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Using a Sociological ApproacH

Using a Sociological ApproacH

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The essay writer research found out that it is the fact that people do not have the money as the main reason why they are unable to appreciate the food deserts. It has been the conventional idea that people often disregard food deserts because it is simply too difficult for them to access these areas. However, the researchers did a study of a neighborhood in Raleigh, N.C. where a food desert can be found and discovered that it did not offer fresh produce and most of the available products cost 25% more as compared to the supermarkets. The researchers also interviewed people from that neighborhood which concentrated on the food shopping habits of these people. It was discovered that price was the most significant factor that the people considered in terms of their food shopping. Thus, it should not be surprising anymore that the people from that neighborhood still opted to go to the supermarket where they can buy fresh produce at more affordable prices even if it was farther than the food desert.

Theory

Rational choice theory mentions that people make their decisions based on whatever will give them the most benefit or happiness. They make sure that they come away very satisfied with the decision that they make because they know that they deserve to experience happiness and peace of mind. Thus, people are careful in making their decisions and they gather all the facts that they need which they will analyze eventually before coming up with a decision. They identify the possible options that they can choose from and weigh the advantages as well as the disadvantages of these options. The option that will offer the people the most benefits and the least disadvantages will certainly be the one that will be their rational choice.

The rational choice theory relates to the research findings in the article in the sense that the people from the neighborhood in Raleigh, N.C. chose to go to the supermarket instead of the food desert because doing this gave them the most benefits and the least disadvantages. The people from this neighborhood wanted to have consistent access to fresh produce and other products at affordable prices. The supermarket was the one that gave these benefits to them and not the food desert. Thus, even if the supermarket was farther than the food desert, the people from the neighborhood still chose to go the supermarket because this was the rational thing to do. The people from the neighborhood were willing to spend more time going to a farther area just to go to the supermarket because this was where they could feel happy and satisfied and not in the food desert.

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Evaluate

The research method that was used in the article was an in-depth interview of the 42 neighborhood residents in Raleigh, N.C. where there was a food desert. The advantage of using this research method is that the researchers have a better and deeper understanding of the perspectives of the people they are interviewing. Aside from this, another advantage of the in-depth interview is that the researchers get the results that they want right away and straight from their participants themselves. The disadvantage of the in-depth interview is that it consumes a lot of time on the part of the researchers and the participants. This means that the researchers and participants must be willing to dedicate ample time for the in-depth interview to be successful. Aside from this, another disadvantage of the in-depth interview is that there is tremendous pressure on the part of the researchers to ask the right questions and establish rapport with their participants because otherwise, the in-depth interview will not be successful.

The additional research that should be conducted to learn more about the problem examined in the article is to do a case study on the food shopping habits of the entire neighborhood in Raleigh, N.C. where there is a food desert. This is because of the reality that merely interviewing 42 people from that neighborhood will not be enough to conclude right away that there are certain shopping habits that the whole neighborhood follows. However, if a case study is done, this means that everybody in that neighborhood in Raleigh, N.C. will get a chance to share their ideas and opinions regarding their food shopping habits. This includes being able to answer the question as to whether they prefer to go to the supermarket or the food desert in their area. The results of the case study will give the researchers a clearer picture of the true food shopping habits of that entire neighborhood in Raleigh, N.C.

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By Hanna Robinson

Hanna has won numerous writing awards. She specializes in academic writing, copywriting, business plans and resumes. After graduating from the Comosun College's journalism program, she went on to work at community newspapers throughout Atlantic Canada, before embarking on her freelancing journey.