Living Trend of Young People in Vietnam free essay sample

Then, the business model of internet coffee shop started spreading all over the country and this was the time when Vietnamese young people were able to access to the internet. Internet has brought Western culture into Vietnam and changed the lifestyle of Vietnamese, especially the young people. In recent years, there is a growing tendency of young people living following a trend. In this essay, I would like to discuss further about this new problem of Vietnamese society. Living following a trend can be understood as that fashion, hobbies, behaviors and even feelings are affected by a trend existed in the society. In Western countries, subcultures have existed for quite a long time and become familiar with everyone. As internet appeared, these subcultures also entered Vietnam along with the music and fashion. Immediately, it created a huge wave of changing in the young people then. For example, 2007 was the year that emo really became a part of life that was admited by young people. We will write a custom essay sample on Living Trend of Young People in Vietnam or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Emo represents â€Å"a style of rock music characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics; it originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D. C† (Wikipedia). From a style of music, there was a lifestyle created. Young people, who follows the emo lifestyle, are called â€Å"emo kids†. They are usually highly emotional and have pesimistic view of life, they form groups and come together to express their feelings, share stories and even cry together. Emo kids are easily recognized with dark heavy eye make-up, dark deep black lips, colorful hair colors and lots of rings. In some countries such as Russia or Canada, there are now some emo group being very popular. However, when emo came to Vietnam, its nature was not well kept. Only a small part of emo-ers in Vietnam is naturally emotional and in need of sharing feelings, while the larger main part is known because of their ridiculous overeactions. Back then in 2007, there was limited resources for young people to get knowledge and update information about the world, so emo easily became a hot trend because of its strong impression and being an emo kid can quickly make one popular and well-known. But the dangerous thing happened then was that a large number of young people started to think being an emo kid was the definitely right thing to do and they wanted to prove their maturity by living like an emo kid. It was either good or bad, only the inside could understand. At the same time, some other subcultures, mostly from America, also entered Vietnam and became popular, such as Rap – Hip hop, Yuppie, Skateboarder or Punk Rock. These subcultures have been popular for a long time and created a new way of living and behavioring of young people. However, it is necessary to differentiate between these subculture and the living trend. Subculture means â€Å"segments of culture which (while reflecting the dominant aspects of the main culture) show different customs, norms, and values, due to differences in geographical areas or (within an organization) departmental goals and job requirements† (Business Dictionary) while the living trend discussed in this essay reflects the short-term orientation of life due to specific reasons and may be eradicated or replaced by other orientations soon. As rated on the Internet, the followings are the hottest trends of young people which are most concerned by the society. 1. â€Å"Aped and copied† lifestyle Nowadays, young people are having a much easier life compared to their parents, but also life is more complicated and full of temptation that easily make young people fall in and totally atracted to a special or unique lifestyle to prove themselves. A few years ago, a kind of measurement was â€Å"invisibly† formed among young people in order to evaluate people. It means that you have to use expensive and modern mobile phones, wear luxurious clothes and be a billionaire of time and money. This is still model of good living in youth at present, and it may be the reason why Vietnamese are considered as pragmatic. The fact above is only one of the living model that young people are addicted to. As a whole, all the copied lifestyle of young people came from the Korean movies which were extremely famous in the 1990s and 2000s but were mostly spreaded out by famous young people. The prevalence of the Internet and espcially the advent of social network created an environment in which young people can freely show their personality and feelings. Therefore, beautiful talented boys and girls were discovered and their word had profound influence on other young people’s cognitive. They quickly got a large number of fan and followers, so their lifestyle can partly direct the young’s lifestyle. This can be seen as minority influence that small number of people in a group lead to overall change in the group. On the other hand, adapting Western culture while being affected by Eastern culture makes young people stuck in a difficult situation. The nature of youth is to express and define themselves, they want to be different from others but also want to keep themselves in the society. Hence, they simply copy others’ lifestyle so they can be different (from other groups of people) and identical (to their groups) at the same time. Researched pointed out that culturre strongly impact the social influence on people. And people in collectivistic countries have strong belief in fitting in and conforming to the social norms, which can be seen as signs of maturity and self-control (Markus Kitayama, 1994). Despite being influenced by Western culture for almost 100 years of war, Vietnamese culture still remain the basics of a collectivistic culture. So the young people can not be totally blamed on because they easily follow a trend, it is partly because of the complex culture exchange happening in Vietnam. 2. Living with big ego Desire of self-expression is also known as a typical characteristic of young people. To prove their â€Å"self†, that â€Å"self† must be totally different from others’ â€Å"self† first, so a lot of young people are struggling to find a way to define their â€Å"self† clearest. While others use study results or their talents to prove themselves, many do it in negative ways. As Facebook now is the most common social network in Vietnam, it is not hard to find thousands of article criticizing young people who â€Å"over† express themselves on Facebook. Photos of girls in sexy posture or with just little clothes to show their body are not strange to the netizens at all. And there is even a movement of posting videos of girls’ scrimmage. It also points out that violence tends to increase among the young people. And things became extremely serious due to a scandal on Facebook recently. A Facebook user with nick nam â€Å"Keo mut choi boi† (the nick name can be understood as â€Å"dissipated lollipop† in English) posted a status on his timeline to proudly announce the death of a 60-year-old man in a traffic accident that was made by him. This case received lots of concern from the society because this is the red alert of the rising violence trend among young people. Besides, it is not rare to see a status talking bad about parents or elders in the family. The most well-known case is related to the Korean idols wave that atracted a large number of young people. Some famous Korean idols, such as Super Junior, Girl’s Generation and Bi Rain, came to Vietnam and held their concerts. However, the ticket price was quite expensive to Vietnamese so not all the fan could afford it. Then, there was kind of a trend of disappointed fans depreciating and talking bad about their parents on the Internet because of not letting them go to the concert. Since Vietnamese culture highly value the piety of children, this case created a shock to the whole society. These two cases are only a very small part of the whole picture of young people’s cognitive at present. Though, we can still feel the danger of losing traditional values and believes from the hands of future generations. Young people now are decisive and dare to try new things, but they are lack of experience and maturity. They love their big ego so much that advice from others are hard to reach their mind. By the way, because of their big ego, they usually see themselves better than others. There is a phenomenon, known as false uniqueness bias, shows people’s tendency to see themselves as especially talented and better than others. This happens quite often to the young people. But on the bad side, they give themselves the right to look down on people coming from the country side, the disability or the poor. The distinction between people from rural and urban area even let to conflict between students. 3. Cognitive distortion about sexual orientation Homosexuality has not been totally accepted by Vietnamese and it is still opposed by the laws. This is a new definition and new situation to Vietnamese society. People are fighting to help homosexuality to be admitted and legal in Vietnam. As some organization supporting homosexuality appeared, many people had courage to recognize and confirm their real gender and others seem to not oppose it as much as in the past. This can be considered as a good signal to the society. However, some young people turn it to a new trend of reconfirm sexual orientation. As we all know, beside homosexual (lesbian and gay), there are bisexual (people who are romantically and physically attracted to members of both sexes) and asexual (people who may not be interested in sex but still feel emotionally close to other people). They are called LGBT. Being a LGBT person is not a bad thing, most medical experts believe that, in general, sexual orientation is not something that a person voluntarily chooses, instead, it is just a natural part of who a person is (Sexual Attraction and Orientation). Because LGBT is considered as abnormal so LGBT people are usually afraid of showing their real sexual orientation, especially in Vietnam. However, there is a rising number of young people aggressively admiting being a LGBT and continuosly repeating that. It can not be assumed that all of them are not real LGBT, but it may be concluded that most of them are having wrong cognition about sexual orientation. This wrong cognition often happens to girls because lesbians are easier accepted than gay in Vietnam. But it is also because of the common thought among young people that lesbians are so hot and special. It can be found easily many articles about two female idols kissing and upload their photos on Facebook, this may be only a way to increase their popularity but it does affect young people’s thought. Besides, with the same reason as the copied lifestyle, many girls want to define them as having a different gender from others, which make them special and excellent. Even though, in