Rationale-
I wanted to conduct a study concerning the fragmentation of identity, as I was particularly interested in issues of identity from the first year of my sociology course. I am specifically interested in Goffman's theories of mortification of the self as a result of being placed in total institutions and wish to base my research proposal mainly around his ideas presented in his book Asylums. Rather than studying mental institutions however, I am going to focus on residential homes for the elderly because I feel this will not be so ambitious and access will be much easier as I work part-time in Gorran Haven's elderly home. (Research into the elderly and their identity is scarce and therefore it may be interesting to conduct my
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We daily invent our identities through what we wear, what we eat, how we choose to spend our time. We also to a greater or lesser extent, see ourselves as members of a particular social class. In an institution there is a blurring of social divisions and choice is restricted by routines and regulations.
Having operationalised the concept of identity, my main aim is to examine the changes/loss of identity that occurs in the elderly as a result of being institutionalised.
Within this project, I intend to carry out interpretive primary research. I intend to carry out unstructured interviews as my main method along with complementary overt participant observation as a way of focusing my research question. I shall tell some of the group ie the staff that I shall be carrying out research based around a sociology project. This way I overcome mostly the issue of deceit however, it is likely that some of the residents may not fully understand the purpose of the interviews due to their age etc.
Using an opportunistic method I will then select a sample of five residents and use unstructured interviews to probe further into issues that I may have noticed whilst orientating my research.
Originally I proposed to use semi-structured interviews but having started to focus on my research proposal much more I now wish to use unstructured interviews as it will give
An advantage of unstructured interviews would be that it is very informal; therefore, the respondent is more likely to be relaxed. This would be useful when asking them about material deprivation, as it could be quite a sensitive topic to some. Using the unstructured method is good for researching sensitive topics as empathy and trust can be built easier, just
Problems of personal identity generally involve questions about what makes one the person one is and what it takes for the
The life pursuits and subjective judgments of many contemporary young people indicate that the transition to adult roles has become so delayed and prolonged that it has spawned a new transitional period extending from the late teens to the mid-to late-twenties, called emerging adulthood. During the college years, young people often refine their approach to forming their own identity. In these years, young people have left adolescence, but most have not yet assumed adult responsibilities. Many have dreams and those are what guides them in their decision making. In the video, 22 year old Casey describes her dream and comments on her identity development. Casey says that she became interested in Psychology in high school during her junior year when she took a psych course. She knew from then on that was what she wanted to do, but she hadn't picked a career yet. Casey said that she picked a career during her first year of graduate school, when she decided on gerontology. She said her happy and active grandparents had a lot to do with picking a career and wanting to work with the population. Casey thinks her identity was a gradual process and it's only really formed since last year. She feels her parents helped shape her morals and beliefs, but in between her senior year and her first year of graduate school, she started to form her own and integrated some of her own ideas. 24 year old Elizabeth and 25 year old Joel are shown discussing
Using three different appropriate interview techniques identify each technique as you work towards appropriate interventions with the client. To do this you will need to develop a brief dialogue. Remember to consider any ethical and cultural issues. Note these at the end of your dialogue.
Broadly, identity is said to be a “self-concept,” or the progressive, cognitive portrayal that one usually holds of his or her self (Markus & Wurf, 1987). The research of identity and how identity is formed has been contemplated in lieu of multiple angles of a human experiences (Baxter, 2011). Professional Identity is a personal professional self- concept based on factors such as beliefs, attributes, values, motives, and experience (Ibarra, 1999; Schein, 1978). In any career it is important for an individual to have his or her own professional identity to be able to bring something to their profession. As a social worker professional identity is very important to be aware of, because when the worker is aware of his or her identity it can effect them as workers and how they improve, support, and work with their patients.
