Qualitative research Essay Example for Free

Qualitative research Essay PREPARING A CASE STUDY: A Guide for Designing and Conducting a Case Study for Evaluation Input By Palena Neale, PhD, Senior Evaluation Associate Shyam Thapa, PhD, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor Carolyn Boyce, MA, Evaluation Associate May 2006 P AT H F I N D E R I N T E R N AT I O N A L T O O L S E R I E S Monitoring and Evaluation – 1 PREPARING A CASE STUDY: A Guide for Designing and Conducting a Case Study for Evaluation Input By Palena Neale, PhD, Senior Evaluation Associate Shyam Thapa, PhD, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor Carolyn Boyce, MA, Evaluation Associate. May 2006 Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the following Pathfinder employees and partners for their technical inputs into this document: Emmanuel Boadi (Pathfinder/Ghana), Anne Palmer (Futures Group International), Ugo Daniels (African Youth Alliance (AYA)), Veronique Dupont (Pathfinder/Extending Service Delivery (ESD)), Cathy Solter, Lauren Dunnington, and Shannon Pryor (Pathfinder headquarters). Jenny Wilder and Mary Burket are also thanked for their inputs and assistance in editing and producing this document. 2 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY. What is a Case Study? A case study is a story about something unique, special, or interesting—stories can be about individuals, organizations, processes, programs, neighborhoods, institutions, and even events. 1 The case study gives the story behind the result by capturing what happened to bring it about, and can be a good opportunity to highlight a project’s success, or to bring attention to a particular challenge or difficulty in a project. Cases2 might be selected because they are highly effective, not effective, representative, typical, or of special interest. A few examples of case study topics are provided below—the case studies would describe what happened when, to whom, and with what consequences in each case. Case Study Examples Shifting Attitudes of Youth-Serving Service Providers Uniqueness/Point of Interest Your program was able to change service providers’ attitudes towards dealing with Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) needs in an environment where provider’s attitudes have been a barrier to young people accessing SRH services. Your program was effective in introducing YFS to the MOH and in institutionalizing an YFS curriculum in a setting where the MOH did not provide YFS. Your program was able to integrate HIV prevention in several FBO service delivery points in an environment that normally does not include or welcome HIV prevention activities. Your program built the leadership capacity of youth to advocate, promote, and participate in decision making around ASRH. This transpired in a setting that did not include ASRH on the agenda nor encourage youth participation in general or in decision making in particular. Integrating Youth-Friendly Services (YFS) in the Ministry of Health (MOH) Integrating HIV Prevention in Faith-Based Organization (FBO) Health Services Delivery. Developing Youth Leadership in Tanzania 1 2 Yin, Robert K. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oakds: Sage Publications. Case refers to the unit of analysis or topic chosen for study (i. e. , the individual, organization, or program). PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 3 When is a Case Study Appropriate? Case studies are appropriate when there is a unique or interesting story to be told. Case studies are often used to provide context to other data (such as outcome data), offering a more complete picture of what happened in the program and why. What are the Advantages and Limitations of a Case Study? The primary advantage of a case study is that it provides much more detailed information than what is available through other methods, such as surveys. Case studies also allow one to present data collected from multiple methods (i. e. , surveys, interviews, document review, and observation) to provide the complete story. There are a few limitations and pitfalls however, each of which is described below. Can be lengthy: Because they provide detailed information about the case in narrative form, it may be difficult to hold a reader’s interest if too lengthy. In writing the case study, care should be taken to provide the rich information in a digestible manner. Concern that case studies lack rigor: Case studies have been viewed in the evaluation and research fields as less rigorous than surveys or other methods. Reasons for this include the fact that qualitative research in general is still considered unscientific by some and in many cases, case study researchers have not been systematic in their data collection or have allowed bias in their findings. In conducting and writing case studies, all involved should use care in being systematic in their data collection and take steps to ensure validity3 and reliability4 in the study. Not generalizable: A common complaint about case studies is that it is difficult to generalize from one case to another. But case studies have also been prone to overgeneralization, which comes from selecting a few examples and assuming without evidence that they are typical or representative of the population. Yin, a prominent researcher, advises case study analysts to generalize findings to theories, as a scientist generalizes from experimental results to theories. 