fact, there are many cases that young people considered themselves as LGBT because of the external environment. In Vietnam, high school students are divided into classes based on the subjects they will take in the university entrance exam. So, there are a lot of class with all female students or only a few males. Although a person’s genes and inborn hormonal factors play most important role in defining sexual orientation, the environmental factors do have effect. Teenage is absolutely a sensitive period because the sexual orientation is not really clear, teenagers may have feelings with friends having same gender but it does not mean that they are LGBT. Moreover, there are two favorite fashion trends called tomboy (girls dress boys’ clothes and look like boys) and unisex (boys and girls dress clothes which is suitable for both gender and it is hard to know that is a boy or a girl). Because these trends are so popular that many girls want to transform into a boys. Along with the lack of knowledge about sexual orientation, tomboy girls easily act as they are lesbian and even get encouragement from friends. Although they are actually not LBGT, they get used to it and can not get back to be straight. Pretending to be LBGT is likely to happen less to boys. But in some cases, the fake gays still exist. It can be assured that their mental are badly influence and the main culprits here are the depraved products. Although environment now is an important factors that affect young people cognition of sexual orientation, people still tend to make fundamental attribution errors and underestimate the role of external factors. Although three living trends seem to be harmful to the young people, there are still many other trends that encourage them to live better. We may find out the voluntary trend all across the country, or the trend of green living – cut off carbon use in everyday meals, and etc But it is still a sad story that these useful and good trends do not attract as much care as the harmful ones. We have to admit that from apperance to behavior, everything in the youth’s life is running after the trend. This trend-following lifestyle both good and bad sides, so it is hard to tell this is harmful or not to the future generations. Nevertheless, the harmful lifestyles need to be studied carefullly and hopefully we may eradicate them in the near future. Except some specific reasons been explain above, there are some identical factors that let those lifestyles spread widely. Firstly, we can not denied the strong tendency to conform of Vietnamese. Although young people want to be unique, it seem that actually they want to be â€Å"unique together†. That may sound weird, but we can easily see that no lifestyles including only one or few people, young people follow that lifestyles and take into account that action because others do so. It might be immature but they just want to be identical to others so they feel it ok to do even bad things. Secondly, there a widening gap among generations. Vietnam is a country highly appreciating traditional values and believes so it is very hard for elders to understand their children. It is not only the result of different thinking but also the difference in technology that the older can not access to what their children are accessing to. Since the older do not have much experience with the Internet or social networks, it is hard for them to give advice to their children how to deal with problems they may face up with. Thirdly, it is absolute that ebulience and immaturity are two things that everyone has to face in their youth. When people get older, they may find their youth funny or even ridiculous, but everyone has to go over it to grown up. We can not eradicate it but can help prevent bad results by advices and education. Last but not least, the most serious problem Vietnam is facing is the old-fashion educatioin system. Although the government has update the education program several times, it can be seen clearly that what students learn in school nowadays is not enough for them to keep up to the world. Started with sexual orientation and sex, young people still make mistakes because they did not get enough knowledge from school. In high schools, students are asked to learn for the university entrance exam, and it results in the lack of soft skills, surviving skills and knowledge of other fields of life, such as history or geography. Though we can find out the factors leading to wrong awareness in following a living trends, it will take a long time to change things. We can not built a skyscraper without a solid foundation. Vietnamese society put all the hope and responsibility of developing the country on the young’s shoulders but it appear that we are having so many internal problems that prevent the development of young people. As people are more strongly influenced by negative traits compared to the positive ones (trait negativity bias), actions must be taken promptly before more young people getting into this problems.

Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essays

Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essays Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essay Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essay Essay Topic: Lord Of the Flies In literature symbolism is an important device that has many layers of hidden meaning by using an object or action that means more than its literal meaning. William Golding has said that his novel â€Å"Lord of the Files† is symbolic from the beginning until the end when the boys are rescued. During the course of the novel these symbols are constantly changing, giving us a new interpretation of the island society. In novel there are three important symbols that evolve in what they mean during the story. The first symbol is fire, which changes its representation from hope to destruction. The seconded symbol is Piggy’s glasses, which are a symbol that represent innovation, advancement but soon become a symbol that regresses into savagery. The last symbol is the conch shell which, at first, is a symbol of the organization of island society and then it becomes a symbol of the breakdown of society that the boys have tried to create. In the novel, the use of fire changes when the boys become more and more savage. In the beginning the boys use the fire as a signal for the ships that might pass by. It represents their hope of getting rescued. Ralph suggests the idea of a signal fire and what it cam do for them, â€Å"If a ship comes near the island the may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire† (Golding,38). Later on when the boys start to forget the purpose of the fire, Ralph reminds them again, â€Å"The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep the fire going?† (Golding,80). These actions demonstrate that the fire is the only hope for the boys to get rescued if not by luck. Keeping the fire going is one of the most important elements to their hope for rescue. As the story progresses, many of the boys become more wild and savage. They then begin to use the fire in a destructive way. In chapter twelve of the book Jack and his tribe m

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Research Study into the Causes of Youth Binge Drinking

Research Study into the Causes of Youth Binge Drinking What are the causes of ‘binge drinking amongst youngsters Abstract The meaning of ‘binge drinking has been questioned considerably; there is no one such definition as it is seen to be too broad and complex. A broad definition that could be used however would be drinking too much alcohol at once or over the recommended daily units, which according to the NHS is no more than 4 units for men and no more than 3 for women. The consumption of alcohol in the UK is on the increase especially amongst youngsters, which has lead to great concern. This dissertation explores a range of issues that aimed to find out the main factors that causes youngsters aged 16-24 to ‘binge drink. This was done by taking a qualitative and quantitative approach in the form of a questionnaire which included 24 questions with regards to the consumption of alcohol. These were paper based questionnaires as well as online based questionnaires which were given to a sample of 60 students to complete. Results showed that there are a number of factors which cause youngsters to consume alcohol. One of the main reasons for the consumption was due to the social aspect. Drinking alcohol is seen as a ‘normal thing to do when socialising with peers, therefore this could lead to binge drinking. Other factors include peer pressure, stress release, enjoyment and confidence booster. However, findings show that the topic is more complex than this; therefore further research and investigation would need to be undertaken to fully grasp the issues underly ing this subject matter. Introduction Significance of the issue The United Kingdom is considered to have one of the most problematic affairs with alcohol due to drinking patterns and styles that have developed over the past century. While numerous other western European countries, such as Spain and France, have seen a decline in overall alcohol consumption, the United Kingdoms overall consumption is on the increase. Greater concern is amongst those aged 16-24 years who are primarily associated with ‘binge drinking. As levels of drinking have increased so has the cause for concern due to social and health consequences, with 30% of men and 25% of women drinking more than the recommended intake. (Paton 2005, p.1) Young people in particular are drinking larger amounts of alcohol over shorter periods of time. The recommended limits of alcohol per session (according to the NHS) should be no more than 3-4 units for men and 2-3 units for women. In 1990, the average amount of alcohol drunk by 11-15 year olds as a whole was 0.8 units in a typical week, rising to 1.6 units in 1998 (Goddard and Higgins 1999). Among those youngsters who do drink, the average of 5.3 units in 1990 increased to 10.5 units in 2002 (Boreham and McManus 2003) which is almost double the amount drunk twelve years previously. Those aged 16-24 in the UK are more likely to binge drink with 36% of men and 27% of women reportedly binge drinking in 2002 at least once a week (Office for National Statistics). These s show potential dangers and risks for youngsters in many ways. A chief example of these risks and dangers would be physical health. Research has suggested that excessive alcohol consumption can lead youngsters to experience many problems, the main symptoms being breathing problems, leading to coma and inhalation of vomit (Lamminpaa 1995). Other dangers of physical health would be through the damage of the organs, mainly the liver, brain and heart (Tuttle, Mazurek, Loveland-Cherry, 2002). Other risk factors affecting youngsters as a result of high alcohol consumption would be the risk of accident and injuries, as they have limited experience in the effects of drinking alcohol and regularly