Black Lives Matter, Research Paper Example

Many people are aware of the Black Lives Matter movement, but very few people are aware of the extent of the support that the movement has. It would therefore be valuable to determine the support that the movement has among people of various demographics. Doing so would help politicians gain a better understanding of the percentage of the population that supports this movement. To do so, it is beneficial to conduct a correlational study. Thus, surveys will be issued to random members of the population to determine their demographics, including gender, age, income level, race, and religion, in addition to their associated opinions concerning the Black Lives Matter movement (Briffa et al., 2001). The Maslach Burnout Inventory could be used in conjunction with this survey in order to gain a deeper understanding of the individuals who follow or do not follow this movement (Given, 2009).

The purpose of this study is to determine which portions of the population are in favor of the Black Lives Matter movement. To do so, members of the population will be randomly selected to participate in the study (Hunter et al., 2008). Individuals from major cities across the world will receive the survey in the mail. Care will be taken to select members of the population that reflect a wide range of income, racial, and age backgrounds. Approximately 3000 people will be selected for the study in total. Cities in both the North and South will be selected to ensure that individuals from diverse areas will be selected. 500 people will be selected to participate in the study in New York City, 500 will be selected from Boston, 500 will be selected from Los Angeles, 500 will be selected from Chicago, 500 will be selected from Atlanta, and 500 will be selected from Houston. After the data from this study is collected, it will be necessary to conduct a quantitative analysis.

The three factors using the MBI will include emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment as related to the Black Lives Matter movement. A correlation coefficient will be calculated to determine the degree to which there is a trend between each category and support or lack of support for the Black Lives Matter movement (Diriwachter et al., 2006). This correlation coefficient will be determined on an overall scale using the totality of the individuals recruited to the study. Furthermore, individual analyses will be conducted to determine the values of individuals according to city or location, gender, income status, and other demographic features.

Overall, it is apparent that this information could be used to gain a greater understanding of the types of individuals that tend to be in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. It would be reasonable for activists to target people in these areas to recruit them to the movement’s cause and to contribute to education about police conduct and human rights. Furthermore, doing so would contribute to a better cultural understanding of sociology and the general human experience. Helping politicians comprehend popular opinion is also an important way of persuading them to support public opinion. Thus, it would be valuable to conduct a large scale study of the correlational relationship between the qualities measured on the MBI scale and the demographic traits of members of the population. Doing so will give activists a better idea of what is needed in order to truly promote change in the population.

References

Briffa, Keith R.; Osborn, Timothy J.; Schweingruber, Fritz H.; Harris, Ian C.; Jones, Philip D.; Shiyatov, Stepan G.; Vaganov, Eugene A. (2001). Low-frequency temperature variations from a northern tree ring density network. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106: 2929

Diriwächter, R. &Valsiner, J. (January 2006) Qualitative Developmental Research Methods in Their Historical and Epistemological Contexts. FQS, 7(1): 8.

Given, Lisa M. (2008). The Sage encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. Los Angeles, Calif.: Sage Publications.

Hunter, Laura; Leahey, Erin. (2008). Collaborative Research in Sociology: Trends and Contributing Factors. The American Sociologist, 39(4): 290.