5 3 4 Validity refers to the degree to which a study accurately reflects or assesses the specific concept that the researcher is attempting to measure. Reliability is the extent to which an experiment, test, or any measuring procedure yields the same result on repeated trials. 5 Yin, Robert K. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. 4 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY. What is the Process for Conducting a Case Study? The process for conducting case study research follows the same general process as is followed for other research: plan, collect data, analyze data, and disseminate findings. More detailed steps are given below. 1. Plan †¢ Identify stakeholders who will be involved. †¢ Brainstorm a case study topic, considering types of cases and why they are unique or of interest. †¢ Identify what information is needed and from whom (see â€Å"What are Potential Sources of Information? † and â€Å"What are the Elements of a Case Study? †). †¢ Identify any documents needed for review. †¢ List stakeholders to be interviewed or surveyed (national, facility, and beneficiary levels) and determine sample if necessary. †¢ Ensure research will follow international and national ethical research standards, including review by ethical research committees. For more information, please see the International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, available at http://www. cioms. ch/frame_guidelines_nov_2002. htm. 2. Develop Instruments †¢ Develop interview/survey protocols—the rules that guide the administration and implementation of the interview/survey. Put simply, these are the instructions that are followed to ensure consistency across interviews/surveys, and thus increase the reliability of the findings. The following instructions for the should be included in the protocol: †¢ What to say to interviewees when setting up the interview/survey; †¢ What to say to interviewees when beginning the interview/survey, including ensuring informed consent of the respondent (see Appendix 1 for an example); †¢ What to say to respondent in concluding the interview; †¢ What to do during the interview (Example: Take notes? Audiotape? Both?); and †¢ What to do following the interview (Example: Fill in notes? Check audiotape for clarity? Summarize key information for each? Submit written findings? ). †¢ Develop an interview guide/survey that lists the questions or issues to be explored and includes an informed consent form. Please note that you will likely need interview guides/surveys for each group of stakeholders, as questions may differ. †¢ Where necessary, translate guides into local languages and test translation. PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 5 3. Train Data Collectors †¢ Identify and train data collectors (if necessary). (See â€Å"Training Tips for Data Collectors†6. ) Where necessary, use interviewers that speak the local language. Training Tips for Data Collectors Staff, youth program participants, or professional interviewers may be involved in data collection. Regardless of what experience data collectors have, training should include: †¢ An introduction to the evaluation objectives, †¢ A review of data collection techniques, †¢ A thorough review of the data collection items and instruments, †¢ Practice in the use of the instruments, †¢ Skill-building exercises on interviewing and interpersonal communication, and †¢ Discussion of ethical issues. 4. Collect Data †¢ Gather all relevant documents. †¢ Set up interviews/surveys with stakeholders (be sure to explain the purpose, why the stakeholder has been chosen, and the expected duration). †¢ Seek informed consent of each respondent (written or documented oral). Re-explain purpose of interview, why the stakeholder has been chosen, expected duration of, whether and how the information will be kept confidential, and the use of a note taker/tape recorder. †¢ If the respondent has consented, conduct the interview/survey. 5. Analyze Data †¢ Review all relevant documents. †¢ Review all interview/survey data. 6. Disseminate Findings †¢ Write report (see â€Å"What are the Elements of a Case Study? †). †¢ Solicit feedback. †¢ Revise †¢ Disseminate 6 Adamchak, S. , et. al. (2000). A Guide to Monitoring and Evaluating Adolescent Reproductive Health Programs. Available at http://www. pathfind. org/site/PageServer? pagename=Publications_FOCUS_Guides_and_Tools. 6 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY What are Potential Sources of Information? Case studies typically rely on multiple sources of information and methods to provide as complete a picture as possible. Information sources could include: †¢ Project documents (including meeting minutes) †¢ Project reports, including quarterly reports, midterm reviews †¢ Monitoring visits †¢ Mystery client reports †¢ Facility assessment reports †¢ Interviews †¢ Questionnaire/survey results †¢ Evaluation reports †¢ Observation †¢ Other What are the Elements of a Case Study? Case studies do not have set elements that need to be included; the elements of each will vary depending on the case or story chosen, the data collected, and the purpose (for example, to illustrate a best case versus a typical case). However, case studies typically describe a program or intervention put in place to address a particular problem. Therefore, we provide the following elements and example on which you might draw: 1. The Problem i. Identify the problem ii. Explain why the problem is important iii. How was the problem identified? iv. Was the process for identifying the problem effective? 