consume alcohol in high risk areas without adult supervision (Newburn and Shiner 2003). These are just a few dangers and risks outlined that are associated with adolescent alcohol consumption, and the reason why the increase of alcohol consumption by young people is concerning, therefore the factors that affect alcohol consumption and what causes this to increase needs to be looked into further in order to avoid these dangers from increasing in the future. Aims/objectives The general aim of this dissertation is to explore what binge drinking is and to investigate the main factors and causes associated with high alcohol consumption amongst youngsters aged 16-24, looking at students in particular. The main objectives are to look at what binge drinking actually is, as there are many definitions and questions arisen as to what could be defined as ‘binge drinking. Also to look at the different causes of high alcohol consumption and an attempt to explain the how and why binge drinking affects youngsters in particular. Future recommendations will also be given, and an attempt will be made to investigate how much people actually know about binge drinking. In order to meet these aims and objectives, research will be conducted in the form of a questionnaire which will be handed out and undertaken around the University of Bradford and Bradford College, as well as posting the questionnaire online through a social networking site known as Facebook. The questionnaire approach method was decided to be taken as this will help this study meet the aim and objectives in many ways; it will enable a detailed examination of the explicit problems that will be investigated, as a method of both qualitative and quantitative data collection. As described by Porter (2000) the differences between the two methods of data collection lie in their focus of analysis. Quantitative research focuses on the quantity i.e. numbers, which aim to identify the relationship between different events. Whereas qualitative research on the other hand is more concerned with the quality of data, focusing on words in the form of writing, this aims to search for the reason behind the actions. As the aim of this research is to investigate the main causes associated with binge drinking amongst youngsters, the questionnaire approach was seen to be more reliable than other methods of data collection as it gives the opportunity to collect both qualitative and quantitative forms of data, which as a result will help in the exploring, investigating and analysing process. Polit and Hungler (1999) stated that a quantitative approach is unsuitable for studying human behaviour, as it is reductionist in nature because it limits human experience to only a small amount of concepts. Therefore a number of questions will be asked in the questionnaire, both open ended and closed ended, in order to gather both quantitative and qualitative forms of data which will reduce reductionism. Questionnaires also provide the opportunity to be distributed to a much larger number of samples quite easily compared to other methods of data collection, and are a more common form of measuring attitudes and beliefs (Sim and Wright 2000). It was therefore decided that questionnaires would be distributed around the University of Bradford campus, the students union in particular, and Bradford College with the aim of gathering an insight into the factors affecting and influencing binge drinking among youngsters. Overall approach The overall approach to this dissertation will be a combination of a literature review and the questionnaire as primary research. The literature review will provide the theoretical background and foundations for the questionnaire that will be conducted, in addition to providing raw data on the history and context of youngsters in relation to alcohol. After the literature review the primary research methodology will be presented, followed by the assessment and evaluation of the methodological issues. The subsequent chapter will then present the results and findings of the research in the form of qualitative data, as well as presenting quantitative data in the form of graphs and charts. There will then be an analysis chapter where the findings from this research will be correlated to the findings presented in the literature review, and both will be linked and analysed. The final chapter will then provide the conclusion and summing up, essentially in relation to the main aim and objectives of the research. Limitations of this research will also be presented here as well as recommendations for future research. Literature review There is a large amount of literature available on ‘binge drinking issues in relation to youngsters, and the factors that are associated with high alcohol consumption. There are many influences affecting young adults drinking behaviour such as gender, age, social class and religion, as well as social, personality and biological factors, and the physical availability and prices of alcohol beverages. Young adults heavy drinking is influenced mainly by social norms of the society, secondly by socialising and thirdly by modelling, which is seen as the perception of other peoples behaviour. According to Cooper (2000) young adults may value the social opportunities drinking situations offer to such a degree, that they be inclined to define drinking itself as a secondary activity to social interaction with other members (Cooper, 2000, p. 39-42). In 1995 one of the first major investigations had taken place by the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD). The study was conducted in the UK as well as 22 other European countries with a sample of 15-16 year old students. The main aim was to examine potentially risky behaviour in the use of smoking, illicit drugs and drinking amongst youngsters (Miller and Plant, 1996). Results showed that the UK was amongst those countries with the highest levels of profound drinking and drunkenness (Hibell et al., 1997). A follow-up ESPAD study was undertaken four years later in 1999, which involved more than 90,000 students from 30 different countries, this being one of the largest major international studies of alcohol ever attempted. This report established that youngsters in the UK had remained in the same position as the earlier 1995 study, as having one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption from the 30 different countries that had taken part. As a result, youngsters from countries with the highest levels of intoxication (UK being one of them) were more likely to consume alcohol in heavy sessions and produce higher levels of episodic ‘binge drinking. Researchers found that these heavy sessions mainly occurred on weekends in the form of parties and ‘get-togethers. Youngsters also reported that they believed those who drink the most, enjoy the most so drinking alcohol had positive effects on them, even if this also results in unfavourable consequences i.e. ‘hangovers. One international study known as the GENACIS study, found that people are unsure about the effects caused by binge drinking, and are willing to acknowledge the negative experiences as the ‘price they pay for enjoying their drinking (Plant et al 2002). In conclusion, parents who teach their children to drink within the context of a controlled home environment, result in the children drinking less and with fewer problems than those who drink outside of their home environment under minimum supervision. A study by E Webb, C. H. Ashton, P. Kelly, and F Kamali (1996) was conducted on university students from ten UK based universities, with a sample of 3075 second year university students. A questionnaire was distributed whilst scheduled lectures were taking place. Results showed that 61% of men and 48% of women exceeded the ‘sensible weekly limits. Binge drinking was reported by 31% of men and 24% of women. The main reason for drinking was pleasure, which was reported by 89% of men and 92% of women. Other factors included habit, to increase confidence, decrease anxiety/stress and social pleasure. The main findings by Webb et al. were that a considerable amount of university students are drinking above sensible recommended limits. This applies not just to university students, but has also been found amongst young people in general in the UK. There are many perceptions of alcohol consumption, one of which is mainly the perception of becoming an adult. According to Plant and Plant (1992) alcohol has been regarded as an important rite of passage into adulthood for a number of years. Many participants have introduced alcohol into their social life as they believe it is an indicator of them becoming an adult. Alcohol consumption was traditionally associated with the males going to pubs and drinking beer (Lees 1986). It was also traditionally associated with a males ability to display masculinity (McDonald 1994). However, Honess et al (2000) stated that motivation for the consumption of alcohol amongst adolescents, are now more complex than imitating adult behaviour. Honess et al (2000) found another perception of alcohol consumption, which was as a means of releasing stress. Participants from the study perceived the consumption of alcohol as a way of relaxing after a stressful day at work for example. Another major factor found to influence and cause alcohol consumption to increase is peer groups. Swadi (1999) stated that the influence of peers is a key motivation factor for adolescent alcohol consumption and their perception towards alcohol, as it is now becoming increasingly important for youngsters to gain a social status and develop an identity for themselves amongst their peer groups. As well as peer groups, parents have shown to have an affect on young peoples attitudes towards alcohol too. Youngsters imitate the behaviour, alcohol consumption and perceptions of that of their own parents (Yu 2003). One respondent called Amy from the study by Yu (2003) for example, stated: ‘At 15, I didnt really know anyone who drank, I perhaps might have had a glass of wine at Christmas or half a glass but that was it and my mum and dad didnt really drink, we didnt go to places where people were drinking comments like this from respondents from the study proved that the exposure of alcohol from parents has a major impact and influence on youngsters, as Amy wasnt really exposed to alcohol much from a young age, she did not perceive drinking alcohol as a ‘normal thing to do therefore does not often take part in such activities and behaviour. As a result, the findings by Yu (2003) have been supported; who found that heavy drinking in adolescent offspring can be reduced a nd prevented within the home environment depending on that of their parents. Paton (2005) also found that youngsters are more likely to become heavy drinkers themselves if they have a family history of alcohol misuse. He came up with three main factors that he stated influenced alcohol consumption: Genes, Family and Environmental factors. He claimed that the main influence on the risk of misusing alcohol was the family factor with 46%, secondly was genes with 36.5% then third most important are environmental factors with just 17.5%. He found that ‘alcoholism was more evident amongst identical twins and there was an increase of ‘alcoholism amongst men that were separated from their alcoholic parents after birth. The family factor also played a role in the influence according to Paton (2005). Results showed that up to 50% of heavy drinkers have a history of family alcohol misuse, this was characterised by starting to drink at a young age, addiction, chaotic drinking and antisocial behaviour. Paton (2005) also found that behavioural factors such as b oredom, habit, low self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety and depression can also help promote the consumption of alcohol. He also claimed that drinking alcohol is determined by environmental factors such as culture, availability and price, individuals needs, life events and circumstances. (Paton, Touquet, 2005, p.13). There have been significant cultural influences on alcohol consumption as reported by Ledous, Miller, Choquet and Plant (2002), who looked at adolescent alcohol consumption of that of teenagers in the UK and France. Results showed that adolescents in the UK were more likely to have consumed alcohol six or more times in the past twenty days, than that of the adolescents in France. This demonstrates the difference in the drinking cultures amid different countries. A further study by Cameron (2000) looked into these cultural differences in an attempt to describe such contrasts. This was done by comparing the drinking cultures of Northern Europe countries to that of Southern Europe countries. Cameron (2000) found that countries in the northern region are seen to have ‘wet drinking cultures, in other words people in the northern region drink excessively in order to become drunk as a result of bringing about more alcohol into their daily lives and adhering to fewer government restric tions. This supports the idea that drinking to get drunk is seen as ‘normal behaviour to youngsters within the British culture. The definitions of ‘binge drinking are broad in nature and have been questioned considerably. There is no one such definition to define binge drinking. Studies have shown that many respondents very rarely define binge drinking in accordance with the number of units actually being consumed. A 1997 report for the US based International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) addressed the lack of formal definitions. Recent publications have defined binge drinking as drinking over half of the recommended number of units of alcohol in a week per session. These publications show that researchers tend to adopt the most general definition based on previous research conducted, with no such explanation or rationale for their stated definition. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) illustrates binge drinking as drinking eight or more units of alcohol at least one day in the week for men, and six or more units for women, this is in line with sensible drinking guidelines using daily standard s, therefore could serve as an estimate of binge drinking, with the absence of a Department of Health (DoH) definition. A longitudinal study carried out on high school students by Schulenberg et al (1996) found that 30% of the students had altered their drinking patterns during the conversion period of adolescence to adulthood. 20% of the students who classed themselves as binge drinkers had reduced their heavy drinking as they reached adulthood. However, 165 of the students had increased their binge drinking or had to some extent sustained a pattern of persistent binge drinking as they reached adulthood. Once adult roles are undertaken such as employment, marriage and parenthood, and then these patterns of drinking are shown to decrease and fade out. Also, unfavourable life events such as divorce are correlated with binge drinking, as statistics show that 29.6% of separated and divorced people were occupied in weekly binges, compared to that of only 17.9% of married people. Primary Research Methodology The general aim was to find out what causes youngsters (aged 16-24) to binge drink, this was tested through the use of a questionnaire design. The questionnaires consisted of twenty four questions in relation to drinking, along with a brief at the beginning of each of the questionnaires (see appendix 1) which provided the participants an explanation of the main purpose and context of the research, as well as outlining ethical considerations i.e. anonymity of the questionnaire which ensured the participants that their answers and identifications would remain anonymous and that they could withdraw from the research at any time. The questionnaires included both closed ended and open ended questions, this was to give the participants an opportunity to express their views in relation to the subject matter, and also provided the opportunity to gather quantitative as well as qualitative data to be collected and researched. To ensure that the results were a true reflection of society, the right type of research methodology had to be selected. Questionnaires were primarily selected as it allowed the results to be gathered directly from the target audience. The questionnaires allowed the data to be collected in a structured way because the same questions were asked to all participants in exactly the same order. The inclusion of quantitative, closed ended questions ensured that the data was consistent because the respondents are limited to the answers that they could state, which also makes the interpretation of data simple. The inclusion of qualitative questions allows the respondent to express their own opinions and arguments which may not be covered in the closed questions. After selecting the main research method it was then essential to target the correct audience. Any flaws at this stage could have led to the wrong type of group filling in the questionnaires which would result in incorrect data being gathered. For example, if the questionnaires were handed out in an elderly care home, the results would be of no use in this scenario as the main purpose of this dissertation is based around young adults aged 16-24. The questionnaires were handed out physically around the Students Union (SU) area at the University of Bradford and Bradford College over the period of three days, in addition to this a group was formed on Facebook, a social networking site which provided a link to the questionnaire which could be completed and submitted online by the general public. The students union was selected for the primary location as it is associated with the correct age group for this research and is also has strong links with alcohol consumption. Bradford College w as chosen due to most students being aged within the 16-24 age category. Due to the high interactivity with the internet amongst young adults it was essential that this type of medium was also used to gather results. The internet is a very popular medium in this digital age which allows results to be gathered nationally therefore providing a better sample of results to base the dissertation on. Facebook allowed me to target specific individuals which ensured the validity and fairness of the results. Each respondent that joined this group on Facebook was provided with the essential information needed to give them an understanding of the main aims and objectives of the research, as well as give them information regarding ethical issues, such as anonymity. Once potential respondents were chosen via Facebook they were then invited to join a group specifically created for this dissertation which provided them with a link to the survey. The online survey creator which was specifically sel ected to provide the link for the online questionnaire (See appendix 3) was from the website ‘tigersurvey.com. This was primarily chosen due to its ease of use and ensured questionnaires were submitted anonymously to override any privacy issues, it also gives an automatic calculation for each of the questions which would make the analysis process much easier (see appendix 4). The questionnaires were given out to students in the month of January 2009 during the hours of 12-2pm. This slot was chosen due to the sheer number of students that are present on campus at this time due to lunchtime. The issue of timing is very important as it allows a wider audience to respond making the results accurate and more effective. The type of research conducted was close to a street survey in which participants are asked questions face to face in bustling environments. The only difference in this case was instead of asking participants questions directly they were given a paper based questionnaire, which overrides various issues such as verbal problems, accent problems, shyness and language barriers etc. The link for the online questionnaire was also created in the same month; however this was free to fill out at any time during the day. The sampling method for a study is described as the process for selecting individuals from the population to be included in a research project (Hammersley and Mairs 2004). Rubenstein (1994) stated that there is no definite number of participants that should be used within a study however, other researchers such as Baum (2000) believed that a sample should consist of between twelve and twenty participants in order to obtain maximum variation in the findings, taking into consideration the actual nature of each study. A sample size of 60 students aged between 16-24 years were used for the research in order to achieve this maximum variation, these were a mixture of school, college and university students. The technique of random sampling was used, where each member of the public has an equal chance of being selected. Before the questionnaires were distributed a pilot study was conducted in the previous week, this is a pre-testing stage which gives the opportunity to identify and correct any misleading, unclear or double barrelled questions. The respondents from the pilot study were debriefed to determine whether the questions asked were confusing or misleading in any way or another, and to receive initial feedback in general about the questionnaire. After receiving the feedback some of the questions had to be reworked to ensure that they were understood by all participants and allowed the questions to be answered correctly. The advantage of doing a pilot study includes reduced costs (paper), reduced time, and ensures correct method and effectiveness. If a pilot study was not conducted before a full scale research it could result in falsifying responses from respondents leading to inaccurate results being collected. Ethical Issues It is vital to protect human rights when conducting research involving human beings (Polit and Hungler 1997). Sim and Wright (2000) outlined three ways in which a