Age of Holidaymakers in Walmington - Research Paper Example

Walmington case study: Reasons of increase in average age of holiday-makers stay town s Table of Contents S.no. Introduction Pg. no. 1. The aims of study 03 2. Fieldwork 03 3. Changing trends 04 4. Pull Factors 04 5. Push Factors 05 6. Exogenous Factors 05 7. Research 07 8. Types of Research Methods 08 10. Objectives of the study 11 11. Precision of Sample result & Non-sampling Error 12 12. Conclusion and Recommendations 19 13. References 22 14. Questionnaire 24 The aims of the study: The aims of the study are to: Systematically explore, using focus groups, and secondary data the extent of socio-economic implications caused by increase in average age of holidaymaker's stay at Walmington-on-Sea District Council (WDC). Explore in depth, using qualitative interviews, the nature of socio-economic factors. Gain an understanding of these issues by using case study of the Walmington town. Fieldwork: Focus Group for case study will be carried out by taking a sample of 20 people who will from age group ranging 20-60 years in order to gain the knowledge of vast perspective. The questionnaire which will be undertaken would include questions investigating economic, social and health status of the individuals which will help in analysing the socio-economic implications caused by increasing stay of holiday-makers to Walmington. Focus Group will be undertaken through direct discussions with the individuals. The simple Random sampling design will be used to make precise inferences about the target population. The sample strategy will include younger as well as older residents of Walmington. The focus group will focus on Walmington. Most of the previous studies cover the inland regions. But the cutting edge of the study will be its concentration on the Coastal area of Walmington. Although this cutting edge will also become a hindrance because we will not be able to find much data from the previous studies to which we can refer for comparative purposes. Changing trends of Migration: Most of the previous studies indicate the rising trends of migration from urban areas towards the rural regions. This is not only effecting the social factors but also changing the employment conditions (Dissart and Deller, 2000; 135-161; Lewis, Hunt, and Plantinga, 2002; 245-259). Pull Factors: The pull factors include all those, which attract an individual to take the decision of migrating to a region. O'Reilly (2004; 102) states that these may include the weather conditions of a place and benefits to health feature highly, as do the slower pace of life, quality of life, the culture of the destination, and the cost of living, a better quality retirement or in order to be able to retire early; some wants a new a challenge or the opportunity to begin a new life. On the other hand many people see it beneficial to migrate towards suburban and rural environments. Push Factors: However, the study undertaken by O' Rielly (2004) also found among those, a number of 'push' factors; that is, negative experiences that pushed people to think about leaving a place. People are moving to coastal towns to escape high crime rates, especially in inner city areas. Parents are migrating to give their children a better life, or a better start, or to get them away from youth culture in Britain. This is due to the fact that the urban areas are growing at a fast pace making living costly and harder to afford. Mieszkowski and Mills (1993; 135-147) states that the lower rate of negative factors (i.e. lower social and fiscal problems) make a place favourite destination for migration. Other factors, such as population growth, household income, agricultural land rents, and commuting costs, determine sprawl and urban growth at the fringe (Brueckner and Pansier, 1983; 479-482). Exogenous Factors: Duffy-Deno, (1998; 109-136) states that the migration decision of the household is shaped according to the fiscal, local, and amenity factors. Fiscal factors are associated with public-sector costs of moving to a new region and are typically concerned with tax rates and systems. However, overall utility of an area may also depend on how tax revenue is spent. People may be willing to incur higher tax burdens if the funds are spent on public goods such as transportation (roads), safety (fire and police), or education. Local factors may affect household migration decisions through a sense of community, transportation infrastructure, location, health care, and other local characteristics of places. Amenity factors may also directly affect migration decisions and may include climate, open space, and recreational opportunities (Dissart and Deller, 2000; 135-161). Warnes et al. (2002) further states that this growth creates obvious demands and environmental pressures, and is changing the social character of rural areas and small towns, but without this new function, their employment would fall and stagnation would be more likely. The pattern creates new demands for specialist housing and in both inner cities and rural area bolsters the local economy. But there are potentially problematic environmental and community impacts. (Warnes, Lowles & Kyeung, 2002) The provision of housing, services and amenities for people is growing in importance for local economies, particularly in the north and east. It is compatible with tourism and encourages service jobs. The function should be seen positively, not denied or decried, and imaginatively addressed. (Warnes, Lowles & Kyeung, 2002) Horsnell (1998) states that Economists that have specialised in migration agree that a mass migration lowers the wages of the already low paid and causes unemployment. Of the migrants who are in the UK, only one in five end up working, and the majority of them work in unskilled jobs. Research: Research is a fact-finding activity (Dominowski, 1980; 60). The aim of primary research is to make known something previously unknown and to advance human knowledge by making it more certain or better fitting; the aim is discovery (Elias and Dunning, 1986; 91-92). A research design provides a structure for the collection and analysis of data. A preference of research design reflects decisions about precedence being given to a scope of dimension of the research process (Bryman, 2001; 54-57). Kerlinger (1986; 34) used more technical language to define it as the systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical propositions about presumed relations among natural phenomena. There are two types of data sources; primary research where the data deign, analyse and collect by the researcher and the secondary sources where the researcher re-analysing data that have already been collected for some other purpose (David & Sutton, 2004; 97). Types of research methods: Qualitative research: There are many methods to get the required information, the important things that should be kept in mind while gathering information are, the information should be practical, cost-effective, accurate, credible to the decision makers and the nature of the audience confirm to the methods. This is the primary phase of research. Quantitative research: After getting the required data qualitatively some conclusions are drawn from the data; the results are tested on a larger scale by taking statistical analysis. This is the quantitative research also termed the secondary phase of research. There are many ways to collect a data qualitatively; they are Questionnaires, checklists and surveys: the aim of this method is to get the information quickly; the advantage is the identity of the respondent can be protected; lots of data can be collected. However, in this method clear feed back cannot be obtained. Interviews: the aim is to understand the individual's experiences and impressions, the advantages are in-depth information can be obtained; a relationship with the client can be established. This process can be time consuming, costly Documentation review: The aim of this method is to review how the programme operates, without interrupting it, it can be performed through memos, review of applications, finances etc, advantages to this method are, and comprehensive and historical information can be obtained. The disadvantages are the process is time consuming, there is not flexibility to collect the data, and the data may be incomplete. Observation: The aim of the programme is to gather the information on how the processes of the programme actually operate, the advantages are the actual processes can be viewed and the events can be adopted. The disadvantages are the difficulty to interpret the seen behaviours, can be difficult to categorise the observations, and are expensive. Documentation review is an excellent way of evaluating the industry by taking a review of the research done in the past. Lot of useful information can be obtained through this method. For the effective implementation of the documentation major objectives of the research should be identified. Research plan should be developed very carefully keeping in view the main objectives of the research. Sequence of process should be such, that the a large amount of information can be possible to obtain in a very short time span, written notes should be taken and finally written notes on the documentation review are verified. Agenda should have, review of the agenda, review of the goal of the agenda, review of the ground rules and wrap-up etc. Documentation review normally comprise of the important information from documents of similar nature relating to the field of research, so documents should be selected from the set of documents having useful information regarding the research topic. They should be selected from variety of sources such as journal article, newspaper reviews, experts interviews, information available at Internet. In the review each document should be referenced properly and the key addressed points should be summarised. Objectives of the Study: Generally speaking, the objective of conducting a focus group is to learn something about the population but what is meant by objective here, is that what specific hypotheses are to be tested. In studying the socio-economic implications caused by increase in average age of holid28a28y28-28makers stay at Walmington; the objectives will be many and varied, such as: Investigating the economic conditions of the individuals included in sample. The employment status of these individuals. The size of the household. The time period of residence in Walmington. Reasons for migration to Walmington. The social and recreational activities undertaken by these individuals. Their health status. Usage of health and transportation facilities. The following aspects should be considered when defining a strategy for the focus groups (Mason, 1996; 83-87): The questions should make sense and be meaningful to the participants. The questions should be related to the participants experiences based on what is already known about them. The researcher