observations

Question 1

types of observation

Answer 1

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

Question 2

types of observation

Answer 2

overt research - research conducted openly and you are honest about who you are

covert research - research conducted undercover

Question 3

issues while conducting observation

Answer 3

access

characteristics and skills

finding a role

going native

leaving the group

Question 4

practical advantages of non-participant observations

Answer 4

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

Question 5

ethical advantages of non-participant observations

Answer 5

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

Question 6

theoretical advantages of non-participant observations

Answer 6

validity - not actively participating in research you do not significantly alter behaviour

Question 7

practical disadvantages of non-participant observations

Answer 7

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

Question 8

ethical disadvantages of non-participant observations

Answer 8

informed consent - if covert you are misleading people

Question 9

theoretical disadvantage of non-participant observations

Answer 9

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

Question 10

practical advantages of overt

Answer 10

access - by taking part in group activities you may gain participants’ trust and they will provide full access into their lives

Question 11

ethical advantages of overt

Answer 11

informed consent - people are full informed of the research

Question 12

theoretical advantage of overt

Answer 12

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

Question 13

practical disadvantages to ovrt

Answer 13

time - studies can last a long time - Whyte’s study took 4 years

personal characteristics - need strong interpersonal skills and empathy

Question 14

ethical disadvantages to overt

Answer 14

emotional distress - you may cause distress to people when you leave as you have become part of their lives

Question 15

theoretical disadvantages to overt

Answer 15

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

Question 16

practical advantages to covert

Answer 16

access - may be only way to study secret or deviant groups

Question 17

theoretical advantage to covert

Answer 17

hawthorne effect - no hawthorne effect because participants don’t know theyre being observed - most valid form of all research methods

Question 18

practical disadvantages of covert

Answer 18

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

Question 19

ethical disadvantages to covert

Answer 19

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

Question 20

theoretical disadvantages to covert

Answer 20

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

Question 21

positivist view on observation

Answer 21

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

Question 22

interpretivist views of observation

Answer 22

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

Question 23

postmodernist view of observation

Answer 23

observations as they feel it allows them to explore individual narratives to see how different people and groups make sense