Application of Different Research Designs

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Dear Student,
Hi. The solution below should get you started. I have chosen these 3 research methods as they are less-complex than the other 2 (which requires far more work). I have made it simple so that you can easily understand it and make it the basis of your own reworking of the ideas presented here.

Sincerely,
OTA 105878/Xenia Jones
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Hypothetical Research Method for Family Issues (Food Poverty)

Social scientists and specialists in the field of human services are always confronted with putting together a study to analyze a social issue or a problem. In so doing they can seek to understand its root causes and put together workable solutions to alleviate the problem. For this particular problem, I have chosen to study the social issue of Poverty. The recent economic issues confronting America has created more individuals and families dependent on the food stamp program. This means that more and more Americans are coming into that condition known as poverty, a state of lack, the inability to purchase and acquire essential needs to live - i.e. shelter, food, clothing, healthcare and basic education. The recession that began in 2007 has seen many Americans lose their jobs, their homes and the opportunity to rise back up again due to a number of social, corporate, political and economic factors that compounded over the years. Job creation is an issue and many qualified American have reached more than 72 weeks without finding a job, even temporary ones. CNN reports that currently (Smith, 2010) 1 out of 7 Americans depend on Food stamps for food. He reports:

"The number of food stamp recipients increased 16% over last year. This means that 14% of the population is now living on food stamps. That's about 43 million people, or about one out of every seven Americans. In some states, like Tennessee, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oregon, one in five people are receiving food stamps. Washington, D.C. leads the nation, with 21.5% of the population on food stamps."

This statistical picture is dire as it implies that there are millions of American families in the throes of poverty, that without the aid of food stamps, they will be without the ability to feed their hungry family members. Food is a basic need, without food, we will die. I think that the lack of food and the ability to acquire/purchase it is a huge indicator of the state of poverty of an American family. If they can't buy food, what else can they not have? As such, I propose the research of this topic and have chosen, as possibilities, the 3 research designs below.

Case Study: Roberts Family

A case study is a research design that is aimed at providing an intensive study of a single unit, like an individual, a group, and event or in this case, a family. It seeks to find out the factors that develop or lead to a particular social phenomenon in the context of the problem being researched. I propose the following design:

1. Selection of a particular case study: In this case, I have chosen to study the Roberts family. I have access to this family due to my work and I have observed that they have been saddled with issues of unemployment, debt and lack of financial capability in the last 4 years. First, ...