must take care to be sensitive to the needs of the participant. The researcher should be aware of the flow of the interview interaction by attempting to move seamlessly between topics and questions. The researcher needs to focus on issues and topics that are relevant to the research problem and questions. Questions have been compiled from the existing literature and detailed in relation to the research topic, aim and objectives, and focused on the main areas described above. The researcher will note all the replies to questions and then transcribe the data of whole discussion. Precision Of Sample Results And Non-Sampling Error Two kinds of errors are generally associated with sampling, a sampling error and a non-sampling error. The sampling error measures the precision of a sample result. It refers to how closely we can reproduce from a sample the results which would be obtained if we had a complete count or a census, using the same method of measurement, questionnaire, interview procedures, type of enumerators, supervision, etc. In other words the sampling error is the difference between a population value (parameter) and the corresponding sample value (statistic). The non-sampling error arises due to faulty questionnaire, error in measurement, confused interviewing, inefficient supervision etc. this error is not measurable but can be controlled by careful design of questionnaire, proper training of interviewers and vigilant supervision. Justification for choosing the sample size: It is the absolute size of the sample, which is important, not its size relative to the population. A sample size of 10 respondents will be determined because of the following: The researcher wants a good level of precision and details in the results. Participants will all residents or migrants to Walmington, and these people co-operated a lot in providing detailed and precise information, which will cause the researcher not to extend the sample size beyond this number. Analysis: Veal (1997; 45-47) suggests that the essence of any qualitative data analysis must be to return to the research questions at hand and begin to sort and evaluate the information gathered in relation to the question posed and the concepts identified. Thus the initial steps in the analysis involve fairly methodological procedures to classify and organise the information collected. According to Blanche and Durrheim (1999; 56-59), qualitative data analysis tends to be primarily an inductive method of organising data into categories and identifying patterns. For this study a content analysis method will followed to understand the procedures and importance of qualitative data analysis. Babbie (1995; 91) states that the most general guide to analysing qualitative data involves looking for similarities and dissimilarities. The focus must be on those patterns of interactions and events that are generally common to what the researcher is studying. This type of analysis forms the core of analysing the qualitative data collected during this study. Themes will be identified and the data then will be classified into categories and themes. The analysis will be completed when the researcher feels that his interpretation can be shared with the Walmington policy-makers and social planners in both the public and private sectors and will make a meaningful contribution to the betterment of the migrants as well as residents in Walmington. Limitations: The limitations of the data collected will be that not an enormous amount of related data will be available in order to do the comparative analysis. Another limitation will be the non-provision of 100% true information regarding their economic conditions. The reliability of the economic information may cause reporting error. Organising data: the data will be organised in a chronological order, on the individuals, who provide their information to help us study the related fields. Developing a narrative: a readable story from individual's perspective will be developed such that the narration includes key information on the individual's experiences that lead to analyse the economic and social conditions of migrants. Cross comparison: cross comparison of the information with other relatively similar case studies will be performed although not an enormous amount of related data will be available. That will make the study to improve its strengths and overcome the weaknesses of the recommendation. Sampling and sample size: Sample is a subset or subgroup of the population, while the sample size is the actual number of subjects chosen as a sample to represent the population characteristics. Sampling is the process of selecting items from the population so that the sample characteristics can be generalised to the population (Jennings, 2001; 65). To guarantee the representativeness of the sample, the researcher must make sure that it is random. In random sampling all members of the population have an equal chance of being included in the sample (Veal, 1997; 45-47). In qualitative research sample size are in general small, thus probability theory and notions of statistical representativeness do not apply. The sample might choose to encapsulate a range of characteristics relevant to the subject under study, or provide a detailed view of behaviour, events or experiences that are seen in the wider population (McGivern, 2003; 78). Whenever the problem of obtaining information, concerning a large aggregate of people, farms, firms, records etc., occurs then a first