug markets shifts, increased financial activities, improved police operations, and increased prison populaces are some of the reasons the researcher gives for the decrease in crime rate. In the past, attempts made to explain accountability among these clarifications are unpersuasive. The un-persuasiveness of the previous attempts is because some of the research does not inclusively study all the possible clarifications, some depend on highly interlinked data and others still combine effect and cause. An in-depth analysis of counties in Texas that focus on these issues indicate that Texas’s crimes’ drop rate was due to an increase in the jail and prison populace. A rise in wealth and improved income led to the decrease of property crimes (Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). Increased prison construction would not be cost-effective in Texas. This is due to the declining marginal returns of investing in prison construction, but direct interventions in improving the economy sectors and enhancing police operations would be more proactive. Ideally, most of the discussions in the article are based on assumptions rather than facts. The researcher gives possible reasons as to why crime rate is dropping but he does not answer how these attributes are connected to the crimes. He mentions variables such as demography, unemployment, prison expansion and the economy. It is hard to establish a relationship between the variables and the crimes due to lack of concrete proof to his suggestions. Hypothetically, unemployment is a particular clear case, but the principle can be expected to apply to several other explanations. A blend in heterogeneity of most local areas in social class, household structure, race and income among others can be causational to each other (Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). Article two; the invisible black victim The assurance of civil rights is grounded on inclusion; yet the massive difference imprisonment rates between Latinos, blacks and whites still stands as the ugliest reminder of nation’s history of segregation based on race. In the article, the researcher argues that the best way of understanding law and race in this twenty-first century is by understanding and appreciating the American federal system. Some of the things that need appreciation include, the system structures, political mobilization, legal authority and solutions to policy loop holes. In addition, the federal system serves as a vital and disregarded obstacle to more persistent and complete racial equality in crime punishment in the US. In contrast to the role of the government in protecting the minority and less privileged groups, the author suggests that crime and justice are grounds where the nationalization of concerns has left the most significant constituents behind. In fact, the ongoing local crime politics are a good example where there is continued vocalization of the inclusionary objectives of the civil right plan and sustained efforts to forge forward in realizing that plan through significant community engagements in promoting economic development, public safety and social justice. The author researches on these themes and gives a discussion on the linkages between federalism, crime and racial equality, punishment and victimization (Miller, 2010). Theoretically, the author of the article creates a theoretical system founded on imaginary rules to make conclusions. For instance, in the first paragraph she states that; amongst the most discouraging fact racial inequality in US is the disproportionate impact of crime, arrest and violence; while 1 in a population of 106 aged 18 and over of white men was incarcerated in 2007, the figures for Latino and black men were 1in 36and 1in 25 for black men respectively. Section 2 Article two; the invisible black This article has four sections. First, there is a detailed discussion of issues in the United States’ federalism that pose difficulties to the radical voice of the urban subgroups for addressing violence and crime. Secondly, the article draws from congregational data; here, the author investigates the link between group dynamics and federalism in national politics mainly to understand the reasons behind how minority political mobilization and blacks as victims of racial injustice. Thirdly, he compares the results of the relationship between federalism and group dynamics to political mobilization around crime and violence in two urban centers-Philadelphia and Pittsburg. The two towns are just a small representation of the urban minority experience, although they give an ideal illustration of political environment in urban centers. He concludes with a discussion of how the American federal system makes it difficult to trace the difficulties in crime, punishment and crime. To give conclusions on this discussions, he draws empirical data and theoretical assumptions. The author provide a theoretical research in the first paragraph of her work. Secondly, the author uses literary research methods in her work by analyzing data from previous researches (Miller, 2010). The author used random sampling to conduct the research; considering all the United States, he picks on Philadelphia and Pittsburg. Within the two towns, she narrows down to black people and randomly selects individuals for interview. Random sampling ensured reduced sampling error or sampling bias. The author uses proximal similarity model in picking his sample of study. For validity and reliability, the author, uses the theory of proximal similarity more effectively. First, he describes the way his context differs from previous researchers. To achieve validity, he provides lots of data about the degree of similarity on the Blacks and Latinos. Secondly, he maps out the degree of proximal similarity among various research groups within his study. For instance, he carries out research on all races available at different time and not only attributes the results to political mobilization but to external features (Miller, 2010). . Article 1 jobs or jails The author uses