Qualitative Research Proposal Essay Example for Free

Qualitative Research Proposal Essay For my field research observation site I chose the flea market (la pulga) located in Alamo, Texas. I chose this specific site because in our Mexican American culture families tend to go there to buy cheap merchandise. Although many people go there many of the things they buy there can or is related to crime. I chose this flea market because it is close to home and there are usually a high number of people there during the weekends. There were a number of issues with this place, but there were two who stood out above the rest. The main points were: do people realize that by buying certain objects they are committing a crime, and also is law enforcement doing anything to prevent these types of crimes from happening. There are mainly two types of individuals who go to these places. The first types of people who go to these places are mainly Mexican American. There is not one age group that stands out above the rest since Mexican American groups. Mexican American individuals tend to visit these places as a family. The second types of people are mainly Winter Texans. A rough estimate from my observation would be that Winter Texas are 30% middle aged (45-60), and 70% elderly. Winter Texans mainly go as couples and are usually there just pass time; Mexican Americans on the other hand are there because they want to buy cheap objects. Research Question or Topic My research questions are: 1. Are people well informed that purchasing pirated DVDs is a crime? 2. What is law enforcement doing to prevent these crimes from happening? Literature Review Bibliography One of the academic journals I found out to be possibly the most interesting out of my whole research was the one dealing with the piracy of CDs/DVDs. This journal does not only talk about the piracy of media, but also about the replicator, the user, and the technology used. It explains how the replicator uses computer software to copy the media and how it gets to the market from there. It talks about the types of users who buy the product and it also talks about the technology being enforced to make it harder and in some cases impossible for the replicator to create a copy of the media. Even though this journal is out there it still seems that some people are unaware of the consequences with the replication of this media, and also the problem it can cause in our society. One of the main points the article describes is whether copy-protection work or not. The answer to this question is that there is copy protection on DVDs which makes it harder for anyone to copy media, but since pirates (replicators) don’t play by the rules there are still some ways to bypass the copy-protection. Research done in this journal- 1. Copyright 2. Product Counterfeiting 3. Manufacturing Processes 4. Anti-counterfeiting Measures 5. Replicators 6. Users of the Pirated DVDs The second article I found is called Factor that Influence the Piracy of DVD/VCD Motion Pictures. Basically the title says what the article is about. It explain some of the major factors that cause people to burn these DVDs, and factors that cause people to buy them. The article says that people tend to buy these DVDs because of the cost benefit. This means that people are getting DVDs way cheaper than if you were to go and buy the real one at an actual store. The author’s findings are also used to support the social norms used to make an effort to stop the piracy of this media. Research done in this article- 1. Copyright Infringement 2. Pirated Video Recordings 3. Piracy 4. Empirical Research 5. Motion Picture Industry 6. Bootlegging and Methodology aspects The last article I read was talking about the structure about an American flea market. There are differences between flea markets up North and flea markets here in the valley. One of the most obvious differences would be the people that go to the flea markets. The article talks about the types of people that go to the flea market. It talks about the economic effect a flea market has on society. It talks about the behaviors of the buyers and sellers in a flea market. The research in this article was done by surveys across different flea markets and on the consumers in those flea markets. Not only were these studies done on U.S. flea markets they were also done on different countries for example Mexico. Research done in this article – 1. Flea Markets 2. Marketing 3. Case Studies 4. Economic Activity 5. Consumer Behavior 6. Business Cycle 7. Sociocultural Factors My Three Sources Block, D. (1997), CD?DVD/piracy:the replicator, the user, and the technology. Emedia Professional, 10, 92. Chih-Chein, W. (2005). Factors that Influence the Piracy of DVD/VCD Motion Pictures. Journal Of American Academy Of Business, Cambridge, 6(1), 231-237. Sherry Jr., J. F. (1990). A Sociocultural Analysis of a Midwestern American Flea Market. Journal Of Consumer Research, 17(1), 13-30 Research Design Step 1 Prepare myself by doing some background research on the site I am preparing to observe. Be prepared for anything that may come my way, and be prepared for opportunities that may arise while doing my research. I need to go organized and possibly focus on one point of interest. Need to prepare my looking and listing skills since they are essential for any field researcher. Go prepare to do constant writing since it is one of the most useful way of recording data. Step 2 Gain access to enter the observation site, in my case I don’t think it is a problem since it is open to the public. Other sites have different important sections but in a flea market everything is together so I just have to worry about getting inside. I need to get involved in normal activities to make myself unnoticeable and look like an everyday customer. Perhaps buy merchandise or other things regular customers do. Step 3 By looking as a customer I can build trust with the people working in this area, and this way they can go on doing their job like they normally do, and this can help me observe them in their normal working routine. Step 4 While walking around the site I can record anything I find to be deviant or criminal, in my case I found the distribution of illegal DVD copies. I’ll observe from afar, learn and record anything else. I have to make my findings very detailed this way I don’t miss anything of importance that can later help me answer my question, and this way I won’t have to return for small doubts I may have. Record any conversations I may have had with any of the people there. Step 5 Finally after I am done gathering data I just exit the observation site I just exit the site and start compiling my data. Step 6 After putting my data and getting a better understanding of my observation site. With a better understanding of what happens in the site I will be able to put together a detailed survey or interview questions. Of course the survey or interview will be anonymous and have to make sure the customer knows this. You need to make the customer know that the research is anonymous because if not the person might put false data and the data will be inaccurate. Step 7 After conducting all my research I can put together a conclusion and determine what it means. I’ll ask myself questions for example did I find the answer my questions, was my hypothesis correct, and is there more research to be done. The conclusion has to be precise this way if a person is interested in the same topic they will have all the information they need. Step 8 This is how will conduct my research and hopefully get a good grade on this assignment, if not I will need some research on how I can do better.

