Proposal to Do a Research on Gender Differences in Opinions About the Advantages of Selfishness

Research Proposal: Narcissism in the Modern World  

Date: June 21, 2017

To: Shafqat Cahudhuri

From: Md Irfan Bin Alam, English 105, sec. 39; ID # 1421703630

Subject: Proposal to do a research on gender differences in opinions about the advantages of selfishness

INTRODUCTION

     Selfishness is a controversial trait that human beings possess. Human beings are selfish by nature. Often we’re told being selfish is bad.  It’s disrespectful, shameful, and wrong. But we are all selfish. People tend to be selfish with their careers many experts say that this sense of entitlement originates from the way parents raise their children. Selfish people tend to take better care of themselves instead of giving too much energy away serving the needs of everyone else. Studies have shown that acting in your own self-interest you may give you an advantage in leadership roles.

    One of the biggest benefits is that you are almost completely immune to people taking advantage of you. People will have a harder time manipulating or taking advantage of you if you’re selfish. Good selfishness is equivalent to self-care and not to the detriment of others, as sometimes you need to say no because the alternative is not mentally, physically or emotionally healthy. I want to find out how people in Bangladesh think, act and make decisions. I would want to know the opinions about advantages of selfishness from both genders.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

      In my research I plan to investigate the gender differences of opinions about the advantages of selfishness. To that end I will be addressing the following questions.

• What is selfishness?
• How can selfishness be an advantage?
• In which areas of life is selfishness beneficial?
• What are the advantages of selfishness?
• What are the factors that influence selfishness?
• What effects does selfishness has on people and the world?
• How do parents teach children empathy and selflessness?
• How accustomed are Bangladeshis with the advantages of selfishness?
• Is there a difference between the views of female and male population?
• If there is a difference, how big is the difference, and why does it exist?

HYPOTHESIS

    At the present time selfishness is unquestionably common throughout the world. Experts believe human beings are driven to cooperate by selfish needs and not the needs of others. Experts believe being selfish leads people to success since they are only concerned with themselves.

    The major result I expect from my primary research is consensus about the advantages of selfishness. Most people would agree to the usefulness of selfishness, but a marked difference between the genders where some of them would choose altruism over selfishness. However, few highly empathetic and righteous people would focus on the disadvantages of selfishness and effects of selfishness on others.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

             For my research, I plan to conduct a survey of a representative sampling of at least 30 members of the educated general public in Dhaka, divided into two equal groups based on gender: male and female aged above 18. I will design a questionnaire with different types of questions so as to get a range of useful data which will help me to answer my research questions and test my hypothesis.

             For my secondary research I plan to use the resources of the library and the web – books and articles, standard references sources and databases, government documents, media and academic web-sites. This would include the following sources: