Read the article:
Using Observational Methods to Research the Student Experience.

Think about the following to guide your research:

What are some of the basics methods of observation outlined in the article?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of colleting observational data?
Read the following resources related to this activity:

Cozby ? Chapter 6

Application of Exploratory Research:

After reviewing the required readings answer questions 6-8 in Cozby, page 125-127. This section discusses observational methods, which are often involved in qualitative research. Please answer questions in detail and support your answers with scholarly research citations where appropriate. Each response should be approximately 250-500 words and should use your critical thinking skills.

Use APA style in preparing your paper and citing references (i.e., the paper should follow APA for all paper and text formatting). The paper should be 1-3 pages in length.

*The upload will have the article to read and pgs 121-126 -the questions are on pgs. 125-126. You only have tho answer questions 6.7 and 8.

-Just to remind you my research topic is on school violence.

I seriousl . I shalltherefore ass o’verthiase more exotic roofs. There are,
0 n Bel fig a n Atheist [ howeveii, three proofs whiiih do seem to‘me to move opidinary theists to
their theism, and indeed, to constitute major motivations towards a
H J MCCLOSKEY belief in God, namely the cosmological proof, the teleological proof,
and the argument from design;-‘ (The latter are distinct, although they
I are commonly confusedand advanced in conjunction as one proof.
Because they have similar defects, I shall discuss them together.)
People are moved to a generalpif vague, theism by reflection on the
cause of it all. They feel that there must be a first cause, a creator, who
brought everything into being, and who now ‘holds the whole world in
N this article I wish to remind fellow atheists of the grounds upon i his hands’. They do not think far enough not hard enough about the
Iwhich theists base their belief in God,rof the-inadequacy of these problem of an uncaused causepwho must be a necessarily existing
grounds, why we believe that there is no God, and then Iishall look – being, to see that this argument is lessiconclusive than it seems at first
at the claim that theists commonly make that atheism” is a cold, comfort- sight. And people are, to my mind, even more frequently moved ‘to a
less position, that, as one Christian recently put it to me, ‘It’s harder if I belief in God by what they take to be evidence of design and purpose in
you _don‘t believe in God.’ I shall offer reasons why I believe that the world. One is constantly hearing theists, the parson more perhaps
atheism_is a much more comfortable belief than theism, and why theists than the theologian, alluding‘ to design and purpose as facts which
should be miserable just because they are theists. I shall therefore be ‘ necessitate a belief in God. It is not surprising that this is so. If one knows
making points familiar to most thoughtful atheists, but I make no 5 nothing about evolution it is easy to fall into the error ofseeing adaption
apology for doing so, as it is useful for us to remind ourselves of the to environment as evidenceof design and purpose. I shall therefore
reasons for and virtues of our belief. This is especially true in respect of briefly remind my readers of the defects of these arguments, as they bear
thesuperiority of atheism to theism as a source of strength, for the theist’s on why I think theism to be a comfortless, spine-chi1ling doctrine.
claim that theism gives benefits which do not come with atheism is ‘ I propose to treat tlwcamalogicaf ‘argument as being the argument its
gravely false, yet atheists are not uncommonly deceived by it. I shall name suggests it to be, namely an argument from the existence of the
not attempt to consider all the benefits theists claim to come with belief world as we know it, and not as it is often set out as simply an argument
in God. For example, I recently heard a Christian seriously commending from the existence of something.“ The defects of this argument are many.
Jesus Christ as the supreme tranquillizer, as being better for one’s nerves There is the dilliculty already alluded to, that the first cause must be
than any tonic or tranquillizer. Such claims are so absurd and so dis- explained as an uncaused cause, otherwise we are left with an infinite
respectful of thoughtful religious belief, it would be discourteous to regress of causes, gods in this case,_the’ very sort of regress this argument.
serious theists to consider them. .:-I ‘= – ” . seeks to avoid. This means that thefirst cause must be explained as being
A Christian colleague and friend has often observed to me that our a necessarily existing beingfbne whocannot not exist. The mere exist-
philosopher colleagues attribute too much importance to the role of the ence of the world constitutes no reason’f’or believing in the existence of
pro_of§ of the existence of God as a basis for religious belief, that most such a being. If we use the causal argument at all, all we are entitled to
theists do not come to believe in God as a result of reflecting on the infer is the existence of a cause commehsurate with the effect to be ex-
proofs, but come to religion as a result of other reasons and factors. plained, the universe, and this.does’~not entitle us to postulate an all-
This is probably true of most proofs, especially those which so occupy powerful, all-perfect, uncaused ca1ise:,The most it would entitle one to
the attention of philosophers. Proofs such as the ontological proof carry conclude is that the cause is powerful enough and imperfect enough to
no weight with the ordinary theist. And while such proofs may confirm “e have created the sort of world we know.
a doubting theist in his belief if he accepts them as sound, they seem not The world we know does not reveal itself to us as the handiwork of an
to be causes of the initial religious belief, even in those who take them omnipotcnt, all-perfect being. Thisbbjection is one way of putting