both analytical and theoretical research types to espouse his discoveries. In his introductory paragraphs, he uses assumptions on how demography, economy, unemployment and increased jail population led to a drop in crime. In his latter paragraphs he employs both literature review and Meta -analysis of data by collecting data from previous researcher and computing the data to give concrete results. For instance, he states that, previous researches conducted are unlikely to show that unemployment has much effect. Specifically, the average elasticity is close to zero for researches conducted at state, national and provincial levels. The elasticity rises to 0.2 or so for bodies within metropolitan areas and 1.1 for neighborhood areas (Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). For sampling, the researcher identifies the population of interest that is; law enforcement resources such as number of police employed per 1000 people, prosecutor and correlational resources and the police civilization (Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). Out of the three indexes he formulates his sample. He randomly selects his sample from the indexes above. To validate his research, he points out the areas that need more research in the previous researches. Secondly he gives a listing of all his data sources and provides statistical evidence. . Section 3.Article two; invisible black victim. In this article, the researcher strongly bases his analysis on literature review. In his discussions, he quotes several authors that were involved in previous researches. For instance, he divides his article into four parts. First, a detailed discussion on feature of American federalism that oppose the voice of minority in addressing crime and violence. Secondly, an investigation of how the interaction between federalism and group dynamics in national politics affects minority political mobilization and blacks as victims of racial injustice (Miller, 2010). Thirdly, he compares his findings to two urban centers of interest that is Philadelphia and Pittsburg. Lastly, he discusses how the nature of federal system of American makes it hard to identify disparities in the crime and violence and punishment. To give answers to the aforementioned investigative areas, he refers on literature from previous researchers to answer his quest in the areas of his interest. For instance, for federalism, race, and criminal justice disparities he quotes other authors like Provine (2007) and Morone in (2003) on their findings and explanation of persistent racial inequality in crime. In addition to his literary review methodology, he also employs the techniques of gravimetric research analysis. He compare different data by computational methods. For instance, she give ratios and averages of different findings since 1971-2000 drawn from congressional hearings on crime and justice (Miller, 2010). His approach answered some of the questions in his mission. On the contrary, there are several other methods that would have strongly answered his hypothesis. For instance, use of questionnaires, interviews and participatory approaches. This methodologies would have help in answering so much previous researches had not covered. Time the research is conducted is a factor the author should considered. By use of questionnaires the author would have updated information on both current political standings on crime and violence and the punishment. Participatory research involves the researcher becoming a victim. If the author went in-person into some prisons for some days he would be able to use both interview, observation and questionnaires on the inmates. With this participatory research type he would be able to find different answers or features that affect her research areas. For instance, which type of crime is associated to what punishment and what’s the causational factors for given crimes. Article 1: jobs and jails. The researcher uses literature review for his work. He borrows data from different authors who have done research in the same area. For instance, when trying to find a relationship between the suggested explanations like unemployment, economy, and increased populations in the jails on the decrease in crime rate, he borrows from previous researcher. He quotes Chirico’s, (1987) work on investigations of a relationship between employment and increased crime rates. In addition he also does some self-computation on the available data to. However, there are other methods of research and data analysis that would have brought out more concrete conclusions on this type of research. For instance, the use of observations, and interview and importantly participatory research. Picking on participatory research, the researcher would have combined both observation and interviews in his research design which involves victimizing himself. As opposed to literature research that shows different finding on a given research, participatory research would have help him answer the questions of ethical issues by involving the victims on face to face interview which assures synonymy of the interviewee. Secondly, participatory research design would help established the most accurate findings that would help the researchers establish a true relationship type (Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). Questions pertaining to the validity of research would be answered too. For instance, if the researcher used participatory research design he would establish if truly there exist a relationship between the two variable. He would be able to give concrete results if the relationship is; conclusion validity, internal validity or construct validity. Section 4: Article two; black victims In this article, the researcher uses variable such as crime, punishment, violence, race, disparity and inequality. These variable are qualitative in nature. For instance, when he talks of punishment he does not expound on what type of punishment or of what magnitude the punishment is. Throughout his discussion of various features in his study these words recurs