Sociology

The need to excel in life is every youths dream in America. This is closely related to the fact that the American way of life is associated with the great desire to always win and excel in every area of life. In sports for instance, the desire by youths to win has resulted in indulgence in other unethical practices. There is strong correlation between the American way of life that entails the great desire to excel and the usage of sports performance enhancement drugs in the country (Tufts, 2002). The need for America to succeed in all aspects of life have made it seem like a global policeman that always ought to be in the front like and ensure constant better performance. This is normally done with the desire for the citizens to protect the countrys general wellbeing. Sports such as wrestling, athletics, football and rugby have witnessed a number of cases in which a number of youths have resorted into the usage of drugs in order to boost their chances of excelling in the sports they take part in. Research by German and the US health and sports agencies have found very significant toxic chemicals in the chemicals considered to be very pure and addictive free tobacco (Wilson, B. (2004). Indeed some of the American products considered to be of the natural American spirit are mainly drug and spirits associated.

From the above explanation, it is very evident that there is a dire need to carry out a research on the manner in which sports and drugs have affected youths life in America and how the American strong believe in success and constant winning has continued to contribute to youths usage of performance enhancement drugs (Maron, Liviu, Shirani, et al, 1996, pp.90-204 Heath, 2004). Even though performance enhancement drugs boost the performance of the sports performance and earn respect to the entire country, the end results to the youths are always very detrimental. Natural substances that stimulate body muscles, steroids, painkillers and masking drugs always have a great negative impact on the youths lives and sorting activities thus ruining the next societal generations.

The paper intends to assess the extent to which the youth uses performance enhancement drugs, the impact of the drugs in the sporting world and the positive and negative influence of the drugs towards achieving the American drugs.

LITERATURE REVIEW
A number of issues have arisen regarding the American spirit of winning and constant excellence and the usage of sports performance enhancement drugs in sports (Tufts, 2002). The different research papers written with regard to the usage of lean mass builders, body stimulants, sedative drugs, diuretics other performance enhancement drugs have indicated the drugs normally enhances better performance even though the side effects are always grave.

Athletes sometimes use their own blood in order to ensure better performance through stimulation of body muscles. Youths in America, according to research, normally opt to using dangerous drugs whenever they realize that the always need to win and continue to dominate other world sports men. The American dream of being an example to others always motivate the young people to do anything possible in order to ensure that they constantly excel in the sporting activity. The continued sophistication in the emerging usage of drugs has made it very difficult to detect the extent to which youths in America continue to use drugs in their lives (Liviu, Shirani, et al, 1996, pp.90-204).
Stress and underachievement in other sectors of life such as education and lack of jobs are some of the motivating factors for the youths in the United States of America to continuously use drugs in sports. Most of the performance enhancement methods used by the American youths in the sporting fields are not possible to detect unless they are indeed witnessed at the time they are being inducted into the body.

The continued use of drugs in the Olympics drugs have continued to illicit mixed reactions on the intended outcome of the drugs and the impact of the drugs in the future sporting activities. Thomas Hicks, in 1976, won the Olympics after receiving an injection of strychnine drug in the middle of the race. The drug stimulated his body thus leading to the eventual winning of the race. Drug stimulation was thus banned due to the very negative effect it had had to the athletes and the sporting activity in the world. The drugs that help in cheating in sports have continued to become very complex (Tufts, 2002). The cheating rates in sports have become very irresistible. In the year 1992, Vicky Robinowicz, managed to interview a number of athletes and found out that most successful athletes have at one time or another have become victims of drug abuse.

A preserve for the rich
The high cost of training facilities in the United States of America and other countries in Europe have made it very hard for most youth to excel in sports without venturing in other shortcuts. Sporting activities in the United States have been known to be a preserve for the rich. The amounts of money spent in sporting activities have resulted into better performance. The rich in countries such as Australia, Germany and in the United States of America invest a lot of money in training and in other sporting activities.  Consequently the cash invested in training results into better performance by the athletes.

In the United states, the majority of youths who greatly wish to excel in sports and do not afford the training costs or even hire better coaches resort to the induction of drugs into their bodies. The drugs are believed to add more stimuli into their bodies resulting in much better performance. The drugs are at times easily available and the performance enhancement drug dealers targets sports persons that portray good talent and the willingness to greatly achieve better results with (Heath, 2004). Ignorance of the youths on the long term negative effect of the drugs to their bodies is greatly exploited by the drug sellers. It is therefore evident that the American belief of excellence has had a great contribution to youths usage of performance enhancement drugs.