research question must be ethical: 1. Methods that could possibly threaten the welfare of participants should not be incorporated 2. If the findings of a research are seen to be detrimental of certain individuals in any way, then it should not be continued 3. Certain groups of the population should not be consistently excluded in research Ethical considerations are important in helping researchers to decide whether an investigation or field of study is ethically acceptable, and decide whether it should be continued or not. Ethical issues in relation to research are now mostly considered with research involving human beings. Some examples of these researchers are Moody (1990), Polit and Hungler (1991), Brown (1993). Most ethical guidelines were initiated due to research that was undertaken during the Second World War. Some of the ethical guidelines are as follows: Ø Anonymity and Confidentiality Participants may want information about themselves, their views and attitudes to be kept private; they have the right to privacy. As Brown (1993) stated: ‘Control of personal information is viewed as an expression of autonomy and as an individuals right to protect his or her social vulnerability and identity. To ensure that this guideline is met, the participants data should be used in such a way that only the researcher knows who provided the information. In some cases however, even the researcher need not know of the source. This applied to my research, as participants were selected randomly around the university and college and were told that the questionnaires would remain anonymous as no name or contact information would be taken from them. In addition, the questionnaires submitted online via Facebook, were also submitted anonymously and the answers provided were kept confidential. Ø Informed consent Informed consent is difficult to define and it is difficult to know whether someone has given informed consent or not. Informed consent gives the right of every individual when taking part in research, so can not be ignored (Couchman and Dawson 1990). It is vital that sufficient information is given in order for an individual to decide whether he/she wish to take part in the research (Polit and Hungler 1991) this decision is voluntary and relies on the individual themselves. Participants are more likely to take part in research if they think it is of benefit, or has positive consequences for themselves or society in general in the long run, this is also known as consequentialism. Informed consent was given by the participants in this research after being told about the main aims and purpose of research, this was done verbally and was also stated on the brief supplied along with the questionnaire, which gave participants the right to withdraw from the research at any time. Participant s also gave their consent to participate via the online questionnaire, as they werent forced into completing this and could also withdraw at any time. Ø Deception If participants are deceived in any way, then researchers will suffer from a lack of trustworthiness, so it is imperative that they are not. However, some researchers state that deception must be present in some cases in order to receive valid and reliable data (Gans, 1962; Douglas, 1979). This was not the case in this research as participants were given a full explanation for the purpose of this research, so they were not deceived in any way. Ø Cultural variations It is important to understand that cultural differences may exist in ethical acceptability of research. Conflicts and problems may arise when the researchers are from a different culture to that of their participants. The ethical guidelines of cultural variations do not relate to this particular research, as participants are from the same culture i.e. UK, Bradford university, college and school students to be precise. Looking at these ethical issues, it can be said that this research is ethically sound as all forms of the ethical guidelines have been met and not broken in any way. Methodological issues The research method employed within this study is a questionnaire, both paper based (appendix 1) and online based (appendix 3). There are many advantages as well as disadvantages for using this type of survey method. Below the two distribution methods have been separated and the issues concerning both have been examined separately. Paper Based Questionnaire There are many advantages of using a paper based questionnaire, one of which is anonymity which allows the questionnaire to be analysed and examined without bias input from the researcher. Berdie, Anderson and Niebuhr (1986) stated that ‘an anonymous study is one which nobody (not even the study directors) can identify who provided data on completed questionnaires. People are also more likely to participate in research if they know that their identification is not known by any individual, therefore increasing the response rate of participants. The response rate could be increased due to the cover sheet attached to a questionnaire. Studies have shown this to have an affect on whether the participant completes the questionnaire or not, so keeping this short and maintaining a friendly tone is vital (Goode and Hatt, 1962). Privacy issues are also adhered which makes the questionnaire fair regardless of respondent. The interpretation and analysis of data is also fairly easy in questionnaires compared to other methods of data collection, especially in the case of closed ended questions and fixed response questions where the results can be easily calculated. As well as the advantages, on the other hand there are also many disadvantages of this data collection technique, one of which includes time consumption. The time taken to fill out a questionnaire varies and is dependent on what the researcher wants to find out. If the respondent feels the questionnaire may take some time to complete, it results in them refusing to participate which would restrict the range of respondents. Also if a participant is half way through the questionnaire and realises that it is taking longer than anticipated, it may result in them speeding up their response rate leading to inaccurate results. The time taken to create, distribute and collec Research Study into the Causes of Youth Binge Drinking Research Study into the Causes of Youth Binge Drinking What are the causes of ‘binge drinking amongst youngsters Abstract The meaning of ‘binge drinking has been questioned considerably; there is no one such definition as it is seen to be too broad and complex. A broad definition that could be used however would be drinking too much alcohol at once or over the recommended daily units, which according to the NHS is no more than 4 units for men and no more than 3 for women. The consumption of alcohol in the UK is on the increase especially amongst youngsters, which has lead to great concern. This dissertation explores a range of issues that aimed to find out the main factors that causes youngsters aged 16-24 to ‘binge drink. This was done by taking a qualitative and quantitative approach in the form of a questionnaire which included 24 questions with regards to the consumption of alcohol. These were paper based questionnaires as well as online based questionnaires which were given to a sample of 60 students to complete. Results showed that there are a number of factors which cause youngsters to consume alcohol. One of the main reasons for the consumption was due to the social aspect. Drinking alcohol is seen as a ‘normal thing to do when socialising with peers, therefore this could lead to binge drinking. Other factors include peer pressure, stress release, enjoyment and confidence booster. However, findings show that the topic is more complex than this; therefore further research and investigation would need to be undertaken to fully grasp the issues underly ing this subject matter. Introduction Significance of the issue The United Kingdom is considered to have one of the most problematic affairs with alcohol due to drinking patterns and styles that have developed over the past century. While numerous other western European countries, such as Spain and France, have seen a decline in overall alcohol consumption, the United Kingdoms overall consumption is on the increase. Greater concern is amongst those aged 16-24 years who are primarily associated with ‘binge drinking. As levels of drinking have increased so has the cause for concern due to social and health consequences, with 30% of men and 25% of women drinking more than the recommended intake. (Paton 2005, p.1) Young people in particular are drinking larger amounts of alcohol over shorter periods of time. The recommended limits of alcohol per session (according to the NHS) should be no more than 3-4 units for men and 2-3 units for women. In 1990, the average amount of alcohol drunk by 11-15 year olds as a whole was 0.8 units in a typical week, rising to 1.6 units in 1998 (Goddard and Higgins 1999). Among those youngsters who do drink, the average of 5.3 units in 1990 increased to 10.5 units in 2002 (Boreham and McManus 2003) which is almost double the amount drunk twelve years previously. Those aged 16-24 in the UK are more likely to binge drink with 36% of men and 27% of women reportedly binge drinking in 2002 at least once a week (Office for National Statistics). These s show potential dangers and risks for youngsters in many ways. A chief example of these risks and dangers would be physical health. Research has suggested that excessive alcohol consumption can lead youngsters to experience many problems, the main symptoms being breathing problems, leading to coma and inhalation of vomit (Lamminpaa 1995). Other dangers of physical health would be through the damage of the organs, mainly the liver, brain and heart (Tuttle, Mazurek, Loveland-Cherry, 2002). Other risk factors affecting youngsters as a result of high alcohol consumption would be the risk of accident and injuries, as they have limited experience in the effects of drinking alcohol and regularly consume alcohol in high risk areas without adult supervision (Newburn and Shiner 2003). These are just a few dangers and risks outlined that are associated with adolescent alcohol consumption, and the reason why the increase of alcohol consumption by young people is concerning, therefore the factors that affect alcohol consumption and what causes this to increase needs to be looked into further in order to avoid these dangers from increasing in the future. Aims/objectives The general aim of this dissertation is to explore what binge drinking is and to investigate the main factors and causes associated with high alcohol consumption amongst youngsters aged 16-24, looking at students in particular. The main objectives are to look at what binge drinking actually is, as there are many definitions and questions arisen as to what could be defined as ‘binge drinking. Also to look at the different causes of high alcohol consumption and an attempt to explain the how and