with no quantification or attachment of figures to them. Additionally, the causational factors attached to these variables are also qualitative in nature. The research methodology the researcher went for contributed highly to the qualitative nature of the research. For instance, literature review where most of the information is borrowed from previous data records. In his research he is involved more in describing events and this renders the research qualitative (Miller, 2010). This type of research is more important at the early stages of a research and in some cases no much of the planning is needed. If the researcher opted for a quantitative approach; he would be able to measure and analyze data from different angles, he can established and analyze the independent and dependent variable in detail, he would be more objective about the findings of the research hence more confidence and finally the researcher would have tested his hypothesis in experiments because of the ability of quantitative research to measure and compute data using statistics. Article two. Jobs and jail The researcher here starts with some qualitative variable like demography, unemployment and economy, and population. At latter stages of the study he quantifies this variable to enable a more quantitative description of the variable. For instance, the researcher test his hypothesis statistically. For instance, he notes that researches conducted at high levels of aggregation are unlikely to show unemployment has much effect at all. Specifically, he gives the average mean to of elasticity to be close to zero for studies conducted at the national, state and provincial levels. The elasticity rises to 0.2 for metropolitan ares and 1.1 for the neighboring areas (Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). Secondly, for him to clearly establish a relationship between his variable he opts for quantitative approach. However with this kind of approach the researcher loses the grip of the research context. Quantitative research does not research things in a natural environment or consider the meaning of different things for a given populace. It involves few people in the research- the research sample is thin(Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). On the contrary, if the researcher opted for a qualitative research, he would have gone for a bigger population for better results. The bigger the sample of the populace under research the statistically accurate the findings. A qualitative research give the researcher a more solid base at the start of the research. It involves lees planning which gives the researcher freedom to let the study unfold naturally. The researcher would have gained a detailed and richer data in form documents evidence that is more comprehensive, and visual (photographs). This would have enable the researcher to look at the contexts and social meaning and how it affects the people which is advantageous in social research. Section 5 Article two, black victims This is a qualitative base research paper. This research paper employs the use of non-statistical methods of inquiry and analysis of social phenomena. The paper draws an inductive process in which themes and categories emerge through analysis of data collection by techniques such as literature reviews and case studies. The samples used here are small and purposely selected (Spelman 2005). The research has used detailed description to argue out its findings, these descriptions are from the perspective of the research participants themselves. During presentation, this paper might face the challenge of quantification of given stated facts within the research. This can jeopardize the validity of the paper. Article 1. Jobs and jails. In this article, the researcher uses both qualitative and quantitative strategies. He starts with qualitative analysis of the issue by use of case studies and latter stages it uses quantitative methods. The study is involved in studying natural occurrence and interaction between human behavior and this calls for qualitative analysis of the situation. The use of quantitative in the latter stages is a wise idea for the researcher to demonstrate adherence to objective methods characteristics of the hard science. During presentation, this can sometimes prove tricky and critics can question on what basis the researcher quantified variables. Secondly, it is always hard to differentiate between delinquency records and social adjustments of the between the decrease in crime and control groups (Spelman 2005). In conclusion, both qualitative and quantitative have different strength and weaknesses and the choice taken should be carefully selected depending on the nature of what area or what question is under study. In several instances, both qualitative and quantitative methodologies can be employed in the same research, this is clearly brought out in article one of this discussion. For instance, standardized measures can be used to collect data combined with open-ended questionnaires. It is possible to record interview data using both qualitative and quantitative and to report the results in both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the same data set. Qualitative approaches can be applied to big research area and should not be limited to small scale research areas. The close association of qualitative research methods with social works practices is likely to lead qualitative analysis approaches in practice evaluation. As more people in the social work research interlink with each other, refine, and publish qualitative techniques, the approach is likely to gain more interest in the near future. References Miller, L. L. (2010). The Invisible Black Victim: How American Federalism Perpetuates Racial Inequality in Criminal Justice. Law & Society Review, 44(3-4), 805-842. Nachmias, D., & Nachmias, C. (2004). Research methods in the social sciences. New York: St. Martins Press. Spelman, W. (2005). Jobs or jails? The crime drop in Texas. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 24(1), 133-165 Read More