The climate of cheating in sports in the US has also been motivated by the poor economic performance that has made life for the youths more difficult. According to Yesalis (2007), lack of jobs by the youth and continued increase of competition in the sporting arena from other countries has forced the American youths to opt for the usage of the drugs that enhance performance. Adherence to law has not been given adequate attention and regulations in sports are flouted in order to ensure that people excel. It is normally not the medical harm that the youths who uses drugs in sports think about but rather the benefit and fame they strong perceive to be of great importance to their lives and country.

The research carried out in the year two thousand and seven by Yesalis (2007) clearly prescribed for the setting up of sorting rules that would be very fair to all athletes with a greater consideration of the difference in their financial background and ethical issues. The rules should have a huge concern for the athletes and ensure that the rules are appealing to them thus making it easy to adhere to them (Heath, 2004). Even though efforts to burn performance enhancement drugs have not been successful, there should be relenting of enforcement of ensure that the use of drugs are enforced.

RESEARCH METHODS USED FOR THE RESEARCH
This section shall relate to a justified and very informed account of the manner in which the research shall be was approached.

Overview of my method
Various epistemological and ontological issues that are related to the research shall be provided. The chapter therefore addresses the actual methodologies used in the research process from its time of inception to the end. A number of people would be interviewed and questionnaires administered to others either directly or indirectly through telephone calls and electronic means. Sports personalities in America, sports specialists and medical expertise would be used in the research. Information from the medical and research expertise would be important in fostering a better understanding of the major causes and effects of the usage of drugs in sports to enhance performance. Where possible, past victims of using drugs to enhance their performance of sports would also be used as the sample population. Moreover special interest groups considered to be of great importance in the research such as the Argentinas Diego Maradona, Mutola of Zimbabwe, Marion Jones, Mike Tyson and Adrian Mutu would also be used in the research.

Questionnaires will be the major tool that would be used by the researcher in collection of information. In cases where it is most convenient, interviews would be carried and secondary sources of information studied. This would be important in ensuring that the research problem is fully addressed. In order to get the most reliable findings possible, the researcher expects to administer questionnaires and carry out interviews to three hundred and fifty people who will make up the sample group for the research (Liviu, Shirani, et al, 1996, pp.90-204). In cases where administration of questionnaires would not be convenient or would be considered to be cumbersome to the intended respondent, electronic mails and telephone calls would be used.

The research has a number of goals which it intends to achieve. The need to identify the negative effects and impact of drugs to the sporting industry and finding the possible solutions to the youths in both the United States of America and other parts of world dominates the research purpose. The research also intends to find out whether or not the American way of life to win and ensure that it becomes the best in every aspect influences the rate at which the youths uses drugs in sports. The hypothesis used in the research clearly states that indeed there is always a serious correlation and influence between the United States of Americas great desire to succeed and the continuous usage of drugs by most youths in order to enhance their performance in sports.

Research Methods Details
Questionnaires would be utilized in the research process in order to collect and analyze data. The questionnaires would be used in the collection of data that would be used in formulating various conclusions and recommendations after analysis would have been done. The researcher shall use a questionnaire for the gathering of data needed in identifying the current trend in the American youths in relation to drugs abuse and the overall progress of sports in the country. The questionnaire would help in gathering of information about drugs spread, economic status, job security and the need for the American youths to perform well in sports regardless of the circumstance surrounding them. Random sampling would be used but with close attention being paid to specific groups in the sporting and medical and drugs industries. The data collection to be used would focus on a small section of the sports persons and top managers.

Sports personalities, coaches, medical researchers, human rights activists and nongovernmental organizations are intended to form the unit of analysis. A number of relevant variables in research such as the levels of education of persons, financial status, cultural and social backgrounds and the diversity of the professions of the people forming the research population would be taken into consideration. The variables of the research population would all be assumed to be of equal strength even though views of sports personalities that have actually used abused drugs would be given a stronger consideration. A scale of 1 to 5 would be used in the definition of some views.