Le Mont Saint Michel :: Architecture Descriptive History French Essays

Le Mont Saint Michel Le Mont Saint Michel is a rocky cone shaped island or islet located just off the North West coast of France in the gulf of Saint Malo. It is home to one of France’s greatest tourist attractions named Le Mereille, this brilliant eleventh century gothic style church is often simply called Mont St Michel. What transforms this fairly typical gothic church into one of the most striking buildings of the world, and the destination of so many visitors over the course of the past twelve centuries, is its magnificent, almost arrogant location. The Church of Mont Saint Michel was constructed in the eleventh century as a gothic masterpiece. It was constructed using Granite stone; however some of the cloisters are made of lime stone. The island upon which it sits is separated by approximately one kilometer of waves from the mainland at high tide. At low tide, however, it is separated from the mainland by approximately one kilometer of sand. Before a causeway was built in 1879, the only approach to the Mont was by foot over this causeway. However this crossing was no easy task and a poorly timed crossing could easily end in drowning by the sudden changing tides. The island is about one kilometer in diameter and about 80 meters high, jutting defiantly above the ocean. The steep cliffs that ascended from the crashing surf and the treacherous tides that whipped around the island, combined with the legend that it was the island where the souls of the dead congregated; make the site an unlikely place to build. Neither legends nor danger were a match for the overwhelming curiosity of a forbidden place. In the early eighth century a bishop from the near by town of Avranges named Aubert made the crossing. After finding it safe enough he started frequenting the island which seemed to be an escape from civilization for him, and a place where he could meditate un-intruded. During meditation one day on the island the archangel Michel visited Aubert and convinced him to build a church on the island. In 708 the modest chapel began construction on the island, many buildings have come to rise and fall on the island since then. The first major construction on the island started in the year 1020 and was completed in 1135. In time structural problems arose with the building, therefore in 1170 Abbot Robert de Toringy started building a new facade on the side of the church.

Atticus Finch In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

In Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus plays a major role in his children growth and development. He is a role model to his children and to Maycomb, one of the few willing to take actions against prejudice. His actions can be summed up in one great quote of Thomas Jeffersons These truths we hold to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Atticus does not approve of racism, and teaches his children to judge by character, not race. Atticus thinks that even black men have at least one right, the right of justice. He expresses his belief in this phrase. But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal- there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, the ignorant man the equal of any college president, and that, gentlemen is a court. (Lee 205) This quote shows Atticus passion for justice and equality, saying that all are equal in this court, and that you should judge a man by his economic or mental aptitude, nor by the color of his skin. He means by this statement that you should be unbiased and fair when making a decision, or even a persons fate. Atticus believes all people have their flaws and strengths, and should be judged as such, not by their gender, social standing, or color. He shows this in a moving quote, You know the truth, and the truth is this: that some Negroes are immoral; that some Negro men are not to be trusted around women – black or white. But his is a truth which applies to the human race and to no race in particular. (Lee 204) Atticus once again sets the scales of equality even with this statement, explaining his moral code of justice, and how each and every person should judge each other equally. Jems breakdown whenever the court room is mentioned is evidence of this point. Atticus believes that any man using a man of any other color is inferior even to the man he is using. He illustrates this a talk with Scout, Youll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and dont you forget it-whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes  from, that white man is trash. (Lee 220) Atticus means that if you take advantage of someone or treat them as though they were Less equal, then you, yourself, are you are a horrible, inferior person. On the other hand, if you treat everyone as your equal then they are your equal. Atticus believes in what Martin Luther King later put to words in his famous I Have a Dream speech, That men would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus has been a role model and mentor to his children by condemning racism and all that it stands for. 1. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird2. The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson3. I Have A Dream, Martin Luther King Jr.