why binge drinking affects youngsters in particular. Future recommendations will also be given, and an attempt will be made to investigate how much people actually know about binge drinking. In order to meet these aims and objectives, research will be conducted in the form of a questionnaire which will be handed out and undertaken around the University of Bradford and Bradford College, as well as posting the questionnaire online through a social networking site known as Facebook. The questionnaire approach method was decided to be taken as this will help this study meet the aim and objectives in many ways; it will enable a detailed examination of the explicit problems that will be investigated, as a method of both qualitative and quantitative data collection. As described by Porter (2000) the differences between the two methods of data collection lie in their focus of analysis. Quantitative research focuses on the quantity i.e. numbers, which aim to identify the relationship between different events. Whereas qualitative research on the other hand is more concerned with the quality of data, focusing on words in the form of writing, this aims to search for the reason behind the actions. As the aim of this research is to investigate the main causes associated with binge drinking amongst youngsters, the questionnaire approach was seen to be more reliable than other methods of data collection as it gives the opportunity to collect both qualitative and quantitative forms of data, which as a result will help in the exploring, investigating and analysing process. Polit and Hungler (1999) stated that a quantitative approach is unsuitable for studying human behaviour, as it is reductionist in nature because it limits human experience to only a small amount of concepts. Therefore a number of questions will be asked in the questionnaire, both open ended and closed ended, in order to gather both quantitative and qualitative forms of data which will reduce reductionism. Questionnaires also provide the opportunity to be distributed to a much larger number of samples quite easily compared to other methods of data collection, and are a more common form of measuring attitudes and beliefs (Sim and Wright 2000). It was therefore decided that questionnaires would be distributed around the University of Bradford campus, the students union in particular, and Bradford College with the aim of gathering an insight into the factors affecting and influencing binge drinking among youngsters. Overall approach The overall approach to this dissertation will be a combination of a literature review and the questionnaire as primary research. The literature review will provide the theoretical background and foundations for the questionnaire that will be conducted, in addition to providing raw data on the history and context of youngsters in relation to alcohol. After the literature review the primary research methodology will be presented, followed by the assessment and evaluation of the methodological issues. The subsequent chapter will then present the results and findings of the research in the form of qualitative data, as well as presenting quantitative data in the form of graphs and charts. There will then be an analysis chapter where the findings from this research will be correlated to the findings presented in the literature review, and both will be linked and analysed. The final chapter will then provide the conclusion and summing up, essentially in relation to the main aim and objectives of the research. Limitations of this research will also be presented here as well as recommendations for future research. Literature review There is a large amount of literature available on ‘binge drinking issues in relation to youngsters, and the factors that are associated with high alcohol consumption. There are many influences affecting young adults drinking behaviour such as gender, age, social class and religion, as well as social, personality and biological factors, and the physical availability and prices of alcohol beverages. Young adults heavy drinking is influenced mainly by social norms of the society, secondly by socialising and thirdly by modelling, which is seen as the perception of other peoples behaviour. According to Cooper (2000) young adults may value the social opportunities drinking situations offer to such a degree, that they be inclined to define drinking itself as a secondary activity to social interaction with other members (Cooper, 2000, p. 39-42). In 1995 one of the first major investigations had taken place by the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD). The study was conducted in the UK as well as 22 other European countries with a sample of 15-16 year old students. The main aim was to examine potentially risky behaviour in the use of smoking, illicit drugs and drinking amongst youngsters (Miller and Plant, 1996). Results showed that the UK was amongst those countries with the highest levels of profound drinking and drunkenness (Hibell et al., 1997). A follow-up ESPAD study was undertaken four years later in 1999, which involved more than 90,000 students from 30 different countries, this being one of the largest major international studies of alcohol ever attempted. This report established that youngsters in the UK had remained in the same position as the earlier 1995 study, as having one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption from the 30 different countries that had taken part. As a result, youngsters from countries with the highest levels of intoxication (UK being one of them) were more likely to consume alcohol in heavy sessions and produce higher levels of episodic ‘binge drinking. Researchers found that these heavy sessions mainly occurred on weekends in the form of parties and ‘get-togethers. Youngsters also reported that they believed those who drink the most, enjoy the most so drinking alcohol had positive effects on them, even if this also results in unfavourable consequences i.e. ‘hangovers. One international study known as the GENACIS study, found that people are unsure about the effects caused by binge drinking, and are willing to acknowledge the negative experiences as the ‘price they pay for enjoying their drinking (Plant et al 2002). In conclusion, parents who teach their children to drink within the context of a controlled home environment, result in the children drinking less and with fewer problems than those who drink outside of their home environment under minimum supervision. A study by E Webb, C. H. Ashton, P. Kelly, and F Kamali (1996) was conducted on university students from ten UK based universities, with a sample of 3075 second year university students. A questionnaire was distributed whilst scheduled lectures were taking place. Results showed that 61% of men and 48% of women exceeded the ‘sensible weekly limits. Binge drinking was reported by 31% of men and 24% of women. The main reason for drinking was pleasure, which was reported by 89% of men and 92% of women. Other factors included habit, to increase confidence, decrease anxiety/stress and social pleasure. The main findings by Webb et al. were that a considerable amount of university students are drinking above sensible recommended limits. This applies not just to university students, but has also been found amongst young people in general in the UK. There are many perceptions of alcohol consumption, one of which is mainly the perception of becoming an adult. According to Plant and Plant (1992) alcohol has been regarded as an important rite of passage into adulthood for a number of years. Many participants have introduced alcohol into their social life as they believe it is an indicator of them becoming an adult. Alcohol consumption was traditionally associated with the males going to pubs and drinking beer (Lees 1986). It was also traditionally associated with a males ability to display masculinity (McDonald 1994). However, Honess et al (2000) stated that motivation for the consumption of alcohol amongst adolescents, are now more complex than imitating adult behaviour. Honess et al (2000) found another perception of alcohol consumption, which was as a means of releasing stress. Participants from the study perceived the consumption of alcohol as a way of relaxing after a stressful day at work for example. Another major factor found to influence and cause alcohol consumption to increase is peer groups. Swadi (1999) stated that the influence of peers is a key motivation factor for adolescent alcohol consumption and their perception towards alcohol, as it is now becoming increasingly important for youngsters to gain a social status and develop an identity for themselves amongst their peer groups. As well as peer groups, parents have shown to have an affect on young peoples attitudes towards alcohol too. Youngsters imitate the behaviour, alcohol consumption and perceptions of that of their own parents (Yu 2003). One respondent called Amy from the study by Yu (2003) for example, stated: ‘At 15, I didnt really know anyone who drank, I perhaps might have had a glass of wine at Christmas or half a glass but that was it and my mum and dad didnt really drink, we didnt go to places where people were drinking comments like this from respondents from the study proved that the exposure of alcohol from parents has a major impact and influence on youngsters, as Amy wasnt really exposed to alcohol much from a young age, she did not perceive drinking alcohol as a ‘normal thing to do therefore does not often take part in such activities and behaviour. As a result, the findings by Yu (2003) have been supported; who found that heavy drinking in adolescent offspring can be reduced a nd prevented within the home environment depending on that of their parents. Paton (2005) also found that youngsters are more likely to become heavy drinkers themselves if they have a family history of alcohol misuse. He came up with three main factors that he stated influenced alcohol consumption: Genes, Family and Environmental factors. He claimed that the main influence on the risk of misusing alcohol was the family factor with 46%, secondly was genes with 36.5% then third most important are environmental factors with just 17.5%. He found that ‘alcoholism was more evident amongst identical twins and there was an increase of ‘alcoholism amongst men that were separated from their alcoholic parents after birth. The family factor also played a role in the influence according to Paton (2005). Results showed that up to 50% of heavy drinkers have a history of family alcohol misuse, this was characterised by starting to drink at a young age, addiction, chaotic drinking and antisocial behaviour. Paton (2005) also found that behavioural factors such as b oredom, habit, low self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety and depression can also help promote the consumption of alcohol. He also claimed that drinking alcohol is determined by environmental factors such as culture, availability and