2. Steps taken to address the problem 3. Results 4. Challenges and how they were met 5. Beyond Results 6. Lessons Learned. PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 7 1. The Problem: It is essential to identify what the problem was. Specifically: i. Identify the problem. For example, certain FBO leadership was opposed to including HIV prevention activities within their programming. Specifically, they felt that prevention activities would promote sex among youth and thereby increase the incidence of HIV. In addition, the FBO felt that the promotion of condoms as a form of prevention was morally wrong. ii. Explain why the problem is important. Following the same example, to provide a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, prevention activities are an important part of HIV programming, in addition to care and support. Addressing moral and religious concerns and objections of FBO leaders in order to incorporate this component greatly expands the prevention effort and offers a greater breadth and depth in HIV programming. iii. How was the problem identified? It is likely that program staff will have an idea of what general problems exist. For example, YFS is not integrated in the MOH, FBOs do not include prevention activities, youth involvement does not occur, etc. What was likely missing and required exploration were the details around this general problem. In the case of working with FBOs, an initial project planning meeting was held to discuss the specifics behind the problem. It was revealed during this process that certain FBOs who conducted care and support activities did not offer prevention activities, specifically condom promotion. The primary reason given was religious objections; another reason identified but not explicitly stated was stigma. iv. Was the process for identifying the problem effective? After additional one-on-one discussions with FBO leaders, it was determined that the leaders had concerns based on moral and religious grounds regarding prevention efforts, particularly promoting condoms. Furthermore, discussions revealed that a number of leaders had limited and/or erroneous information regarding transmission and prevention options. 8 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 2. Steps Undertaken to Address the Problem: What was done (activities/ interventions/ inputs), where, by whom, for whom? In the case of integrating prevention in FBOs, an illustrative outline of steps undertaken to address the problem is given below: What was done? Phase 1: Sensitization Sensitization of leadership: activities included reviewing FBO policies and bylaws by program staff in order to demonstrate to leadership that there were no constitutional objections to prevention activities. Project staff engaged liberal FBO leaders to supply quotes from the Bible to build their evidence-based argument to convince other leaders that there was in fact no biblical basis for the preclusion of prevention activities. Sensitization of facility managers: meet with managers to discuss leadership approval and present evidence-based arguments on why integration activities can be included. Sensitization of community: work with groups to explain that these activities have been approved by the FBO leadership and where they can go to receive services. Phase 2: Integration Facility assessments Selected facilities Project Staff, FBO representatives Local Implementing Partners (IPs) Project Staff, Facility Managers Contractor FBOs, Project Staff Facility Staff District/ National Project Staff FBO leaders Where? By Whom? For Whom? Facilities Project Staff Facility Managers Community catchment areas Project Staff Community members Training of service providers Selected facilities Conduct staff orientations Facilities Facility Staff Physical infrastructure improved Phase 3: Outreach Identify peers that you want to work with Training Provide Tools Supervision Phase 4: ME Reassessments Facilities Facility Selected facilities Facilities Facility Staff IPs Project Peer supervisors Beneficiaries Peers Peers Peers Sample of selected facilities Project Staff, Facility Management, Youth Trained mystery clients Project Staff, Peer Supervisors. Facility, Project Staff Mystery client interviews Monitoring visits Facilities Facilities, Peers Facility staff, Project Staff PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 9 3. Results: What were the results of your intervention, particularly the significant or unique results? For example: your activities resulted in the FBO including HIV prevention activities in their programming, which contributed to an increase in condom distribution. Or, your activities resulted in youth-serving service providers adopting a youth-friendly attitude which contributed to improved services and an increase in youth visits. Church leadership may have made a commitment and modified policies to include ASRH activities, leadership talking about the issues publicly. Facility managers may make financial commitments to refurbishments, training, etc. 4. Challenges and how they were met: This focuses on what challenges or difficulties you encountered and what you did to overcome them. One of the challenges in working with FBOs may have been dealing with Catholic FBOs and your response could have been to negotiate with them to include certain prevention activities like abstinence, and/or providing a referral point to youth who may want to get information about condoms. Another possible challenge is that not all FBOs who you had hoped to work with were willing to come on board and this required additional attention. 