Rational Choice Theory Analytical Framework

Rational Choice Theory Analytical Framework Before I begin on my analytical review of the selected article, I firstly, feel that it is crucial to outline and define what an analytical framework is and what it consists of. Due to the nature of the subject we are assessing, that being social science, it is clear that researchers have to contend with many different variables from different theoretical standpoints to the vast differing ideological paradigms of this subject. If a study does not possess a proposed analytical framework within its main body of writing, it will often be criticised for being overly descriptive and lacking a precise investigation, thus meaning the academic work will lack clear focus and suffer from being vague. Secondly, analytical frameworks are many and varied, some utilise observable reality within society from institutions such as family, education and the state. These are ideal if the researcher intends on gathering evidence from that particular institution, allowing the researcher test their hypothesis of Y affects X etc. However many analytical frameworks within the social sciences are usually intertwined to key intellectual theories; these include areas such as Marxism, Rational choice and Network theory. Researchers using these types of framework allow for a focused document, which adopts a particular intellectual theory and systematically evaluates it to the chosen topic area from that standpoint. All analytical frameworks do share one particular trend whether it is assessing ideologies or the various institutions, their first initial task is to mobilise the intellectual approach through the body of literature. Furthermore this analytical framework must be chosen with careful consideration by academics, as within their chosen framework there will consist of theorists who share similar views on that particular issue. E.g. Rational choice theorists believe that we make choices based upon our personal preference, having theorists support your argument increases validity and strengthens structure of your argument, thus allowing you to raise particular questions such as is there rationality of radical Islam? In short these frameworks consist of a set of intellectual tools that guide the researcher through his/her research for example, how to collect, sort, and interpret the results found, obviously guiding is not the only application within the theoretical framework but it also has close links with the particular sub-questions asked within that theory. Firstly, an important detail to reference about the particular article, is the title of the article itself The Rationality of Radical Islam this shows a clear indication of the authors analytical standpoint The use of Rationality within the title suggests that Wiktoro Kaltenhaler are taking a Rational Choice perspective approach within the article. Before I begin on exploring how Wiktoros has employed this rational choice theory to terrorism, it is important to address what rational choice theory really is and its assumptions. Throughout much of the western hemisphere in the early part of the 21st century, we have witnessed a shift in the way we analyse human behaviour. This shift was at large partly due to the emergence of RCT which has been dominant within economics but has spread to other disciplines. This Rational choice theory consists of three independent theories at its core including social choice theory, game theory and economics. Essentially RCT is actually three things at the same time, because not only does it possess a logical structure to which many use it as a fundamental ideology to theorising. But it is both a normative empirical method of investigation into the actions and behaviours of the individual. RCTs primary underlying focus begins with the clear acknowledgment of the individual, not the interaction between several individuals. RCT would therefore advocate a minimalist state which is only used for preserving individual liberties and non invasive on the individual. Furthermore RCT is also concerned with the explanation of all social phenomenons within society whether it be conforming, or deviant acts, it views humans as rational creatures meaning there are calculated mental process that exist within our choices. Because rational choice is derived from economics it acknowledges all social exchanges are like that of economic exchanges to which an actor will choose an action rationally, based on a hierarchy of preferences, that promises to maximize benefits and minimize costs (Zey 1998 p.2) these basic premises of humans, portray that our decisions are reared towards the sole aim of profit or pleasure. This article explores the The Rationality of Radical Islam it specifically asks the question Why do Islamist radicals engage in high-cost/risk activism (Wiktorowicz 2006 p.296) and the incentives behind it. This particular analytical framework is perfect to use as, terrorism throughout the general population is widely considered highly irrational, especially in the case of Jihadist terrorism, as how can you sacrifice yourself and others for a greater good? The reasons many see terrorists and their sympathizers as irrational is due to that their beliefs are so improbable and dogmatic, (Wiktorowicz, cited 2004 in Caplan, 2006 p.97) and what factual evidence do Jihadist terrorists have for gaining a place straight into paradise where they can enjoy the company of 72 virgins? We foresee this certain approach