A Comparative Study: Quality of Life in Rural and Urban Communities Essay

Happiness, life satisfaction, and subjective well-being are closely connected to quality of life. Accordingly, quality of life is defined based on different approaches. It can depend if the approach is objective or subjective or if the approach is negative or positive. It can also be defined according to its use, either in academic writing or everyday life. Thus, quality of life has no exact or universal definition (Susniene & Jurkauskas, 2009). Quality of Life (QoL) is usually referred to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO) (1997) as the â€Å"individuals’ perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns† and â€Å"a broad ranging concept extended in a complex way by the person’s physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs, and the relationship to salient features of their environment. † The Dictionary of Human Geography 5th Edition (2009) defines that quality of life has the following dimensions: income, wealth and employment, built environment, physical and mental health, education, social disorganization, social belonging, and recreation and leisure. Quality of life is a broad multidimensional concept that also includes subjective evaluation and perception. It is defined in different ways in varying disciplines by individuals or groups. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2013), the quality of life in the Philippines ranked 114th out of the 187 countries in year 2012. It is unchanged for two consecutive years from year 2011. The Philippines’ HDI was lower than Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore but higher than Indonesia and Vietnam. UNDP uses the Human Development Index (HDI) to measure quality of life with three dimensions specifically health, education, and income. Looking at where the Philippines ranked in comparison with the quality of life of other countries, it seems that the country is falling behind. It is quite interesting then to determine the QoL in the local perspective specifically in Batangas City. Unexpectedly, Batangas City, which is where the study was conducted, commits itself in improving quality of life of its citizen, and it is stated in their mission: â€Å"To improve the quality of life of the citizen through sustained efforts to attain a balance agro-industrial development; to generate more employment opportunities and adequately provide the basic infrastructure utilities, facilities and social services necessary for a robust community. † Thus, the mission reflects how the local government of Batangas City values the quality of life of their contemporaries. This study can provide assessment of QoL in terms of the four indicators of the study and can project the effect of the government’s effort in uplifting the life of the people. In the researchers’ search for related literatures and studies, they have found out that this inquiry about Batanguenos’ quality of life is the first of its kind in the locality. The government does not have any available research studies in the past tackling about QoL or any direct means of measuring it. Hence, this undertaking is a stepping stone in closely monitoring improvement in the people’s way of life. This study will benefit the local government, future researchers, academic institutions, and, above all, the residents of Batangas City. The researchers embarked in this study to provide a comparative assessment on the quality of life between rural and urban communities in Batangas City as well as to look at the perception of residents about satisfaction in life with regard to certain indicators. Since each individual innately pursue happiness and life satisfaction that constituted in obtaining QoL, the interest of the researchers were aroused. The researchers aimed to provide a thorough examination on people’s QoL for both rural and urban communities on the basis of the four indicators of the study. Moreover, they also wanted to compare and contrast the QoL of respondents in terms of their profile to find association in it. Being the first study about quality of life in the province of Batangas and the latest assessment of living condition in the country for years, this study wished to contribute in enhancing the Filipino lives and to serve its purpose as an instrument in promoting good life for each and every citizen of the Philippines. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to know the quality of life in rural and urban barangays of Batangas City to provide a comparative examination of life among people living in two different communities. More specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of respondents in terms of: 1. 1 sex; 1. 2 age; 1. 3 civil status; 1. 4 educational attainment; and 1. 5 type of community? 2. How can quality of life of respondents be assessed in terms of: 2. 1 built environment; 2. 2 physical and mental health; 2. 3 social belonging; and 2. 4 recreation and leisure? 3. Is there a significant relationship between the profile of respondents and their quality of life? 4. Is there a significant difference in the quality of life between rural and urban communities? 5. What activity can be proposed to promote the quality of life of Batangas City residents? Scope, Delimitation and Limitation of the Study This study focused on the comparative assessment of rural and urban quality of life in Batangas City. Specifically, the study was designed to measure QoL in terms of the four indicators of the study namely built environment, physical and mental health, social belonging, and recreation and leisure. The study identified the association between the profile of respondents and their QoL. The profile variables included sex, age, civil status, educational attainment, and type of community. Moreover, this study would provide a comparative examination of QoL in rural and urban communities in Batangas City. Respondents of the study came from the first five locations in Batangas City determined in terms of population. The first five barangays with the highest population in rural and urban communities served as the research environment of the study. Rural communities comprised of Balete, Tingga Labac, Tabangao Ambulong, San Jose Sico, and Sampaga while urban communities included Sta. Rita Karsada, Poblacion, Alangilan, Bolbok, and Cuta. The study was conducted from April 2013 to October 2013. This study did not seek to include other locations in Batangas City which were not mentioned above. This study did not cover the whole situation of the province of Batangas or other cities and municipalities therein in terms of quality of life. Factors such as income, wealth and employment, education, and social disorganization were not measured in this study. Significance of the Study This comparative study on the quality of life of rural and urban communities aims to provide awareness on the QoL between rural and urban barangays in Batangas City. It also seeks to provide awareness on the present condition of the life of the people of Batangas to better understand the things that need to be improved and developed. This study will benefit researchers, students, the academe, and the community. This study would pave the way for the possibility of determining and closely investigating certain indicators of quality of life in both rural and urban communities. It would also generate information on how the profile of respondents relates to QoL. More specifically, this study would be of significant use to the following: To the people of Batangas, this undertaking is a reflection of the most recent real life situation of the people of Batangas City that exposes the life they have today. This would help them better understand the living conditions they have and how to improve or enhance it. To local government officials and offices, this study would serve as a framework for their future projects and activities related to improving or enhancing quality of life. To the City of Batangas, this study would provide a written reflection of the present condition of the city of Batangas and the mirrored situation of the past and present. It would benefit Batangas because this study would serve as the shadow of the life the people has today. Batangas State University, this study would be a proof that Borbonians have the capability of producing quality, relevant, and scientific research study. To the College of Arts and Sciences, this study would be another accomplishment of academic excellence and would serve as an evidence of the quality education that this university can offer. This thesis would be an addition to the pool of knowledge generated in this institution. To Psychology students, this would serve as a basis for future researchers focused in the examination and analysis of life and ways to improve or enhance it. To future researchers, this study would serve as a reference for future studies about quality of life concerned with the following domains: built environment, physical and mental health, social belonging, and recreation and leisure.