5. Beyond Results: Are the results mentioned above sustainable? Why or why not? For example, an integrated approach to programming (which included a strong policy and advocacy component) created an enabling policy environment with strong stakeholder support that can be nurtured and leveraged beyond the project duration. 6. Lessons Learned: What lessons were learned: programmatic, technical, financial, process, etc.? For example, the experience showed that it was imperative for project staff to have a very solid understanding of government policies to speak to these issues with key stakeholders. In addition, it was important to have a good understanding of the various religious beliefs in addition to their respective policies and by-laws for developing and delivering advocacy arguments. How are Case Studies Presented? Case studies are flexible in that they can be presented in a number of ways—there is no specific format to follow. However, like all evaluation results, justification and methodology of the study should be provided, as well as any supporting information (i. e. , copies of instruments and guides used in the study). Case studies may stand alone or be included in a larger evaluation report. If presented as a stand-alone report, the following report outline is suggested: 1. Introduction and Justification 2. Methodology a. How was the process carried out? (Describe the process of selecting the case and data collection sources, as well as how data was collected. ) b. What assumptions are there (if any)? 10 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. c. Are there any limitations with this method? d. What instruments were used to collect data? (You may want to include some or all in the appendix. ) e. What sample(s) is/are being used? f. Over which period of time was this data collected? The Problem The Steps Taken to Address the Problem The Results The Challenges and How They were Met Beyond Results Lessons Learned Conclusion Appendices Where Can More Information on Case Studies be Found? Information on Case Study Research Adamchak, S. , et. al. (2000). A Guide to Monitoring and Evaluating Adolescent Reproductive Health Programs. Available at http://www. pathfind. org/pf/pubs/focus/guidesandtools/PDF/Part%20II. pdf. Patton, Michael Q. (2002). Qualitative Research Evaluation Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Stake, Robert E. (1995). The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. United States General Accounting Office, Program Evaluation and Methodology Division. (1987). Case Study Evaluations. Available at http://161. 203. 16. 4/t2pbat22/132683. pdf. Yin, Robert K. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. London: Sage Publications. Examples of Case Studies Cornwall, A. and Welbourn, A. (2002). Realizing Rights: Transforming Approaches to Sexual and Reproductive Well-Being. London: Zed Books. Population Council. Quality/Calidad/Qualite series. Available at http://www. popcouncil. org/publications/qcq/default. htm. SRI International. (2001). The Organization of Learning in Community Technology Centers: Learning with Technology in Six Communities. Available at http://www. americaconnects. net/research/SRI_case_study_report. pdf. PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 11 Appendix 1: Sample Informed Consent Form Key Components: †¢ Thank you †¢ Your name †¢ Purpose †¢ Confidentiality †¢ Duration †¢ How interview will be conducted †¢ Opportunity for questions †¢ Signature of consent I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. My name is ________________________ and I would like to talk to you about your experiences participating in the African Youth Alliance (AYA) project. Specifically, as one of the components of our overall program evaluation we are assessing program effectiveness in order to capture lessons that can be used in future interventions. The interview should take less than an hour. I will be taping the session because I don’t want to miss any of your comments. Although I will be taking some notes during the session, I can’t possibly write fast enough to get it all down. Because we’re on tape, please be sure to speak up so that we don’t miss your comments. All responses will be kept confidential. This means that your interview responses will only be shared with research team members and we will ensure that any information we include in our report does not identify you as the respondent. Remember, you don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to and you may end the interview at any time. Are there any questions about what I have just explained? Are you willing to participate in this interview? __________________ Interviewee __________________ Witness __________ Date ______________________________________ Legal guardian (if interviewee is under 18) 12 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: SAMPLE INFORMED CONSENT FORM Pathfinder International 9 Galen Street, Suite 217 Watertown, MA 02472 USA Tel: 617-924-7200 Email: [emailprotected] org 05/06/500.