Indicators such as the extent to which the harm has affected sports, dangers of drugs to youths lives, the age at which drug abusing sports persons remain in the profession would also be analyzed. A Likert scale built on a five point would be used (1 strongly disagree and 5strongly agree). Purposive sampling strategy would be employed in determining the sample population to be used in the research process. In the final analysis and sampling of the data collected, the sample population would be divided into subgroups for ease of the sampling process. Random sampling would be used since it is simple, most effective, efficient and generally the best method of drawing a sample from the population. Quota sampling strategy was also used in situations where the use of random sampling strategy would be inappropriate.

Type of the Research
The usage of drugs to boost performance of sports personalities continues to be a very great problem in the United States of America. In order to have an in-depth analysis of the problem and come up with possible solutions, both quantitative and qualitative types of research would be used. Qualitative research would be used in order to ensure that the researcher gains an insight on the American youths views, perceptions and behaviors and how these issues relate to the questions of study. Qualitative research type would be used in exploring the social and human problems that faces the youths through carrying out very in-depth observations, questionnaire analysis and interviews. The use of the qualitative research method would also help in ensuring that the new theories and hypothesis related to the usage of drugs in America are derived and better understanding of the effect of drugs on sports made. This research method also makes it much easier for the researcher to arrive at new theories and new research hypothesis. It would also ensure that a very deep understanding of the effect of Americas nature and desire to achieve greater and better goals in all aspects of life to sports. The research methods provides a better opportunity to ensure that more details that relate to the research topic and the stated research hypothesis are found thus much better and reliable conclusions that relate to the findings would be arrived.

On the other hand, quantitative type of research would be used since the fact that it is concerned with peoples behaviors, attitudes and perceptions of the reality of facts would best be addressed. The fact that America believes in excellence and dominance in activities which they engage in could be the major perception and attitude through which drugs are used in enhancing performance. Quantitative research would also help in the interviewing process as it also caters for a number of self completion methods which include the use of online surveys and electronic mails.

Despite the minor challenges arrived faced with the use of quantitative research, it is evident that the research method best suits for use in some research fields. The method would be employed in this research in cases where there would be no need to make very detailed analysis of the research. Less time and resources is invested in this type of research thus making it very crucial in this research process. Additionally, the method best suits this kinds of research study that falls under categories such as sociology, psychology, anthropology, among other social sciences.

The kind of research
Deductive research method would be employed in the research process. Unlike the inductive research method that is based purely on inductive thoughts and reasoning that come from the specific kind of observation to the general conclusions, deductive method of research ensures that the researcher begins with the general knowledge to the specific. This research would employ deductive kind of research since it best suits this research topic. The fact that it is generally assumed that all American sports persons that uses drugs to enhance their performance levels I sports due to the nature of Americans and their self perception is a very general observation. It is indeed not clear whether or not there are other factors that contribute towards youths using drugs in sports.

Additionally, there is little or no evidence at all as to whether or not it is true that Americans have an attitude and perception of wanting to be superior and to excel in whatever they do. To ensure that a proper understanding of the real details that relate to the research question are found, the findings from the collected data through questionnaires and interviews would be sampled and analyzed.
The research to be carried out would be nomothetic in nature. The fact that there exist law and regulations that guides the usage of drugs demands that the researcher pays a lot of attention to all issues pertaining to the drugs when carrying out the research. The laws that guide plays behaviors in a number of sporting activities would be used in ensuring that the research adheres to the sporting ethos and ethics in the United States of America and in other parts of the world. The laws and ethos are used that would be studied under this module would those that are applied to all people on the large scale. The individuals are areas to be studied would be based on the classification of others and then measured as a score on an identified dimension. The research findings would then be used the known general principles, ethos, ethics and the set standards and laws. This is mainly because the nomothetic research normally focuses on gathering data from very large groups with an aim of arriving at behavioural principles. It is important to note that a number of issues that relate to the research procedure would demand that a lot of attention would paid to the numerous issues that pertains to sports and the impact of drugs to the lives of the many youths in the United States of America.

Pure research would be used in the research. The research findings from a pure research to be carried out are strongly believed that they would have a great influence on the way in which the youths would perceive the importance of drugs in sports. New ideas are also expected to be generated through the pure research thus ensuring that there is a better understanding of the research concepts and findings. Certain scientific methods of research would also be employed in order to ensure that critical analysis of the collected information is done. No specific procedures and assumed and guidelines would be used in the research process. Instead, a cross-sectional research would be used. The research would involve a number of sections that relate to the United States government, sporting bodies, medical departments, religious groups among other groups that would be considered important in the effort towards achieving the research objectives.

