observations Flashcards
types of observation
non-participant observation - the sociologist observes a group but does not participate - either overt or covert
participant observation - sociologist takes part in the activities of group - overt or covert
structured observation - more quantitative form of observation where the researcher has a number of categories and records how often they occur
types of observation
overt research - research conducted openly and you are honest about who you are
covert research - research conducted undercover
issues while conducting observation
access
characteristics and skills
finding a role
going native
leaving the group
practical advantages of non-participant observations
personal characteristics - compared to other forms of observation you do not need to be so strong at forming personal connections
detachment - you are less likely to go native as you will not identify as closely with your subjects
ethical advantages of non-participant observations
informed consent - if overt people will provide informed consent for your research
harm - as you do not form close connections with participants it is less likely that you will cause distress and harm when you leave
theoretical advantages of non-participant observations
validity - not actively participating in research you do not significantly alter behaviour
practical disadvantages of non-participant observations
time - can take a while for your presence to stop altering behaviour so the study might take a long time to complete - impact on cost
ethical disadvantages of non-participant observations
informed consent - if covert you are misleading people
theoretical disadvantage of non-participant observations
reliability - cannot be accurately repeated and different sociologists may interpret the same observation differently
representativeness - the groups you study will be small samples so it is unlikely that you will have a generalisable sample
subjectivity - it is a structured observation - data will be qualitative - positivists - lacks validity and only the interpretation of researcher
practical advantages of overt
access - by taking part in group activities you may gain participants’ trust and they will provide full access into their lives
ethical advantages of overt
informed consent - people are full informed of the research
theoretical advantage of overt
validity - by taking part in activities and asking questions you gain a fully understanding of peoples’ thoughts and motives and how they interact - interpretivists
flexibility - interpretivists - grounded theory to develop hypotheses and study new areas of interest
practical disadvantages to ovrt
time - studies can last a long time - Whyte’s study took 4 years
personal characteristics - need strong interpersonal skills and empathy
ethical disadvantages to overt
emotional distress - you may cause distress to people when you leave as you have become part of their lives
theoretical disadvantages to overt
hawthorne affect
validity - presence changes behaviour and alters normal interaction so lowers validity
reliability - observations cannot be repeated and different sociologists may well interpret the same observation differently
representativeness - groups you study will be small
practical advantages to covert
access - may be only way to study secret or deviant groups
theoretical advantage to covert
hawthorne effect - no hawthorne effect because participants don’t know theyre being observed - most valid form of all research methods
practical disadvantages of covert
note taking - cant take notes - goffman had to trust powers of observation and memory - field diary - lower validity - theoretical
questioning - difficulty asking questions without giving away role - cant always get evidence you want - lower validity
ethical disadvantages to covert
morality - may need to join in with morally unacceptable / criminal behaviour
danger - danger if real identity is found
informed consent - lack informed consent
invasion of privacy - deception
theoretical disadvantages to covert
validity - presence will alter group’s dynamic
reliability - cannot be accurately repeated and interpretations can be different
representativeness - small samples so unlikely to generalise
subjectivity - positivists - subjective and lacks validity as research is interpretation of researcher
positivist view on observation
only use structured observation that can easily be quantified
other forms of observation lack reliability, representativeness and objectivity
show a valid portrayal of group interactions
observation only reveal interpretations
interpretivist views of observation
use observation so in-depth valid data on how people behave in natural environment - ecological validty
allow us to understand how interactions shape social behaviour over time
lack of reliability or representativeness is not a problem
postmodernist view of observation
observations as they feel it allows them to explore individual narratives to see how different people and groups make sense