Signs That You’ve Arrived :: essays papers

Signs That You’ve Arrived Oprah recently bought the most expensive house in California for $50 million. That barely put a dent in her pocket. How would you like to receive the respect and treatment of royalty? How about being given anything you desire, and more? Celebrity is the ultimate asset. In this frantic age of nanosecond attention spans, fame is fortune. Hollywood stars and athletes dominate the rankings of the richest, but celebrity enriches other individuals as well: successful CEO’s, chefs, models, authors, and even the newest arrival, the non-celebrity celebrity, courtesy of reality television. In a society where entertainment and the celebrity status fascinate us, it is no wonder why these people receive so much attention and define the word â€Å"famous†. A celebrity is an unique individual, set apart from the majority by an excess of sex appeal, or wealth, or talent, or impact. Many celebrities have more than one of these characteristics, but it is one of these traits that mo st identifies a person’s celebrity status. One of the most powerful characteristics a person can own is one’s sex appeal. In a society ruled by gratification, sex and the appeal one may offer fascinates and perplexes an audience. Britney Spears is the epitome of sex appeal, obvious through the celebrity status she has reached. This is her strongest attribute, winning out over talent, wealth, and positive impact. Her immense appeal receives more attention than her talent and is definitely exaggerated through her performances and her presentation. She knows she is sexy and uses it to the fullest extent in order to better herself and her celebrity status. This is the most superficial of the celebrity traits and is followed by wealth. Often times, in today’s society, wealth defines a person and their level of success. Take Bill Gates for example. As the richest man in the world, valued at over $52 billion, he is also labeled as one of the most successful. Mr. Gates is known world-wide for what is in his wallet, making him a celebrity, or as Webster defines it: famous. Gates has also had a huge impact on the advances in technology, but is more widely identified by his immense amount of â€Å"dough†. Gates has definitely reached celebrity status mainly by knowing how to rake in the dollars. Even though he is very intelligently talented, talent is not what made him a celebrity.

“Lord of the Flies” Essay Introduction Essay

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies repeatedly contrasts with the morality-driven views of the controversial philosopher Frederick Nietzsche. Golding’s allegorical novel tells the story of a group of young boys who remain stranded on an island and left to their own instincts. Golding and Nietzsche would argue the issues the boys face are based on the morality and nature of man. Ralph, the protagonist, is delegated power by the other boys, while Jack, the antagonist, quickly becomes jealous of Ralph’s power. In Lord of the Flies, the conch, the masks, and the â€Å"lord of the flies† represent civilization, freedom and evil respectively. Golding supports a Judeo-Christian order, in which society designs morality and evil inspires fear; Nietzsche in contrast argues that man should follow personal morals and that evil will grow out of an ongoing struggle for power. Nietzsche would point to the contrast between the tribes of Ralph and Jack to support his belief that yes-saying should prevail over no-saying; that is, personal ideals should take precedent over societal ideals. Golding’s interpretation of the conch, the masks and the lord of the flies contrasts with Nietzsche’s ideas of morality and the nature of man and of society. Upon arriving on the island, Ralph discovers a conch that the boys use to call and control their assemblies. Golding uses the conch to represent the society and government which the boys construct. At the beginning of the book, the shell symbolizes their civility and order because they seem to follow and respect its powers. â€Å"Where the conch is, that’s a meeting†¦We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all we’re not savages† (Golding 42). Unknown to the reader at the time, this quote is quite ironic as the boys will later lose control and become savages competing for food and survival. Golding believes that civilization provides structure for man just as the conch provides order for the boys. Without civilization, man would turn to his instincts, naturally leaving him fearful in the absence of the morality and standards which have guided him through life. From fear, Golding argues, evil deeds are committed. Golding also believes that morality is a social construct and that without society morals cease to exist. These thoughts are seen in Lord of the Flies. When Ralph and Jack split up, separating their society and introducing Jack’s group to savagery, morality and order rupture and slowly fall apart. Jack and his â€Å"savages† become fixed on the bloodthirsty murder of pigs, constantly chanting, â€Å"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!