observations

Question 1

important studies - overt

Answer 1

venkatesh - gang leader for a day
willis - learning to labour

Question 2

important studies - covert

Answer 2

griffin - black like me

pearson - blackpool football club

Question 3

important studies - non-participant

Answer 3

flanders system of interaction analysis

ofsted school inspections

Question 4

access

Answer 4

normally you need a key informant to get allow you access to a group

this is particularly important when gaining access to a group covertly - may take some time to gain individuals trust

Question 5

characteristics and skills

Answer 5

age, class, gender and ethnicity might have impact on whether you can access a group

good interpersonal skills as well as the ability to think sociologically throughout the research

Question 6

finding a role

Answer 6

if participating in a group - need to do so in a way that doesnt alter the group dynamics significantly

Question 7

going native

Answer 7

avoid getting too close to the people you are studying

Question 8

practical strengths of non-participant observations

Answer 8

personal characteristics

detachment

Question 9

practical limitation of non-participant observation

Answer 9

time - take a while for presence to stop altering behaviour

Question 10

ethical strength of non-participant observations

Answer 10

informed consent - if overt

harm - as no close connection, less likely to cause distress

Question 11

ethical limitation of non-participant observations

Answer 11

informed consent - if covert - misleading

Question 12

theoretical strengths of non-participant observations

Answer 12

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

Question 13

theoretical limitations of non-participant observations

Answer 13

validity - your presence - hawthorne effect

reliability - cannot be accurately repeated - different interpretations

representativeness - small samples

subjectivity - positivists - lacks validity - interpretation

Question 14

practical strengths of overt participant observations

Answer 14

access - gain trust - full access to lives

Question 15

practical limitations of overt participant observations

Answer 15

time

personal characteristics

Question 16

ethical strengths of overt participant observations

Answer 16

informed consent

Question 17

ethical limitations of overt participant observations

Answer 17

emotional distress when leaving

Question 18

theoretical strengths of overt participant observations

Answer 18

validity - activities - fuller understanding

flexibility - can use grounded theory to develop hypothesis

Question 19

theoretical limitations of overt participant observations

Answer 19

hawthorne effect

validity

note-taking

reliability

representativeness

subectivity

Question 20

practical strength of covert participant observations

Answer 20

access - study secret or deviant groups

Question 21

practical limitations of covert participant observatinos

Answer 21

note taking

going native

questioning

personal characteristics

personal skills

Question 22

ethical strengths of covert participant observations

Answer 22

useful of society - numerous ethical disadvantages, necessary in order to show sociologists complex behaviours hidden from mainstream society

Question 23

ethical limitations of covert participant observations

Answer 23

morality / criminality

danger

informed consent

invasion of privacy

Question 24

theoretical strengths of covert participant observations

Answer 24

no hawthorne effect

Question 25

theoretical limitations of covert participant observations

Answer 25

validity

reliability

representativeness

subjectivity - positivist

Question 26

positivist perspective on observation

Answer 26

only structured observations easily quantified
others lack reliability, representativeness and objectivity

observations only reveal the sociologist’s interpretations

Question 27

interpretivist perspectives on observations

Answer 27

provides in-depth valid data on how people behaviour in natural environment - ecological validity

allows us to understand interactions shape social behaviour

Question 28

postmodernism perspective on observation

Answer 28

feel it allows them to explore individual narratives to see how different people and groups make sense of the world