hand information may be obtained by conducting census or survey. The methods of conducting a census or an every unit of the population while, in a survey the information are collected from only the randomly selected units of the population. The advantage of a sample survey over that of the census is that it is likely to provide results of the desired precision at relatively low cost and greater speed. The sample survey method allow the use of trained enumerators who can collect much more detailed information from a representative group under controlled conditions. Sample survey is considered by some as an inferior substitute of census which is totally wrong, in fact, it is the only method for testing the reliability of census data. The stages involved in the planning and execution of sample survey may be outlined as follows. As mentioned earlier that the reliability of conclusions drawn about the populations depends largely on the selection of a representative sample, the precision of the results obtained from a sample depends not only on the size of the sample but also on the sample design i.e., on the way in which the sample is selected. To have an efficient sample design one must make effective use of available resources. These resources include such items as staff, equipment, physical facilities and statistical information and other knowledge of the population to be sampled. There are many alternative sample designs that may be applied to a particular problem, however, before one make a choice between alternative designs, he must determine, on the basis of a set of criteria, which design is more efficient. The criteria for distinguishing between good and bad design may be stated as follows. (i) Select a design for which one can get from the sample itself an objective measure of the precision of the sample estimates. (ii) The design should be simple and straightforward which can be practically executed. (iii) As far as possible it should be a probability sample, i.e., the probability of selection of the respondents must be known, which may not necessarily equal. (iv) From among alternative sample designs which meet the above criteria, select the one which provide results of maximum reliability per unit of cost. After the objectives of the study have been clearly defined the next task was the selection of a representative sample. If this is unsatisfactory then no reliable conclusions can be drawn about the sampled population. Two important points are to be taken care: (1) the sample should be statistically random, (2) an appropriate sample design should be incorporated. In order to overcome both the drawbacks the sample was selected from the residents and migrants in Walmington. Sample age groups and Gender: The sample size of the study will constitute 20 individuals.15 of which are male and 5 female. Most of the earlier studies focused on the sample consisting of a specific age group. But in order to demonstrate the difference in the perceptions and social and economic factors we will include all age groups in our sample population. Nevertheless, this younger sample, with an average age of 55 (median age 56) will demonstrate an older population than the one from which the migrants will be drawn. The least age of the sample population will be 16 years and the highest age limit is 60 years. Conclusion and Suggestions: Like all the studies before the above data indicate that Walmington is a most suitable destination for the people taking the decision of migration. It has all the characteristics, which can provide its citizens with all the basic necessities of life. With the increase in the older population the number of older people in Walmington is expected to grow in the coming decades of 20th century than that in the 19th century. The report also expects the disparity between urban and rural age profiles to widen further in future years. (Population Characteristics) The significant characteristic of today's old age population is that they have higher expectations and income than older people in the past. Few health and social services presently focus on responding to the health, social and residential care needs of old age groups is a major challenge. From the above survey results it is evident that the local government and NHS are successfully serving the health needs of the people of Walmington. The main important requirement is the establishment of new social services. Since Walmington is a tourism town there is more chances of chronological diseases to be imported by the tourists. Socio-economic and environmental factors, as well as service deficiencies, are implicated. Concerted effort is required to improve services and implement the NHS Service Framework for older people. Tourism: Tourism is an important part of the economy of Walmington. With the increasing old age population and the increase in no. of pensioners it is important to enhance and develop the tourism industry. Today the town's tourist industry mainly caters for working-class holidaymakers and day-trippers from Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham and other areas of the East Midlands. Walmington is so bracing. Walmington remains popular with generation after generation due to its delightful combination of the best of the old and the best of the new. With so much to see and do it's hard to fit everything in but a firm favourite for all ages is the fabulous beach, with its fantastic golden sand. Only minutes from the town centre and