Assessment of the research
For a research paper to be considered to be good, the research topic and the entire research process ought to adhere to a number of regulations and meet certain research factors. From this research proposal, it is evident that the research intend to critically analyzes and find out a solution to the problem that has for a very long time affected the youths and their vice of using drugs in sports. The chosen topic is very important since there are a number of problems that could be solved through proper recommendations that would be arrived at after the research process is complete (Trochim, 2006).

The research is also good since it is not only feasible but also ensures that the process followed is very cost effective, efficient and reliable. The population sample chosen would also ensure that adequate data is received for the analysis process. Additionally, drug abuse in the United States of America has continued to be a great challenge in the country and the research would play a big role in solving a critical problem that has foe a very long time has affected the American youths.

Reliability Assessment
Whether or not the assessment of the research is reliable would be based be determined by the expected outcome being compared to the actual research findings. A scale would be established to ensure that some findings are compared to certain scales designed at the start of the research. The known ethical values and societal rules would also be used in ensuring that the research findings reached remain within certain limits. Moreover, certain football rules and previously carried out researches would also be employed in trying to gauge the research findings reliability.

Biasness might be introduced in the research under a number of circumstances. To begin with, biasness could be introduced in the research process if the respondents to the questionnaires and interviews to be carried out decide to answer questions in an unprofessional manner that could lead to lack of reliability and in the findings. The lack of willingness by some respondents to pay close attention to the data collection process could easily compromise the data collected leading to very biased data being collected and thus unreliable and unrealistic conclusions being made. Moreover, the researcher could introduce biasness in the research process by using research questions that are misleading. The usage of both closed and open ended research questions that do either biased or which do not offer an opportunity to clarify issues could also be a major cause for biasness in the research findings. Poorly framed questions that may be ambiguous could also be a way for the researcher to introduce biasness into the research process to be done.

To ensure that the mentioned biasness is completely avoided, the researcher will ensure that there are no ambiguous questions in the questionnaire and that proper guidelines on how to complete the questionnaire are provided using well structure and understood language. Information collected would also be screened and questionnaires perceived to have been completed with biasness rejected.
The major ethical concerns in the research would be the impact of cultural practices to the way in which questionnaires are completed. In some parts of America, it is almost to use drugs among the youths. Such issue could negatively influence the manner in which the respondents respond to the questions administered to them. The need to enhance personal etiquette and confidentiality of information would also be an issue of concern. To address the ethical issues of concern, the researcher intends to inform the respondents that utmost confidentiality of the information which they will provide. The respondents would also be asked not to provide personal information which could compromise the reliability of the findings. The major risk concerned to the human subject is that some of the very personal issues that relate to youths lives and sporting secrets my end up being revealed through the research thus compromising Americans youth participation in sports.

Data Analysis Plan
In order to highlight crucial information from the data collected. Since qualitative research would be done. This method of research demands that qualitative data analysis be done for better results. Data analysis would be done using a number of data analysis instruments. Tables, pie charts and bar graphs would be the major tools used in the representation of the data analyzed during the research process.
Percentages would mainly be used in the display of the information during the data analysis place. Inverse transformation would be used for analysis in situations where there are wide variations in the collected data. The levels of variation in the collected would be analyzed using both the ordinal and the nominal variables (Gibbs, 2002).

The qualitative data, which is the data that is normally gathered in non numeric forms which include interview transcripts, documents studies in the libraries, questionnaires field and other secondary forms of data would be done. To ensure that more efficient and effective way of analyzing data is done, the collected data would be placed in subgroup based on the profession of the respondents, their gender, areas of origin, their age bracket, sporting activity and the drugs that are likely to be being abused. The electronic data collected would be given preference of analysis over the hard copy data collected due to the likely importance of the data collected using electronic means.

Conclusion
Drugs have continued to have a great negative impact in the United States youths participation in sports. This research is very important as it aims at ensuring that the drug related problems that have continued to negatively impact on the youths lives are diagnosed. The research shall provide recommendations to the identified problems with an attempt to ensure that solutions to the existing problems are identified. Additionally, a conclusion of whether or not drugs are vital in the sporting world would also be determined.