Thursday, April 28, 2016

CLO 5 - Article Review

LSC 2533 Research Methods
Journal Article Reviews (CLO 5)

Article 1
Section 1
Source: HCT Libraries page >Discover>Electronic Resources
Search terms: Spending habits
Section 2
Title: Financial attitudes and spending habits of university freshmen.
Abstract
Attitudes toward, and use of, money affects relationships, family stability, and even employment success. Recently, the effect of these issues on college students has been investigated. Eighty percent of undergraduates have credit cards with an average balance of $2,226 and 10 percent have outstanding balances of more than $7,000 (Kendrick as cited in Henry, Weber & Yarbrough, 2001). A survey by VISA found 8.7 percent of those filing for bankruptcy were below twenty-five years old (McBride as cited in Jones & Roberts, 2001). Financial management capabilities are essential to students' personal success and their academic success. Students able to manage their finances are more likely to organize their lives and manage their time in a way conducive to good academic progress (Weaver, 1992).

At Idaho State University, lack of financial management is one reason students do not graduate (Eskelson, 2005). This study will evaluate the financial attitudes and perceptions, as well as the spending habits, of university freshmen. Implications are far-reaching and will provide valuable data for university administrators in enrollment management and student affairs, high school counselors, economic educators and parents. Assisting students with information and strategies to improve their academic success and degree completion is vital.
Reference
Cummins, M., Haskell, J., & Jenkins, S. (2009). Financial attitudes and spending habits of university freshmen. Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research, 10 (1), 3-20.
Section 3
Population
The research, which was undertaken, involved 117 first year volunteer students from Idaho State University. The sample, for the study, was taken from students, who were enrolled during the 2004 academic semester. They were required to fill out a questionnaire about financial perceptions and the management of money.
Research Approach  
The survey utilized quantitative analysis, in view of the fact that the results were presented in numerical format. The questions were open-ended, and were selected from the Likert scale. There were a total of 16 questions.
Results
The results indicated that the freshmen had some knowledge about management of money. On the questions about the use of credit cards, 15 percent had them and almost 72 percent of them had savings accounts. Most of them, who tended to plan ahead, were good managers of money, but complained that the need to budget restrained them from having fun. The survey suggested that the College freshmen need to be educated on how to spend money, given that only 60% indicated that they were “always”, or “often” satisfied with how they spend their money.
Section 4
The article applied the questionnaire method for the collection of data. This method was most appropriate in getting first hand information about how freshmen use their money. The use of few and short questions ensured that students did not shy away from answering them. In addition, the sample that was investigated was selected on a volunteer basis. This was one way of ensuring that the individuals involved did not give false, or inaccurate, information because they felt that they were being forced to participate in the research. From the research, I have gained a lot of knowledge on the importance of planning ahead, because it helps you to spend according to the resources that you possess. I have learnt, also, that one way of managing money, effectively, is by using a credit card.

Although the article has brought to light that most students spend more than they have, it has not established the source where the extra cash comes from. The article might have been improved by discussing, critically, where the individuals get the extra cash for their spending.  
Article 2
Section 1
Source: HCT Libraries page >Discover>Electronic Resources
Search terms: Spending habits
Section 2
Title: Spending habits of youths in India with special reference to Mumbai city.
Abstract
The development in the economy in the last decade has increased the number of the new rich and the middle class, and left them with more money to spend. The increased pocket money, and employment opportunities to earn and spend, make the youth of this country one of the most important forces in spending. The youth referred to in this paper are in the age group 13-25, which comprises about 30 percent of the Indian population of 1.22.Million i.e. about 0.366 million.

So, the role played by youth is a determining factor in our economy. The spending habits of these youngsters not only indicate the economic and lifestyle trends, but, also, the wider social trends in the society. This paper is an attempt to find out where the youth are spending their money, in the city of Mumbai, and how much. Primary data on the different spending categories of youth, like food, shopping, grooming, movies, alcohol and tobacco, were collected and analyzed by using various statistical tools and techniques. ANOVA and T-Test were used to analyze the significant variances in the spending pattern of gender and different groups, such as junior college, undergraduate, professional and post graduate students.

Even though a majority of the youths are financially dependent on their parents, there is a huge difference in their spending habits. It is observed that this category spends huge amounts of money on clothes and accessories, and on grooming. The female youths spend comparatively more on clothes, accessories, grooming and gifts, but, surprisingly, they save more money too. Also, professional and postgraduate students spend more money than the other groups. Friends are the most popular variable that influences spending.
Reference
Kamalanathan, V. (2015). Spending habits of youths in India with special reference to Mumbai city. International Journal of Arts and Sciences LLC, 8(5), 289-301.
Section 3
Population
The research involved 300 youths from the city of Mumbai. The sample was selected randomly, and included a total of 80 youths from South Mumbai, 80 from the Eastern Suburbs and 140 from the Western Suburbs.
Research Approach  
A mixed analysis using qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis of data was used, since the data to be analyzed was obtained from journals, periodicals, magazines, newspapers articles and research papers published by various authors, books, and other related publications and references taken from the web. The results were presented in form of tables, bar charts, graphs and pie diagrams. In addition, the results were presented in a numerical format.
Results                              