with a handy car park on the beach edge, the vital bucket and spade and picnic basket needn't be carried far, and for the children the famous Walmington donkeys offer an alternative form of transport. In order to increase the income from tourism industry it is important to enhance the attractions of the region. References Babbie, E., (1995). The practice of social research, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, pg. 91 Brueckner, J. K., and D. A. Pansier, (1983). "The Economics of Urban Sprawl: Theory and Evidence on the Spatial Size of Cities." Review of Economics and Statistics 65(3), 479-482. Bryman, A., (2001). Social research methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press, pg. 54-57. David, M. and Sutton, C., (2004). Social research: The basics. London: SAGE, pg. 97. Dissart, J. C., and S. C. Deller. (2000). "Quality of Life in the Planning Literature." Journal of Planning Literature 15(1), 135-161. Dominowski, R.L., (1980). Introduction to logic, 6th ed., New York: Macmillan, Pg. 60. Duffy-Deno, K. T. (1998). "The Effect of Federal Wilderness on County Growth in the Intermountain Western United Slates." Journal of Regional Science 38(1), 109-136. Elias, N., and Dunning, E., (1986). Quest for excitement: Sport and leisure in the civilising process, oxford: Basil Blackwell, pg. 91-92. Jennings, G., (2001). Tourism research. Milton, Qld.: Wiley Australia, pg. 65. Kerlinger, F.N., (1986). Foundation of behavioural research, 3rd ed., New York, Holt Rinehart and Winston, pg. 34. Lewis, D. J., G. L. Hunt, and A. J. Plantinga, (2002). "Public Conservation Land and Employment Growth in the Northern Forest Region." Land Economics 78(2), 245-259. Mason, J., (1996). Qualitative researching, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc, pg. 83-87. McGivern, Y., (2003). The practice of market and social research: an introduction. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall, pg. 78. Mieszkowski, P., and E. S. Mills, (1993). "The Causes of Metropolitan Suburbanization." Journal of Economic Perspectives 7(3), 135-147. O'Reilly, K., (2004). The extent and nature of integration of European migrants in Spanish society: With special reference to the British case, School of Social Science, University of Aberdeen, pg. 102 Terre Blanche, M., and Durrheim, K., (1999). Histories of the present: Social science in context, University of Cape Town Press (Pty) Ltd, pg. 56-59 Veal, A. J., (1997). Research methods for leisure and tourism: A practical guide, 2nd ed., London: Pitman Publishing, pg. 45-47 Warnes, T., Lowles R., and Kyeung M. O., (2002). Older people in Yorkshire and the Humber, Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, available from < http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/Documents/regions_YH-DemographyReport-Part1.pdf> Appendix 1:Questionnaire QUESTIONAIRE 1. Age a. 16 - 21 b. 22 - 30 c. 31 - 49 d. 50 - 64 e. 65+ 2. Gender a. Male b. Female 3. What is your employment status a. Full or part - time employment b. Self- Employed c. Retired d. Unemployed e. Student f. Housewife / Homemaker 4. Type of home a. House b. Flat / Apartment c. Bungalow d. Mobile home 5. Do you (or your family member) own or rent your home, or are you a council tenant a. Homeowner b. Rent c. Council tenant 6. How many persons live in your household a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4+ 7. As a household, how many cars do you own a. 0 b. 1 c. 2 d. 3 or more 8. How much would you say you as a household spend on your average weekly shopping / groceries a. 1 - 20 b.21 - 40 c. 41 - 70 d. 71 - 110 e. 111 + 9. i) Have you always lived in Walmington a. Yes(if yes go to Q.12) b. No ii) How long have you lived in Walmington a. < 1year b. 1 - 3 years c. 4 - 10 years d. 11 - 20 years e. 21 years + 10. i) What were the reasons as to why you moved to Walmington a. To be with other family who live here b. Occupational reasons c. Retirement d. To bring a family up (i.e good schools, lower crime) e. Other ii) If for retirement, why did you choose Walmington as you location a. Sea air or less pollution b. Coast and beach or scenic environment c. Peace and quietness d. Less stressful environment e. Less hectic and crowded environment f. To be with family members who live here g. Use to visit when younger, always wanted to move here h. All of the above 11. Where did you migrate a. Another town in Lincolnshire b. East Midlands c. West Midlands d. Yorkshire e. North East f. North West g. South East h. South West i. Scotland, Ireland or Wales 12. Would you have any intentions to move out of Walmington in the future a. Yes b. No c. Don't know 13. What social and recreational activities do you participate in, within the local area a. Team sports b. Pubs and clubs c. Cinema d. Bingo e. Walking f. Gardening g. Golf h. Bowls i. None j. Other 14. How often do you use the local public transport a. Everyday b. Several times a week c. Once a week d. Once a month e. Hardly ever 15. Do you use private or state health services a. Private b. State 16. In general, how would you rate your health a. Good b. Ok c. Not too good 17. On average how often do you visit or get a visit for medical assistance a. Every day b. Twice a week c. Once a week d. Twice a month e. Once a month f. Once every three months g. Once every six months h. Once a year 18. Has your home been modified to aid you (or any other family member) mobility wise in any way a. Yes b. No . 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