price, individuals needs, life events and circumstances. (Paton, Touquet, 2005, p.13). There have been significant cultural influences on alcohol consumption as reported by Ledous, Miller, Choquet and Plant (2002), who looked at adolescent alcohol consumption of that of teenagers in the UK and France. Results showed that adolescents in the UK were more likely to have consumed alcohol six or more times in the past twenty days, than that of the adolescents in France. This demonstrates the difference in the drinking cultures amid different countries. A further study by Cameron (2000) looked into these cultural differences in an attempt to describe such contrasts. This was done by comparing the drinking cultures of Northern Europe countries to that of Southern Europe countries. Cameron (2000) found that countries in the northern region are seen to have ‘wet drinking cultures, in other words people in the northern region drink excessively in order to become drunk as a result of bringing about more alcohol into their daily lives and adhering to fewer government restric tions. This supports the idea that drinking to get drunk is seen as ‘normal behaviour to youngsters within the British culture. The definitions of ‘binge drinking are broad in nature and have been questioned considerably. There is no one such definition to define binge drinking. Studies have shown that many respondents very rarely define binge drinking in accordance with the number of units actually being consumed. A 1997 report for the US based International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) addressed the lack of formal definitions. Recent publications have defined binge drinking as drinking over half of the recommended number of units of alcohol in a week per session. These publications show that researchers tend to adopt the most general definition based on previous research conducted, with no such explanation or rationale for their stated definition. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) illustrates binge drinking as drinking eight or more units of alcohol at least one day in the week for men, and six or more units for women, this is in line with sensible drinking guidelines using daily standard s, therefore could serve as an estimate of binge drinking, with the absence of a Department of Health (DoH) definition. A longitudinal study carried out on high school students by Schulenberg et al (1996) found that 30% of the students had altered their drinking patterns during the conversion period of adolescence to adulthood. 20% of the students who classed themselves as binge drinkers had reduced their heavy drinking as they reached adulthood. However, 165 of the students had increased their binge drinking or had to some extent sustained a pattern of persistent binge drinking as they reached adulthood. Once adult roles are undertaken such as employment, marriage and parenthood, and then these patterns of drinking are shown to decrease and fade out. Also, unfavourable life events such as divorce are correlated with binge drinking, as statistics show that 29.6% of separated and divorced people were occupied in weekly binges, compared to that of only 17.9% of married people. Primary Research Methodology The general aim was to find out what causes youngsters (aged 16-24) to binge drink, this was tested through the use of a questionnaire design. The questionnaires consisted of twenty four questions in relation to drinking, along with a brief at the beginning of each of the questionnaires (see appendix 1) which provided the participants an explanation of the main purpose and context of the research, as well as outlining ethical considerations i.e. anonymity of the questionnaire which ensured the participants that their answers and identifications would remain anonymous and that they could withdraw from the research at any time. The questionnaires included both closed ended and open ended questions, this was to give the participants an opportunity to express their views in relation to the subject matter, and also provided the opportunity to gather quantitative as well as qualitative data to be collected and researched. To ensure that the results were a true reflection of society, the right type of research methodology had to be selected. Questionnaires were primarily selected as it allowed the results to be gathered directly from the target audience. The questionnaires allowed the data to be collected in a structured way because the same questions were asked to all participants in exactly the same order. The inclusion of quantitative, closed ended questions ensured that the data was consistent because the respondents are limited to the answers that they could state, which also makes the interpretation of data simple. The inclusion of qualitative questions allows the respondent to express their own opinions and arguments which may not be covered in the closed questions. After selecting the main research method it was then essential to target the correct audience. Any flaws at this stage could have led to the wrong type of group filling in the questionnaires which would result in incorrect data being gathered. For example, if the questionnaires were handed out in an elderly care home, the results would be of no use in this scenario as the main purpose of this dissertation is based around young adults aged 16-24. The questionnaires were handed out physically around the Students Union (SU) area at the University of Bradford and Bradford College over the period of three days, in addition to this a group was formed on Facebook, a social networking site which provided a link to the questionnaire which could be completed and submitted online by the general public. The students union was selected for the primary location as it is associated with the correct age group for this research and is also has strong links with alcohol consumption. Bradford College w as chosen due to most students being aged within the 16-24 age category. Due to the high interactivity with the internet amongst young adults it was essential that this type of medium was also used to gather results. The internet is a very popular medium in this digital age which allows results to be gathered nationally therefore providing a better sample of results to base the dissertation on. Facebook allowed me to target specific individuals which ensured the validity and fairness of the results. Each respondent that joined this group on Facebook was provided with the essential information needed to give them an understanding of the main aims and objectives of the research, as well as give them information regarding ethical issues, such as anonymity. Once potential respondents were chosen via Facebook they were then invited to join a group specifically created for this dissertation which provided them with a link to the survey. The online survey creator which was specifically sel ected to provide the link for the online questionnaire (See appendix 3) was from the website ‘tigersurvey.com. This was primarily chosen due to its ease of use and ensured questionnaires were submitted anonymously to override any privacy issues, it also gives an automatic calculation for each of the questions which would make the analysis process much easier (see appendix 4). The questionnaires were given out to students in the month of January 2009 during the hours of 12-2pm. This slot was chosen due to the sheer number of students that are present on campus at this time due to lunchtime. The issue of timing is very important as it allows a wider audience to respond making the results accurate and more effective. The type of research conducted was close to a street survey in which participants are asked questions face to face in bustling environments. The only difference in this case was instead of asking participants questions directly they were given a paper based questionnaire, which overrides various issues such as verbal problems, accent problems, shyness and language barriers etc. The link for the online questionnaire was also created in the same month; however this was free to fill out at any time during the day. The sampling method for a study is described as the process for selecting individuals from the population to be included in a research project (Hammersley and Mairs 2004). Rubenstein (1994) stated that there is no definite number of participants that should be used within a study however, other researchers such as Baum (2000) believed that a sample should consist of between twelve and twenty participants in order to obtain maximum variation in the findings, taking into consideration the actual nature of each study. A sample size of 60 students aged between 16-24 years were used for the research in order to achieve this maximum variation, these were a mixture of school, college and university students. The technique of random sampling was used, where each member of the public has an equal chance of being selected. Before the questionnaires were distributed a pilot study was conducted in the previous week, this is a pre-testing stage which gives the opportunity to identify and correct any misleading, unclear or double barrelled questions. The respondents from the pilot study were debriefed to determine whether the questions asked were confusing or misleading in any way or another, and to receive initial feedback in general about the questionnaire. After receiving the feedback some of the questions had to be reworked to ensure that they were understood by all participants and allowed the questions to be answered correctly. The advantage of doing a pilot study includes reduced costs (paper), reduced time, and ensures correct method and effectiveness. If a pilot study was not conducted before a full scale research it could result in falsifying responses from respondents leading to inaccurate results being collected. Ethical Issues It is vital to protect human rights when conducting research involving human beings (Polit and Hungler 1997). Sim and Wright (2000) outlined three ways in which a research question must be ethical: 1. Methods that could possibly threaten the welfare of participants should not be incorporated 2. If the findings of a research are seen to be detrimental of certain individuals in any way, then it should not be continued 3. Certain groups of the population should not be consistently excluded in research Ethical considerations are important in helping researchers to decide whether an investigation or field of study is ethically acceptable, and decide whether it should be continued or not. Ethical issues in relation to research are now mostly considered with research involving human beings. Some examples of these researchers are Moody (1990), Polit and Hungler (1991), Brown (1993). Most ethical guidelines were initiated due to research that was undertaken during the Second World War. Some of the ethical guidelines are as follows: Ø Anonymity and Confidentiality Participants may want information about themselves, their views and