Variables
In comparative examination of the personal standards that students in Kuwait University and University of Kentucky employ when choosing their spouse, the research proposal will provide a conceptual definition of the variables. The research proposal hypothesizes that about 60% of the student population agrees that culture has a significant influence on the choice of a spouse among students. From the hypothesis, one can derive the notion that culture is an important variable because it varies from one culture to another.
Andreasen (2005) states that culture is a variable that shapes and influences how individuals perceive relationships, marriage, and family in modern society. Comparatively, the choice of spouse is also another important variable in the research proposal because it varies from one person to another depending on the cultural background of a person. Conceptually, the study thus needs to establish the relationships between culture and choice of spouses.
Analysis of the relationships of variables in the study classifies them into independent and dependent variables. Since the research proposal seeks to establish the existence of cultural practices that influence how individuals choose spouses, cultural practices and choice of individuals are two variables of the study. Culture is an independent variable because it is a factor, which influences how individuals choose spouses.
Garcia (2001) argues that cultural practices have significant influence on the choice of spouses that individuals make because they dictate how individuals relate to the society. For instance, while one culture offers freedom to individuals to choose spouses, another culture limits freedom by arranging marriages among its members. The choice of spouse is a dependent variable of the research proposal because it depends on cultural practices that are present in a given culture. Thus, cultural practices and choice of spouse are independent and dependent variables of the research proposal respectively.
In the comparative study, students in Kuwait University and University of Kentucky represent independent variables of the study. In essence, cultural differences between students in Kuwait University and University of Kentucky make students have different perceptions of relationships, marriage, and family. Hence, Kuwait culture and Kentucky culture are two aspects of the independent variable, which represent eastern and western cultures respectful.
In measuring the independent variable, cultural practices, the research proposal will examine different aspects of cultural practices. To establish the impact of cultural practices on the choice of spouses, the research proposal will employ structured questionnaires in the form of five-Likert scale to gather views, perceptions, and expectations among students. Hence, the structuring of questions to form a five-Likert scale converts qualitative data into quantitative data (Winer, 2009). When answering the questions, the students will tick appropriate numbers such as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 to represent strongly disagree, disagree, undecided, agree, and strongly agree respectively.
Structured Questionnaire
Students will tick (√) appropriate responses.
Sample
To collect data regarding how cultural factors influence the way students choose spouses, the research proposal will administer questionnaires to students in Kuwait University and University of Kentucky. Hence, the unit of analysis of the study comprises students who are at the Kuwait University and University of Kentucky. Arthur (2007) argues that the diversity in cultural practices influences how individuals choose spouses.
Thus, the students in different universities are appropriate for the study because they allow comparative analysis of the eastern and western cultures. While eastern culture has a significant influence on the choice of spouse, western culture has no significant influence on the choice of spouse. Thus, comparative analysis of western and eastern cultures is essential.
Given that both the Kuwait University and Kentucky University have thousands of students, sampling of the participants of the study is essential. The study will employ the probability method of sampling because it reduces biases that normally occur in the selection of participants. To ensure that there is proper representation of students across all the universities while considering gender balance, the research proposal will employ a stratified method of random sampling.
According to Levy and Lemeshow (2013), stratified method of random sampling is a convenient method of sampling because it enables one “to obtain separate estimates for population parameters for each sub-domain within an overall population” (p. 55). Stratified method of random sampling suits the study as it allows representation of students in both the proportion and gender. In this case, the research proposal will sample 100 students from each of the universities. This implies that the sample size for the study is 200 (N = 200). The sampling procedure will also ensure that there is a balanced representation of gender, which means that the participants will comprise of 50 male and 50 female students in each university.
As the study will use the sample size of 200 (N = 200), the sample has some potential limitations. The issue of representation is a limitation because both universities have thousands of students. The sample size of 200 will limit the external validity of the findings because it represents barely 1% of the population. Moreover, since the students are from one university in the eastern world and another university in the western world, the universities do not partly represent respective cultures. In this view, the sample size of 200 and comparative study of two universities reduces the external validity of the findings, and consequently their generalizability.
Other limitations that relate to the study are that of the reliability of the questionnaire and validity of information, which students will provide. Given that the questionnaire uses Likert scaled statements, Carter (2009) asserts that construction of Likert scaled statements is subjective, as it varies from one person to another. The use of Likert scale statements has some inaccuracies because the statements do not cover all cultural variables that influence how students choose spouses.
In addition, the validity of the information that students will provide is questionable because it depends on social, economic, and cultural perceptions. Some students may provide certain information because they their social status and not necessarily because of their cultural background. Hence, the reliability of the questionnaires and validity of collected data need consideration in the interpretation the research findings.
References
Andreasen, R. (2005). The meaning of ‘race’: folk conceptions and the new biology of race. Journal of Philosophy 102, 94-106.
Arthur, J. (2007). Race, equality, and the burdens of history. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Garcia, J. (2001). Racism and racial discourse. Philosophical Forum, 32(2), 125-145.
Carter, S. (2009). The Social Validity Manual: A Guide to Subjective Evaluation of Behavior Interventions. New York: Academic Press.
Levy, P., & Lemeshow, S. (2013). Sampling of Populations: Methods and Applications. London: Wiley and Sons.
Winer, R. (2009). New communications approaches in marketing: issues and research directions, Journal of Interactive Marketing, 23(2), 108-117.