as being nothing more than plain foolish, due to the dependency on belief. However Wiktrorowicz believes that we cannot judge an action such as this, as irrational simply because we dont agree with it, and if the individual is optimizing their top preference then they are acting rationally (Wiktorowicz 2006 p.300). The second major point tackled by these two authors, is the assessment on the various incentives terrorist organisations offer, as all groups proffers its ideology as an efficient path to salvation, which serves as a heuristic device for in-doctrinal actors to weigh the costs benefits of certain behaviour (Wiktorowicz 2006 p.301). In other words most organisations dont offer material or worldly goods which by western culture does not reflect economic or personal benefit for the individual, but it shows that spiritual good are more important to some. But there is evidence that those who joined Algerias armed Islamic groups chose to do so to benefit economically from insurgency, such as smuggling (wiktorowicz 2006 p.302). Referring back to the previous point, a case study brought up in the article was on the Al-Muhajiroun which proved to be a popular group throughout the UK, but after the attacks on 9/11 the British state condemned the group for expressing radical views. However during its time this case study provides a perfect example of payoffs, as the Al-Muhajiron only offered spiritual payoffs for such a high risk activity, many in this group viewed activism and even risk itself as means to achieve salvation and entrance to paradise (Wiktorowicz 2006 p.302). These points articulate that RCT doesnt provide an explanation of preference formation, but explains a strategy of choices under a set of ordered preferences (Wiktorowicz 2006 p.302) so RCT is not concerned with why individuals prioritise terrorism to the top of the list but it just wants to understand why we rationally choose to do something highly illegal and dangerous. Lastly Bruce Hoffman in regards to rationality of terrorism defines terrorism as the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear through violence or the threat of violence in the pursuit of political change. All terrorist acts involve violence or the threat of violence. (Hoffman 1998) his use of literature such as deliberate creation backs up the arguments of Wiktorowicz that terrorists pre-plan and prepare every step of terrorism, this could be in terms of signing up for Jihadist attacks or the preparation of bombs, the terrorists know what they are doing and gladly do it pursuing their own self interest at any cost. Delving into the theoretical underpinnings of the article, I firstly, came across within the literature a reference to Mother Teresa in which she advocated that religion was self-sacrificial and wasnt motivated by external rewards (Wiktorowicz 2006 p.302). This has one of two benefits; one the use of a similar theorist strengthens Wiktorowiczs argument, as the author is acknowledging a rationale in the idea that material goods are not the only driving force of an individual. And secondly, within this article by Kwilecki Wilson we can see a clear running theme for RCT as in the opening abstract they state that this paper applies rational choice to the religion of Mother Teresa (Kwilecki 2000 p.205). Lastly, upon viewing Wiktorowiczs endnote system, we can see the material they used to reference and guide their analysis is heavily interlinked to the analytical framework of RCT, such as the economic approach to human behaviour an introduction to rational choice by Jon Estler clearly shows that the theoretical underpinnings all point to a RCT perspective approach and has been applied to the topic of terrorism. With RCT being a major ideological contender within the social science world over the past six decades, there is now a huge library of literature attacking and defending RCT and is currently still growing. To begin I want to discuss the advantages of this particular approach in general. Firstly, RCT has survived this long due to its genuine fundamental strengths e.g. rationality accords with common sense in certain simple settings. For example, consider a choice between $5 and $10, no strings attached. (Herrnstein 1990 p.357) On this basis of behaviour, we would always choose the larger sum of money no matter what, so in a sense arguing against RCT is like arguing against the principal of indisputable truth and against common sense in general. Second, the sheer power of this theory is an undisputable strength of its own, as it has manifested itself into all disciplines that examine behaviour from political philosophy to the behaviourism in psychology; it is hard to critique such a coherent framework. So its generality in other words allows assumptions to be placed into a wide variety of topic areas, without them being splintered into a mix of complicated sub-theories. This common deductive base detaches them from other main theories as by reducing the area of disagreement it can work much more efficiently. Before 9/11 investigations into terrorist cells were minimal, so too were activities regarding anti-terrorism. However after the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, we witnessed a major influx with both participants in high risk activities as well as counter terrorism agencies investigating these radical motives. One thing is clear in terms of terrorism is the fact that RCT has opened up radical movements who were previously described as unflappable, ideological zealots trapped by rigid adherence to dogma, are now regarded as strategic thinkers.'