attitudes to be kept private; they have the right to privacy. As Brown (1993) stated: ‘Control of personal information is viewed as an expression of autonomy and as an individuals right to protect his or her social vulnerability and identity. To ensure that this guideline is met, the participants data should be used in such a way that only the researcher knows who provided the information. In some cases however, even the researcher need not know of the source. This applied to my research, as participants were selected randomly around the university and college and were told that the questionnaires would remain anonymous as no name or contact information would be taken from them. In addition, the questionnaires submitted online via Facebook, were also submitted anonymously and the answers provided were kept confidential. Ø Informed consent Informed consent is difficult to define and it is difficult to know whether someone has given informed consent or not. Informed consent gives the right of every individual when taking part in research, so can not be ignored (Couchman and Dawson 1990). It is vital that sufficient information is given in order for an individual to decide whether he/she wish to take part in the research (Polit and Hungler 1991) this decision is voluntary and relies on the individual themselves. Participants are more likely to take part in research if they think it is of benefit, or has positive consequences for themselves or society in general in the long run, this is also known as consequentialism. Informed consent was given by the participants in this research after being told about the main aims and purpose of research, this was done verbally and was also stated on the brief supplied along with the questionnaire, which gave participants the right to withdraw from the research at any time. Participant s also gave their consent to participate via the online questionnaire, as they werent forced into completing this and could also withdraw at any time. Ø Deception If participants are deceived in any way, then researchers will suffer from a lack of trustworthiness, so it is imperative that they are not. However, some researchers state that deception must be present in some cases in order to receive valid and reliable data (Gans, 1962; Douglas, 1979). This was not the case in this research as participants were given a full explanation for the purpose of this research, so they were not deceived in any way. Ø Cultural variations It is important to understand that cultural differences may exist in ethical acceptability of research. Conflicts and problems may arise when the researchers are from a different culture to that of their participants. The ethical guidelines of cultural variations do not relate to this particular research, as participants are from the same culture i.e. UK, Bradford university, college and school students to be precise. Looking at these ethical issues, it can be said that this research is ethically sound as all forms of the ethical guidelines have been met and not broken in any way. Methodological issues The research method employed within this study is a questionnaire, both paper based (appendix 1) and online based (appendix 3). There are many advantages as well as disadvantages for using this type of survey method. Below the two distribution methods have been separated and the issues concerning both have been examined separately. Paper Based Questionnaire There are many advantages of using a paper based questionnaire, one of which is anonymity which allows the questionnaire to be analysed and examined without bias input from the researcher. Berdie, Anderson and Niebuhr (1986) stated that ‘an anonymous study is one which nobody (not even the study directors) can identify who provided data on completed questionnaires. People are also more likely to participate in research if they know that their identification is not known by any individual, therefore increasing the response rate of participants. The response rate could be increased due to the cover sheet attached to a questionnaire. Studies have shown this to have an affect on whether the participant completes the questionnaire or not, so keeping this short and maintaining a friendly tone is vital (Goode and Hatt, 1962). Privacy issues are also adhered which makes the questionnaire fair regardless of respondent. The interpretation and analysis of data is also fairly easy in questionnaires compared to other methods of data collection, especially in the case of closed ended questions and fixed response questions where the results can be easily calculated. As well as the advantages, on the other hand there are also many disadvantages of this data collection technique, one of which includes time consumption. The time taken to fill out a questionnaire varies and is dependent on what the researcher wants to find out. If the respondent feels the questionnaire may take some time to complete, it results in them refusing to participate which would restrict the range of respondents. Also if a participant is half way through the questionnaire and realises that it is taking longer than anticipated, it may result in them speeding up their response rate leading to inaccurate results. The time taken to create, distribute and collec

The Influence and Role of the Islamic Tradition in Turkey Essay

Islam has been a dominant force throughout Turkish history. During the Ottoman Empire, Islam ruled every part of the theocratic state, but after the demise of the empire, Turkey's rulers led the country away from political Islam. The modern Turkish state has a strictly secular government, and Islam has been relegated to the personal sphere. Although Turkey has experienced a rise in fundamentalism in the past twenty years, the separation of church and state has remained relatively intact. Even with this increase of fundamentalist Islam, the wide majority of Muslims in Turkey are moderate and tolerant. They have adapted to modern life and value Islam for its moral and spiritual messages. Islam is a guide for right living and ethical conduct rather than a political system. Turkey constantly struggles to balance Islamic life with a secular government. Although the government wants to maintain a strict separation between religion and politics, it cannot ignore the power and influence that Islam has in the lives of the Turkish people. History of Islam in Turkey ?In the 8th century, the first Turkish-speaking tribes migrated westward from central Asia and began converting to Islam.? They became Sunni Muslims, who follow the most orthodox form of Islam.? Islam appealed to these nomads because it was a simple faith with straightforward requirements.? Many were so passionate about the faith that they became ghazis, ?warriors for the faith. Fighting the Byzantines, they began to conquer the lands of Anatolia in the name of Islam.? The Ottomans, one of the Turkish clans, became the dominant leaders of this new land and united the scattered Turkish tribes.? By the 12th century, a new wave of Turkish immigrants who followe... .... Path: Kandil. 11 Brosnahan 12 Scarf row mars Turkey anniversary. Oct. 29 2003. Web. Dec. 10 2013. 13 Other articles of interest:?Hardy, Roger. ?Islam in Turkey: Odd one out.? Web. Dec. 10 2013. 14?Narli, Nilufer. ?The Rise of the Islamist Movement in Turkey.? Middle East Review of International 15?Affairs. Sept. 1999. Web. Dec. 6 2013.. 16?Democratizing Islam in Turkey.? Christian Science Monitor. Web. Dec. 2 2013.. 17Kili, Dr. Suna. ?Islam and Secularism in Contemporary Turkey.? Voice of Ataturk: Ataturk Society of America. Web. Dec. 10 2013. .

Sport: Teacher and Softball

Katelyn Poremski 3-8-13 English 100 Final Draft Softball is not just a Sport Softball is not just a sport to me. Sports can be used to learn life lessons in ways that they help shape attitude, portray passion, develop personality, and teach companionship. â€Å"When life throws you a curve ball† means that when life gives you obstacles to overcome. This is a quote relating to life incorporating baseball or softball in to it, using â€Å"curve ball† as a synonym for obstacles. Softball, along with other sports, is a great way to learn life lessons and is not just a sport.A sport, such as softball, is something that many people can benefit from. All ages, starting at 5 can enjoy the game of softball. We, as humans, benefit from learning, enjoying each others’ company, and overcoming and making progress in the game. These concepts can also be related to everyday life because we do each of these things every day. As people, we also need an outlet for our emotions and hardships that we face; softball can help us with this. Instead of taking out anger on another person, we can take our anger out on slamming the pitch and making a home run out of it.If you look at this from a more meaningful prospective, you can take your anger in life and always come out on top if you handle each situation in a positive and professional way. Softball also teaches people to have passion. I give a lot of recognition to the sport for teaching me to have passion not just in the game, but in life. Softball gave me something to be passionate about and also taught me to continue being passionate about other things such as my school work, and being successful.If I did not have softball in my life, I do not even know where I would be today because it was the first thing that I was passionate about. Since I was passionate about softball for all my life, it has given me great opportunities. The best opportunity it has given me is being able to go to a college that I love an d also being able to play softball. If I wasn’t as determined and passionate about softball I would have not gotten the opportunity to play at Point Park University. Being an athlete of softball has taught me so much in life. Having a great attitude while laying a sport was not always easy; however, I knew that if I did not have a good attitude I would not do well. This idea, also, carried over to everyday life. If I did not have a good attitude when I woke up in the morning was like if I did not have a good attitude going up to the plate when I was up to bat. I knew I would fail if I did not have this positive attitude. Softball also can teach people to express themselves. I would not be the person I am today if I did not have softball to help shape the person I am. It taught me to communicate as a teammate and be respectful to the other team.I also interpreted this in to my everyday life. If I did not communicate on the field, or if I did not communicate with my friends I w ould not have successful relationships with people. Also, if I did not respect people, people would not show any respect for me. In conclusion, softball has not only helped me in life with teaching lessons and shaping me as a person, but it has helped a lot of other people as well. Softball, along with other sports, is an exceptional outlet for dealing with emotions and hardships, let alone also teaching great life lessons.