The average income of youths in Mumbai was Rs3000 per month, with pocket money as the main source of income. Less than Rs500 was spent on 10 out of 12 items, such as transport, food, internet, alcohol, movies, gadgets, mobile phones, gifts, tobacco and savings. Saving is not common among the youth. The spending habits differ according to gender, age and education; but most youths are, increasingly, adopting the behavior of spending a significant amount of money on drugs and alcohol.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Research Finding

Population Growth
Research Justification
The growth of the world's people is a phenomenon that continues to affect the world in diverse ways. While there are positive impacts of the growth of the global population including the expansion of the labor market, the challenges are more potent. The reason is that it continues to exert more pressure on the world and the natural resources, which in turn affects adversely the future of the world. Based on these facts, there is a need to conduct research to understand the drivers of the rising global population. Further, research is crucial in illumining the effects as views from the economic, social, cultural, and environmental perspectives. The present research aims to illuminate such issues related to the expanding global population. 
Background Report Summary
Two main types of challenges affect the world due to the expansion of populations. They include the environmental issues and social issues. The reason is that growth in populations exerts pressure on the resources of the world. More people continue to depend on resources that are ever reducing, especially given the zeal with which human beings exploit them. Correspondingly, various social problems crop up as the number of people increases and resources grow scarcer. Such include the rising number of global conflicts and shrinking personal freedoms among others. They form the background of the present research, which aims to understand the following issues related to the rising world's population.
1.     Is poor culture the primary reason for the unchecked growth of population in the world?
2.     Are there economic factors that drive population growth in some areas of the world?
3.     Is women empowerment a critical solution to global population growth?
4.     Would social legislation help to reduce the rate of population growth?
Data Collection Procedure
The primary data collection strategy adopted for this study is the use of questionnaires. Specifically, the questionnaire contained ten closed-ended questions that focused on understanding the causes and effects of the rising global population. The data collection took place both online survey and using paper questionnaires administered in person by the researcher. The researcher sampled thirty-five students from the college to participate in the study. Notably, while ten students participated in the study by answering an online questionnaire, twenty-five of them participated in person, and the researcher sampled them randomly from the library and the food court. Although the questions were elaborate, the researcher remained close to the respondents to help in clarifying any potential issues. The researcher then tabulated all the responses and subsequently provided various percentages. 


Results
Questions
Q1
Q2
Q3
YES
NO
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
Answers
22
13
9
13
11
5
8
15
7
5
Results
%62.86
%37.14
%25.71
%37.14
%31.44
%5.71
%22.86
%42.86
%20
%14.28

Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
YES
NO
A
B
A
B
C
D
YES
NO
27
8
15
20
5
13
15
2
18
17
%77.14
%22.86
%42.86
%57.14
%14.29
%37.14
%42.86
%5.71
%51.43
%48.57 

Q8
Q9
Q10
A
B
C
D
YES
NO
A
B
C
D
9
10
13
3
23
12
10
15
8
2
%25.71
%28.57
%37.14
%8.58
%65.71
%34.29
%28.57
%42.86
%22.86
%5.71
The majority of the respondents agree that the world is overpopulated. Further, over 37.14% of them agree that social issues are the primary drivers of the rising population in the world. As explained, such social problems include lack of education regarding birth control among others. Interestingly, 42.86% of the respondents corresponded that the cultural perspective that children are a form of wealth was an important cultural dimension that influenced the growing population of the world. Regarding the economic issues, an overwhelming majority of the respondents concurred that such matters were central to the discussion and analysis of global population growth. Further, 54.14% of them agreed that the wealthy people were more likely to have more children due to their ability to support them. Meanwhile, 42.86% of the respondents viewed environmental degradation as the direct effect of population growth. 
Regarding the solutions to the challenges of population growth, 51.43% of the interviewees agreed that women empowerment was a critical part of the solution. More specifically, 37.14% of them cited social empowerment as the mot useful form of women empowerment. However, a significant majority of the respondents also agreed that social legislation would be very helpful in controlling the rate of population growth. A further 42.86% cited laws that control the number of children per family as the most valuable in controlling population growth.
Interpretation
The study presents fascinating findings regarding the issues relating to population growth. Notably, the respondents are mostly from Arabic backgrounds and the Arabic culture influenced their responses significantly. For example, Arab culture values large families. It is both a cultural and a social issue, as fathers believe that having many children offers the prestige of virility. It is the reason many of the respondents agreed that social problems primarily drive population growth. Similarly, the Arabic background influenced the majority to cite cultures, especially those that view children as a form of wealth, as an important cultural dimension that explained the unchecked population growth. Interestingly, the UAE is a relatively wealthy nation. Hence, combined with the cultural issues mentioned before, one might understand the reason the majority of the respondents viewed wealth as an important economic issue influencing population growth. 

Notably, the Arab world typically favors the male gender. It explains the reason a majority of the respondents agreed that empowering women socially was a necessary solution. Overall, the findings show that the cultural background of the majority of the interviewees influenced their responses to the questionnaires. Nevertheless, the study uncovered various issues regarding the causes and possible solutions to the challenges of population growth.