Phenomenological interview limitations may appear due to the researcher’s lack of experience in conducting interviews (Downey, 2015); which may interfere with the researcher’s focus and intentionality (Ashworth, 2017). Limitations may occur with the relationship between the researcher and the interviewee, including power struggles which might affect trust and honest participant reflections (Boucher, 2017). Further, time limitations could impede upon a participants deliberation process during the interview process (Downey, 2015). If a researcher is to understand the essence of a phenomenon; a suspension of judgment is required during participant interviews (Ashworth, 2017). Additionally, the researcher will need to be extremely attentive to experience the study through the participants’ eyes (Kelley, 2016). Individuals may choose not to answer every question, which is acceptable; yet, missing data can also become a limitation to the study. However, if enough participants do not answer the same question, the question might need to be reframed or removed; additionally, secondary data, such as technical reports, white papers or additional publications might be necessary to validate the research question (Johnston, 2014).
One method of research is using interviews. For example, when using interviews in a care home, when conducting research, many ethical issues can be raised. Interviews not only take place face-to-face, but also can happen on the phone, online, through text messaging, using a video messenger and though social media. Interviews are a very useful way of collecting information because a wide range of detailed information can be collected at a large quantity. There are two types of interviews: structured or unstructured.
As we grow older, reflecting on one’s life becomes a natural part of the aging process. This paper is a life review taken from my grandfather, Mr. D.H., who was born in the 1940’s, he is currently 75 years old. He has a birthday coming up soon in November where he will be 76 years old. He currently lives by himself in an apartment in a retirement community designed for older able adults, where this interview took place. Overall for his age, his health is stable only suffering from Type I diabetes and a thyroid condition (didn’t specify), that he was diagnosed with in his late 50s that didn’t allow him to work anymore. Despite his current disorders, he’s still able to do for himself, and continues to smoke cigarettes plus indulge in a beer or two a day.
own identity. The 8th stage - the aging years where an individual has developed morals with the
As aging is a stage of development that cannot prevented, the question of “can one’s aging be more successful than another?” is posed my many. Researchers continually consider the differences between aging successfully, and aging unsuccessfully. As researchers work to complete their studies, many find a reoccurring basis of successful aging. A basis of successful aging can be set including: physical health disease free, chronic illness free, mental health disease free, among many others. The only problem with this basis is the difference from person to person in terms of what makes aging successful. As individuals age, their mental state is a large predictor of how the person will age. A positive mental state about aging, will have a more positive effect on a person’s aging process. Many factors may influence the positivity of aging, such as negative aging stereotypes and discrimination because of older age. These negative aging stereotypes include but are not limited to: older adults are not as smart, older adults are angry all the time, older adults are bad drivers, older adults are isolated and never socialize. In adult aging and development, having a positive outlook on aging will lead to better mental and physical aging.
Whereas a structured interview follows a standardised format, in an unstructured interview the interviewer has complete freedom to vary the interview. Supporters argue that this brings a number of important advantages. Such as, rapport and sensitivity, the interviewee's views are clearer, the ability to check understanding, flexibility and the ability for the interviewer to explore unfamiliar topics. However, there are multiple disadvantages to using unstructured interviews in sociological research. Such as, practical problems, which include, time and sample size, training, and interpersonal skills, there are also issues with representativeness, reliability, quantification and validity.
There are various kinds of identity (individualized or shared) that people are expected to possess. (Hollinger, 2004) namely; personal identity which is known as a
Aging causes structural and functional changes in brain. As aging population has become a burden, it is essential to study aging brain aiming to maintain cognitive integrity. Previous studies indicated that young blood improves the function of stem cells in organs including brain by heterochronic parabiosis model. However, data is lacking whether regeneration or beyond occurs by this model. The authors Villeda et al., hypothesized that aged animal exposed to young blood can counteract aging process and rejuvenate brain cognitive function. Therefore, the authors conducted research to examine within molecular, structural, functional, and cognitive aspects.
Humanity has come a long way as we evolve and adapt to the changing environment. Through the years, we have managed to overcome several limitations, which in the past were nothing more than dreams. We succeeded in landing on the moon and communicating over long distance, yet there are still some boundaries we have yet to cross despite our best effort. Aging is an inevitable process of nature. While we cannot stop the ticking clock in our body, we have made it possible for aging to be delayed and relieved to a great extent through advance technology and modern governance. High-tech equipments and medications are available for the treatments of more illnesses as our understanding of medicine improves and governments nowadays are doing