Essay The American Civil War - 1217 Words

The American Civil War In May of 1861 five states in the upper south United States seceded from the Union and joined the seven states already seceded and created the Confederate States of America. This was the beginning of the Civil War; it was the Union against the Confederates. Many People believed that the war would be over quickly they thought it was more of an uprising then a full on war. Nobody expected it to last four years and take so many lives. The Civil War was a serious test for the new democracy of the United States, it tested the strength of the government and all of the people involved. This would be a defining moment for the United States. One of the reasons for the south secession was the fact that the north†¦show more content†¦The Union however had more problems with there generals, President Lincoln had chosen several different generals to lead the Union forces before he finally settled with Ulysses S. Grant. After the first battle he ordered the south to be cut off from trade outside countries hoping that there economy would slowly die. While the Confederates were using a tactic called attrition which meant they want they wanted the north to lose moral and quit the war. One of the most famous battle of the civil war was the battle of Gettysburg the three day battle included more the 150,000 troops and more then 50,000 casualties with the union finally winning the battle. When this battle was over president Lincoln made one of the most famous speeches in history The Gettysburg Address it was to dedicate the battlefield as a cemetery. After losing to battles to Lee the victory at Gettysburg was a turni ng point for the union forces. This lead to another victory for the Union when the took the city of Vicksburg a vital southern city. The south was slowly losing moral. In 1865 the south was beginning to crumble, General Sherman had taken many key cities in the south and was advancing to the north while General Grant was moving his forces south at a rapid pace. The moral of the Confederate troops was so low thatShow MoreRelatedAmerican War And The American Civil War1551 Words   |  7 Pageswhich then caused the Southern states of America to decide to leave the American Union and create their own Southern Confederacy. This tore our nation apart. The American Civil War had begun and the very people that were once neighbors had each other’s blood on their hands. Many American lives had been lost. The American lives lost in the Civil War even exceeded the number of American lives lost during World War I and World War II. We were divided. The North wanted to reunite with the southern statesRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War1376 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Civil War was arguably the most important war in the history of the country. The War of Independence may have allowed American to become its’ own country, but the Civil War resulted in something even more important than that, the end of slavery in the southern states. All of the issues that caused the Civil war were based around slavery, such as states’ rights that involved how slavery would be handled in each state, and trying to preserve the Union since the south seceded from the northRead MoreThe American Civil War1296 Words   |  6 Pages The American Civil War, also known as the State’s War, was a conflict that arose mostly from the issue of slavery, but deep down was due to economic differences between the North and the South. The South seceded from the North and created their own self-government due to their belief in the lack of state’s rights versus the federal government and what they saw as a weakness in the Articles of Confederation. While the Confederacy of the United States depended on slave labor for their econom y in regardsRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War1618 Words   |  7 Pages A Civil War is a battle between the same citizens in a country. The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the independence for the Confederacy or the survival of the Union. By the time Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1861, in the mist of 34 states, the constant disagreement caused seven Southern slave states to their independence from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy, generally known as the South, grew to include elevenRead MoreThe American Civil War1418 Words   |  6 PagesGuns fired, smoke lingering in the air, people dying. The American Civil War had a huge impact on the United States. Two compromises took place before the start of the Civil War. These compromises include the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. The Missouri Compromise dealt with the crisis in 1819 over Missouri entering the Union as a slave state. The compromise was â€Å"the first major crisis over slavery, and it shattered a tacit agreement between the two regions that had been in placeRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War1324 Words   |  6 PagesThere were many events that led to the cause of one of America’s most devastating war, the American Civil War. The American Civil War was an unfortunate war that cost more than the lives of six hundred thousand people. Events such as the Missouri Compromise, Kansas Nebraska Act, Dred Scott Decision, and the Election of Abraham Lincoln resulted in the four yearlong battles between the Northern and Southern states due to social and economic differences on the idea of slavery. In the 19th century,Read MoreThe War Of The American Civil War Essay1472 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Civil War lasted from April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865. It was the bloodiest war in American history, killing approximately 620,000 soldiers in total. The War was fought and won by the North, ensuring that all the United States would stay united and slavery would be illegal in The United States. However, history is one of the most complicated things in the world. It’s also one of the most important things in the world because history is what made the present possible. Historians have debatedRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War960 Words   |  4 Pagesslavery even if it meant war caused peace in this nation. Slavery was the vital cause of the American Civil War. The north and the south both had their differences on how to run the country. People in the North believed in unity and that slavery should not exist because â€Å"all men are created equally.† On the o ther hand, the South believed in continuing slavery. People tried to talk it out and come to a middle ground after both sides compromising, however that didn’t work and caused war. Ideological differencesRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War856 Words   |  4 PagesSlavery may have been established as the catalyst of the American Civil War, but the beginning of the dispute began in the time of the Revolution with a weak decentralized government under the Articles of Confederation. Later gained momentum as territorial expansion set Americans against each other on debating whether the new states should be slave states or free states, it questioned the power of the Federal government regarding state rights, and brought about instability in the unity of the UnitedRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War1439 Words   |  6 PagesWhen the American Civil War began in the spring of 1861, those flocking to enlistment stations in states both north and south chiefly defined the ir cause as one of preservation. From Maine to Minnesota, young men joined up to preserve the Union. From Virginia to Texas, their future foes on the battlefield enlisted to preserve a social order, a social order at its core built on the institution of slavery and racial superiority . Secession had not been framed by prominent Southerners like Robert Toombs