† (G 152), demonstrating they lack sanity and morality, while Ralph and the others that remain stay moral and â€Å"†¦worked†¦.with great energy and cheerfulness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  However, for Ralph’s tribe, â€Å"†¦ as time crept by there was a suggestion of panic in the energy and hysteria in the cheerfulness† (G130). Although Ralph’s tribe tries to remain true to the conch, a sense of fear lingers as the need for survival increases. In a final meeting of the two tribes toward the end of the book, it’s clearly evident that society breaks down as Ralph and Jack end up in a brawl after the conch breaks. â€Å"Viciously, with full intention, he hurled the spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and flesh over Ralph’s ribs†¦.Ralph stumbled, feeling not pain, but panic† (G 181). Once the conch broke, so did all morality and order. Consequently, the boys fight to the death. Golding’s views on civilization that morality evolves from community manifest itself in the boys’ use of conch in his book, Lord of the Flies. Nietzsche, directly contrasting Golding, believes that morality should be determined by individuals instead of society. â€Å"Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy†¦where he may forget ‘men who are the rule†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (WP 26). Nietzsche agrees that that society forms a sense of morality, but he dislikes this because he believes that one shouldn’t follow a â€Å"herd mentality.† Instead, he advocates setting and following one’s own morals. Nonetheless, he understands that this is tough, and most of society will follow the established aristocratic values. Nietzsche believes that, in this context, being a yes-sayer means following your own morals and not those set by society. He also believes that all actions in society should result from the individual will to obtain power. This conflict between society and personal freedom plays out through Roger, one of Jack’s partners, who early on threw rocks for fun avoiding â€Å"a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that signified, â€Å"†¦the taboo of the old life† (G 62). Roger avoided Henry out of respect for the societal standards that he followed. But as the book progresses, Roger’s animalistic ways take over and â€Å"†¦with a sense of delirious abandonment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (G 180) he murders Piggy, one of the other boys. Therefore, Nietzsche would approve of Roger, whose actions become based upon a will to power, as opposed to Golding who would argue that Roger acts out of fear. In several scenes in the middle of the book, the boys don masks to cover their dirty faces, allowing themselves freedom from a herd mentality which Nietzsche would approve of this. When the boys put on the masks, they lose their individual identities. In essence, they free themselves from the weight of morality, and this allows them to commit otherwise unthinkable acts. â€Å"The mask was a thing of its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness† (G 64). Nietzsche would like that the masks allow the boys to follow their own ideas and create their own artistic path, something he strongly supports and says can be achieved â€Å"†¦through long practice and daily work at it† (WP 290). The masks take away the boys’ individual identity, allowing them to disobey civilization’s morals while avoiding shame. However, while Nietzsche would approve of their freedom, he would disapprove of the need to wear the masks. In his view, the b oys need to embrace their true selves to be free rather than hiding behind the masks. Nietzsche believes that the boys should be yes-saying because they should be strong enough act freely according to their own instincts, without guilt or shame. Golding believes that the use of the masks allows them to hide their shame and also enables them to become savages. Golding thinks that the boys are afraid of showing their shame so they repress it by wearing the masks to avoid the ostracism from society. The masks give the boys freedom, but Golding thinks this is dangerous because too much freedom gives way to instincts which ultimately lead to savagery. While wearing the masks the boys are â€Å"†¦not much better than uncaged beasts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gen. 22. 13). Golding describes Jack, â€Å"†¦His sinewy body held up a mask that drew their eyes†¦He began to dance and his laughter became blood thirsty snarling† (G 64). Golding attempts to show how the masks affect the boys as they lose touch with themselves. Golding would argue that the boys abandon the need to follow the rules when they wear the masks. Without the masks the boys compulsively feel the need to follow rules. The hierarchy of society keeps man accountable for his actions, as Jack let the fire run out Ralph angrily says to him, â€Å"There was a ship†¦you could have had everyone when the shelters were finished. But you had to hunt†¦there was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of longing and baffled commonsense†¦ Jack was powerless and raged without knowing why† (G 71-72). Ralph’s leadership over Jack and the others is evident here as angrily resets order, and the others quickly accept. Without their masks, Golding would argue that the boys’ freedom is limited by society; something that he believes is just. The sow’s head, dubbed â€Å"lord of the flies†, symbolizes the evil that the boys commit on the island. â€Å"The head hung there, a little blood dribbling down the stick†¦the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned† (G 138). Golding tries to prove to the reader that evil exists in all of us. In the mind of Simon, the head comes alive and says to him, â€Å"I’m part of you†¦I’m the reason why it’s no go†¦you know perfectly well you’ll only meet me down there [too]† (G 143). This meeting between the lord of the flies and Simon shows the reader the pig’s evilness