(Wiktorowicz 2005 p.13) This approach breathes life into the study of terrorists actions and how to counteract such activities e.g. Deterrence, there is little doubt that old-fashioned deterrence reduces the amount of terrorism, and in theory increasing the risk and severity of being caught should also continue to drop the amount of people who adopt radical beliefs. Secondly moving on to the general criticisms of this theory, which has seen a wide range of claims made against it, for instance RCT cannot explain the existence of various social phenomenons such as trust, reciprocity and especially charity, as in such organisations the masses are the ones benefitting from the individuals actions, and the individual isnt rationally choosing to maximise their personal benefits. Furthermore in terms of the individuals choices, it is safe to say that individuals do not possess all knowledge and information on everything anything, so essentially humans rely on heuristics to guide our thought processes which essentially intelligent guesswork. This limitation can also go further into the fact that in society today and even in the past, peoples choices are constrained by the many social institutions of society the modal individual will find his or her actions checked from birth to death by familial and school rules; laws and ordinances'(Freidman 1991 p.208) . Continuing on from the last point its seems clear that its not just institutions structures holding individuals back, but the pressures of so called acceptable behaviour as these social norms are essentially a barrier to the pursuit of self-interest. Lastly on the general criticisms towards RCT Id like to discuss a point raised in the book by Paul Anard who wrote if rationality is about consistency, including logical consistency, then human agents cannot be considered rational in a full sense. (Anard 2002 p.22) This quote articulates a very interesting standpoint against the fundamental underpinnings of this theory as if RCT states we are so rational in mind body the n why do we have inconsistencies of thoughts, and why are these behaviours such a common occurrence within our society. A weakness RCT has in relation to terrorism is that RCT generally operates in a post-hoc manner where researchers usually examine past precedents to rationalise and predict similar event of the future, (Lindauer 2012 p.8) but in the area of terrorism this is not a good idea, as one terrorism is irrational that mathematically people cannot always predict events and secondly, if a mistake was to be made the consequences could be devastating and traumatic as peoples lives are at risk. As discussed previously within this essay, RCT has a high number of loyal followers and a wide literature on all subjects, so as RCT is focused upon behaviour, it has made important inroads to other topic areas not just the study of terrorism. One key area RCT is dominant in, is the low turnout rate within elections. RCT states that turnout is, for many people most of the time, a low-cost, low-benefit action. (Aldrich 1993 p.261) so will always suffer. This theory has been the backbone of reform and incentives to revert voter apathy and re-engage people back into politics. For example it is important for a political campaign to outline what benefits it will have on the individual causing it to be a high benefit action. Secondly RCT is prominent within criminology and the rationality of criminals, this topic is similar to terrorism in respect that, RCT argues the decision to commit an offense is negatively related to the perceived costs of crime and positively related to the perceived rewards of crime (Nagin 1993 p.479) thus meaning there is a rational mental process taking place within the individual before a crime is committed. Like petty crime is often committed at night or during quiet hours as criminals mentally calculate the benefits, such as they will be less likely to be disturbed or be seen committing a crime. RCT creates a wonderful overview to the behaviours of crime and the individuals within it. In conclusion the analytical framework utilised within the article of terrorism allows for a detailed and unique perspective on why individuals choose to commit terrorist actions. The authors use of case studies back up the RCT theory, adding not only depth but lying out clear empirical evidence of Rational choice for the reader to ponder. Because RCT is a more coherent group defined by a very clear methodology (Burnham 2008 p.26) allows the theory to be implemented into other areas. To give an example, the rationality within committing crime can be directly compared and contrasted towards terrorism interlinking the mental process that go with it, thus in turn creating a powerful theory of analysis which has much literature and backing. Lastly, concluding with my thoughts on using an analytical framework within academic research. I feel using a framework is crucial in order obtain an essay that consists of structural rigour. Studying a topic area can be a daunting task especially a v ery broad topic like many in the social sciences, but using an analytical framework can help break down the topic of your choice helping you research, gather present your findings into a coherent argument. Furthermore without a set framework the article will attempt to answer more questions than it can answer making it a weak descriptive academic piece of work.