Cheerleading Is a Sport Essay

Cheerleading started as a male endeavor in 1898, when a University of Minnesota football fan led the crowd in verse in support of their team. It was not until World War II, when men shipped out to war, that women took over. Then cheerleaders came to represent the American ideal of femininity: wholesome apple pie with washboard stomachs, perfect teeth, and flawless complexions. Stereotypes cast them as blond, petite, and impossibly perky. â€Å"From its humble beginning cheerleading has blossomed into a competitive athletic activity with a serious image problem† (Forman 52). But today’s post-feminist youth have put a new, diverse face on cheerleading. Cheerleading in America is no longer a matter of waving pom-poms, a cute smile and being overly perky. Calling themselves athletes, not eye candy, cheerleaders are pushing harder for recognition as participants in an official sport. Today, cheerleading involves skills which require the strength of football, the grace of dance, and the agility of gymnastics. Complex maneuvers are performed which challenge the limits of the body. Safety organizations such as the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators were formed to develop safety rules to guide programs in the safe performance of cheerleading gymnastics, which include jumps, partner stunts, pyramids and tumbling. With the risks involved today, cheerleading should receive statewide recognition as a sport. Opposition to making cheerleading a sport, continually say, cheerleaders are not athletes. Confirmation of this lies in the position paper of Women’s Sports Foundation, â€Å"any physical activity in which relative performance can be judged or quantified can be developed into a competitive sport as long as (1) the physical activity includes the above defined elements and (2) the primary purpose is competition versus other teams or individuals within a competition structure comparable to other athletics’ activities†¦Cheerleading in its current format, does not meet the second criteria listed above. The primary purpose is not competition, but that of raising school unity through leading the crowd at athletic functions. † (Forman 51) Yet, as sports like football, basketball, and wrestling become more popular, so does the cheerleaders. Nay-Sayers of the movement are content to have cheerleaders just be the â€Å"back-up dancers†. Not understanding that cheerleaders are just as important as the sports teams they cheer for. Challengers say cheerleaders do not have the same time commitments as other sports teams. While they also do not recognize the physical strain put on cheerleaders bodies and the increased risk for injuries. The long-held view of cheerleading as merely another school activity is also a concern. If the athleticism of cheerleading is not recognized, the supervision will continue to fall to teachers that are not qualified to adequately supervise. Additionally, existing advisors will not receive the training necessary to provide adequate supervision of an increasingly athletic activity. Cheerleading has all the elements of a sport: competition, practice skills, teamwork, and training. It also has a year round commitment. â€Å"An important movement in the world of cheerleading is the struggle to legitimate the activity in the eyes of the public, said Laura Grindstaff, assistant professor of sociology and cultural studies at the University of California-Davis†(Coman â€Å"Cheerleading is now risker†). Cheerleaders are struggling to gain the recognition and respect they deserve for their sport. Although some colleges offer cheerleading scholarships, cheerleaders still face discrimination in high school and college athletics. It is alarming considering all the new risks involved that it has yet to be mandated in all states as a sport. Twenty six state athletic organizations have deemed cheerleading should be recognized as a sport, but what about the other twenty five? â€Å"Cheerleading was excluded as a sport when Title IX was passed, which forbids sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funding† (Rondon 98). Title IX was supposed to be legislation that mandated that boys and girls receive equal sporting opportunities. But even certification only requires that coaches pass an online test; there’s no requirement for training in gymnastics or spotting techniques. † (Ebersole â€Å"Thrills and Spills†). And only about a dozen states regulate cheer according to the rules set by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). For high school football, on the other hand, all states follow the NFHS rulebook except Texas, which uses the NCAA college-level rules. â€Å"Soccer, hockey, basketball, and gymnastics cannot compete when it comes to serious back problems, fractures and, in grave cases paralysis†(Forman 51). Cheerleading is not considered a sport, so none of the safeguards that other sports have developed applies†(Forman 52). In the two states where cheerleading is classified as a sport, cheerleaders are subject to the same rules as athletes, regarding practice and travel restrictions, safety, camps, and coaching certification. Cheerleaders need th e guarantee of proper training room, proper medical care, and proper checks and screenings for participants. If properly recognized teams would be provided better training facilities, coaches would be properly trained, injuries would decrease and funding for the programs would increase. With every aspect of cheerleading becoming increasingly difficult cheerleading deserves the state-wide recognition as a sport just as any other physical sporting activity. In the words of Kane of the Tucker Center, â€Å"when the culture starts rewarding cheerleading in the same way in which it rewards women and men sports with economic parity and scholarships, not simply regulated to the sidelines, then I think we’re onto something† (Rondon 99). No longer content to just cheer on the sidelines, cheerleaders are now demanding the respect they so rightfully deserve.