The research question which is formulated in the future work has to do with the social implications of smoking in Australia. To formulate the question properly one should pay particular attention to the background of the topic, including its relevance, background, and perspective issues that may be addressed in future research. Besides this, specific attention should be paid to the aims of the current research, methods, and approaches which will be used in its course.
Topic background
The problem of smoking is crucial for all countries, no matter developed or not because it is ruining the health of the citizens and future generations in favor of the bunch of tobacco corporations. In Australia, the problem of smoking is extremely burning due to the high rates of diseases and deaths among smokers, negative impact on the different spheres of life, public health stability, and the wide range of other spheres (Tyrrell, 1999; Butler, Rissel & Khavarpour (1999).
What is even more significant, smoking patterns of life are extremely widespread among youth, which can be a severe blow for future generation’s health. Modern neoliberal patterns of public policy recently resulted in significant neglect of these problems on the part of the governmental agencies, which in turn leads to further deterioration of the health situation.
As Lawson claims, due to increasing polarization between rich and poor in Australia as in the other Western countries, the patterns of life also significantly polarize with high-income people adhering to healthy life behavior and low-income people further neglect healthy way of life and consider smoking to be the source of psychological and moral relaxation (1999).
In this situation, more attention should be paid to the concerted actions of civil society, local communities, citizens, and other stakeholders directed at radically redressing the situation with smoking. In our research, particular attention will be placed on the analysis of smoking as a social phenomenon, which requires a complex approach to its resolution (Lewis, 2003).
Research Aims
Based on the background of the issue the following research aims and objectives may be formulated. First of all, a general analysis of data concerning smoking in Australia will be provided. This includes the research of a total number of smokers, quantitative analysis of smoking among various age, gender, and class categories. Besides this, the analysis of the health consequences of smoking in Australia will be provided based on the statistical information of Australian governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations.
Drawing on various methods of research, the analysis of subjective reactions of models of smokers’ behavior will be provided with the specific emphasis on the smokers’ perception of their bad habits, the reasons for smoking, and attitudes towards the possible perspective of breaking the habit.
The following aim of our research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of existing policies and initiatives designed by governmental agencies, Australian communities, and non-governmental organizations to tackle the problem of smoking. The specific attention is paid to the existing governmental funds and programs and legislation addressing smoking in public places and responsibilities of citizens, social advertising against smoking initiated by the state, policies vis-à-vis tobacco companies, and limitations of those activities, that run contrary to the moral mission of Australian democratic state.
Particular attention will be also paid to the analysis of social activism and campaigns against smoking, the role of family, community, and society in the resolving smoking problem. It should be noted also that among the foremost aims of future research, the analysis of the possible strategies, innovations, and initiatives to tackle the problem of smoking in Australia will be provided. The proposition of the intact strategy for combating smoking should be based on the proper evaluation of the current policies including their advantages and shortcomings. Based on the exposition of research objectives, it should be concluded that the main emphasis of future research will be put on the elaboration of the appropriate tools for overcoming the problem of smoking in Australia.
Methods and Approaches
As it was noted above future research will be based on the system approach to the problem of smoking which emphasizes the role of social factors, income issues, individual and culturally affected patterns of behavior, which constitute the topic issue( Liamputtong and Ezzy, 2005).
The analysis of behavioral and mental patterns of smoking among various groups of smokers (based on gender, age, and class) will be made using quantitative and qualitative methods of sociological data analysis including sampling, survey, and interviewing.
The methodology of interview questions design and data estimation will be based on the studies of notable scholars such as Bouma and Ling (2004), Neuman (2006), and others. It should be noted that in my view, the abovementioned combination of system approach and quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis is the most adequate tool for careful examination of smoking in Australia.
Based on this, we hope that the research objectives will be fully achieved.
References
Bouma, G. and Ling, R. ,2004, The research process, 5th ed, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, ch. 4 & 6, 15.
Butler, C., Rissel, C., & Khavarpour, F. ,1999, “The Context for Community Participation in Health Action in Australia” Australian Journal of Social Issues, 34(3), 253.
Lawson, E. J., 1994, The Role of Smoking in the Lives of Low-Income Pregnant Adolescents: A Field Study. Adolescence, 29(113), 61-89.
Lewis, M. J., 2003, The People’s Health: Public Health in Australia, 1950 To the Present, Westport, CT, Praeger Publishers.
Liamputtong, P. and Ezzy, D., 2005 2nd ed., Qualitative Research Methods, South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, ch. 10 Researching the ‘Vulnerable’.
Liamputtong, P. and Ezzy, D., 2005, 2nd ed., Qualitative Research Methods, South Melbourne, Oxford University Press, ch., 9 Participatory Action Research.
Neuman W.L., 2006, Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, 6th ed. Pearson, Boston. Ch 1,2and 3.
Palangkaraya, A., & Yong, J.,2005, Effects of Recent Carrot-and-Stick Policy Initiatives on Private Health Insurance Coverage in Australia. Economic Record, 81(254), 262-297.
Tyrrell, I. 1999, Deadly Enemies: Tobacco and Its Opponents in Australia. Sydney, N.S.W., University of New South Wales Press.