as he admits â€Å"I’m part of you† and it also underscores Golding’s point: he believes that evil is unavoidable; throughout the book, every character commits acts of evil. Simon is the one exception, whose calm nature can be described as un-human, or god-like, and more mature than the other boys, his eyes â€Å"†¦Dim with the infinite cynicism of adult life† (G 137) proving his overbearing adult-like superiority. Many people argue that Simon is a direct parallel to Jesus, as the scene when he talks to the pig is similar to Jesus’ conversation with the devil. Simon is also used as a foil to all the other boys on the island to show their lack of humility and maturity. The boys place the pig’s head on the stick to ward off their fears, ultimately creating worry and fear of survival. The pig embodies the evil acts committed by the boys out fear. Nietzsche counters these ideas with his belief that fear is weak and that yes-saying morality is key to avoiding evil. Nietzsche would agree and disagree with Golding on many points regarding fear and evil. First, he would argue that man shouldn’t allow fear to control one’s actions. Rather, men should become yes-sayers and avoid the fear that makes them weak. Man should be strong enough to take control of his life instead of letting fear control him. Nietzsche would agree with Golding that Simon represents a god-like being that isn’t affected by evil because he believes that someone needs to set standards, but one can follow his own path similar. Nietzsche alludes to this point by saying, â€Å"†¦just ask yourself who is actually ‘evil’ in the sense of morality of ressentiment† (Gen. 22.3), speaking of his dislike of the negatively driven morality that is created by many societies. Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies uses powerful symbols to represent the key cultural characteristics of civilization, morality, freedom and evil. Golding uses the conch, the masks and the lord of flies to convey his Judeo-Christian beliefs, which stand in contrast to Frederick Nietzsche’s morality-driven views. Nietzsche would argue that one who is strong is someone that can follow their own artistic path instead of following society’s path, yes versus no saying. Golding represents these ideas through the conch which the boys use to govern their community and with the decay of the conch came the decay of order. The masks are used for the boys to hide their shame and commit barbarous acts, Golding would argue, while the lord of the flies is used to embody the evil that the boys commit on the island. Lord of the Flies is a powerful depiction of the best and worst of human nature that can exposed at all times.

Nuclear Technology Is The Reaction Of An Atomic Nuclei

Nuclear technology is the reaction of an atomic nuclei. The same applies to nuclear weapons. There are two types of nuclear weapons: fission and fusion, which are created by the splitting or the fusing of atoms. Nuclear weapons were introduced in the 1930s, but they are still vital in the 21st century; however, in order to understand their importance we must first understand their physical composition and how they work to achieve to mass destruction. All existing nuclear weapons stem at least some of their explosive energy from nuclear fission reactions. A fission reaction, more commonly known as an atomic bomb is when a form of uranium-235 or plutonium-239 is accumulated into the amount of material needed to create a nuclear reaction. Uranium- 235 was primarily used because of two reasons: one being that U-235 releases two neutrons when it fissions which allows this element to produce a chain reaction and because it is much lighter than Uranium 238 which allows it travel to faster a nd thus producing more damage. An atomic bomb works in one of two ways: one way is the â€Å"gun† method which is when a piece of material is shot into another piece of material which will start the reaction. (Science Behind the Atom Bomb). On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb, â€Å"Little Boy,† was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Little Boy weighed 9,700lbs, was 10ft in length, and 28in in diameter. Little Boy was a gun type device. Forty percent of the critical Uranium 235 was put inShow MoreRelatedNuclear Energy And Nuclear Power1705 Words   |  7 Pageselectricity for the citizens of the United States. However, nuclear power is becoming a much more urgent discussion topic. Nuclear power, or the use of nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity, contributes to nearly 20% of the electricity generated and used in America. According to the Department of Energy, the United States has invested 60 years of their time into nuclear power! But why have we done so? Well, the production of nuclear energy helps produce reliable, low-carbon energy, and supportsRead MoreEssay on Informative Speech Outline1144 Words   |  5 PagesInformative Speech: Nuclear Energy Purpose: The purpose of this speech is to inform others about the production, utilizations and impacts of nuclear energy. I. INTRODUCTION A. Attention Getter: When most people think of nuclear energy, the first thing that comes to their minds is a devastating bomb explosion or a nuclear power plant meltdown. But, in reality, nuclear energy is a sustainable energy source that has an enormous variety of uses. B. 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This was only the beginning though, tens of thousands of innocent people died due to the aftermath of radiation exposure for another