Russells Treatment of Self-Discovery in Educating Rita :: English Literature

Russell's Treatment of Self-Discovery in Educating Rita (A) "RITA: See, I don't want a baby yet. See, I wanna discover meself first. Do you understand that?" Write about Russell's treatment of self-discovery and of its importance in the lives of the play's characters. The idea of self-discovery is a theme that runs throughout Educating Rita, demonstrating how it can be a personal mission as well as an accidental achievement in life. Both Frank and Rita, as well as the other, more minor characters, embark on this journey as Rita begins her Open University course. When Rita begins her the English Literature course, she is raring to go and wants to know "everything". She also puts in words, her personal desire for self-discovery. "I wanna discover meself." Rita knew from the beginning that she was on a mission and knew where she was going. Frank on the other hand, is quite content with his way of life and finds the idea of a "silly woman's attempts to get into the mind of Henry James" highly amusing although it does interrupt the monotony of his potentially extremely boring and predictive lifestyle. Russell demonstrates the idea of "self-discovery" through Rita by showing the way in which Rita has progressed during the play. At the beginning, Rita is the innocent student who wants "choices". She feels that she will be able to escape from the vicious circle that exists in working class society. The first signs of Rita's discovery are shown through her actions. Her first entrance is a forced entry into the office of Frank, whilst on her second visit she oils the door to make it easier for her to enter. Eventually, Russell no longer shows her entrance into the office but has her already there when the scene begins. Frank, shows less signs of self-discovery although he does in fact discover rather a lot about himself because of Rita. Frank has a drinking habit that he acknowledges but he does hide the signs of it and when Rita thinks she's "reformed" him he finds it highly amusing. Although Frank does not in fact cease drinking, he does get worse and it is the ultimate reason for his "sabbatical" to Australia. On the other hand, Frank's relationship with his former student Julia disintegrates as his fondness for Rita grows. Russell does this to show how the life of the teacher who is apparently stuck in a rut is also changing. The areas that Rita studies show how she has progressed. When she begins to form her own ideas which would hold their own in an examination, Frank doesn't appreciate it, he thinks that the progress

Alaska Coffee Company Essay

Sure Powell was given input by his retail managers, employees and customers, but he wasn’t given any advice from people that new the company inside and out. All the people that offered him advice had no knowledge regarding the financials or other intricate facets of the company. If he had a board of directors he might be able to make more informed decisions that better serve the company as a whole. It is clear he also didn’t have a clear process for managers to go through to implement changes and or suggestions. The chain of command was vague and rarely used except by going directly to or through him. His attitude of â€Å"let it rip† is great because it gives employees freedom to thing outside the box and make them feel like they are a major part of the company but does not give any structure to them. His marketing background is most likely a key contributor to the company’s success in implementing new products and keeping customers coming back but with no real experience in running a company before this he lacked the human resource skills necessary for a company to thrive which is clear in his passive leadership role. External Environmental Analysis Some of the key external forces with company were in the beginning not really having any competition which let the company grow and lock down a loyal customer base. Also with the Alaskan environment suiting coffee drinkers because of the mild to colder weather. Staying confined in one city also helped the brand name grow through word of mouth and helped lock down business opportunities. Having a roaster facility in the city also cut down on expenses and helped keep the coffee fresh which was one of their staple trademarks to serve the freshest coffee possible. Internal Environmental Analysis Some of the key internal forces for ACC were the fact that the company was built on loyal workers who stayed in the company due to chances for promotion and growth. Along with that and Powell’s leadership style it let employees act somewhat freely and have input into a company that strived to stay away from a corporate feel. The quality of the products that they offered also helped them since they were considered to have the top of the line products some of which were considered to be the best in the world. Having a small chain of command is also beneficial to the employees because it allows them to get things done relatively quickly without having to wait for it to go through many different levels of management. With most customers saying that the coffee was addicting and the atmosphere was very pleasant it leads to a happy environment for customers and workers alike allowing for the business to strive. Another problem of the external environment is that the shops were not strategically located. The areas that they were placed in were researched to some extent but not fully like a major company like Starbucks would do to make sure they can get the most out of the market. Not only that but they didn’t own all the building or locations that they were in having leased some of the spaces with only year contracts. SWOT Analysis The opportunities to grow for the ACC seemed to be limitless since they had already successfully competed with local competition and it did not affect their bottom line to a level of concern for them until, world conglomerate Starbucks entered the scene. Once they came on scene it became clear that competition would become a threat and opportunities could and would shrink. This was and is the biggest threat to ACC since Starbucks is already a well known product that strives to give customers the â€Å"Starbucks Experience†. This is where the customer can feel comfortable getting the same service and products at any store in the world compared to ACC’s differently styled shops and styles of running the stores. This is probably of the greatest concern since most of their stores have different layouts and feels you can’t go to one ACC store and then go to another and feel like it is just like the one you already visited. One strength that ACC has is that it is a local company built on staying small and having a non corporate feel. They also strive to employee young workers in a state that is economically stricken and worried about their young adults leaving the state to live elsewhere. One weakness I believe that they have is that their merchandise can be over priced and even though started to compete with lower priced items there were no real studies done on how well the products would do. One of their major weaknesses is their human resources department and their lack of technical support. They switched to new major software with no one that could fix a problem if one occurred. Business-Level Strategy Their strategy was to find a way to keep their customers loyal while offering the best possible choices in specialty coffees and to help contribute to the great state of Alaska’s economy. Their potential for success I believe is still quite good. As long as Powell can overhaul is leadership strategy and his chain of command, I think they could become even more profitable than they already are. He needs to make a lot of changes but he has the right idea and now he just needs to build on it. Even though it may not be the Alaskan way of doing things he needs to come up with written ways and policies to go about key things in his business. The communication chain also must be improved for the business to continue to be successful. Cooperative Strategy ACC has some key alliances in place already with major retailers already selling their products in wholesale as well as, disturbing them as needed. Having an alliance with an already established local produce market has obviously been key to their early success and I would guess that those are the stores that continue to post the most profits. Since they do not have a written agreement in place I would recommend that he do so because if he were to lose those locations to say Starbucks, it could be detrimental to his business. Even though some of the major retailers already offer Starbucks products to the public, it is important that ACC stays on good terms with them so as not to lose their business since they are solely confined to Alaska any lose of a major retailer could have vastly negative effects. It is also key that stay in good relationships with the companies that they do their major business with for the same reasons as above. Options and Recommendation In order for ACC to stay in the specialty coffee market, they will need to do some drastic overhauling. Starting with Powell, he needs to establish a direct chain of command and follow through with it. He already gives managers leeway with projects but he has to help them make more informed decision so that he will not have to cancel projects. He also needs to bring in a financial analyst to help teach his managers how to budget and be more open with the financials of the business. After that he needs to revamp his human resource department and definitely bring in an IT specialist to help deal with any software issues. While he also needs to bring in people to train all the essential employees on how to use the software adequately enough that they will be able to teach new employees. I would say he then needs to have a clear line of vision of where he wants the company to go and how he wants it to get there. In order to do that I believe he needs a committee or a board of directors to help weigh in on decisions and help spark new ways and ideas of innovating and implementing strategies. It is also apparent that he needs to upgrade his facilities so that they can operate at full capacity which will also help get rid of some of the overhead he has. Then he needs to establish one way that all stores will look and future stores will be laid out. The one thing that he may not want to do because it may seem like they are going corporate but there are too many uncertainties from one store to the next. They do not have to be identical but the way things are done internally and as far as customer service goes that should be. Overall I think ACC can last and be the main Specialty Coffee supplier in Alaska he just needs to do a little overhauling.

Mental Health Care And Substance Abuse Treatment - 1886 Words

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Dual diagnosis recovery blends the most successful aspects of mental health care and substance abuse treatment. Instead of treating each disorder separately and through two separate programs, the issues are being treated as part of a continuum. Clinicians who work in the addiction field can now be trained in the treatment of co-occurring mental health disorders. To have an effective treatment plan both issues (addiction and mental illness) needs to be considered. It is also important that the treatment be appropriate to the individual’s age, gender, ethnicity and culture. AShow MoreRelatedThe Affordable Care Act And The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Service Administration?786 Words   |  4 PagesSubstance abuse has been a known topic which has not been recognized and fully treated the way it should. 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