Observations Flashcards
What is a non participant observation ?
Researcher observes a group without taking part, often participants are unaware they are being observed , beneficial as it observes people in their normal setting and avoids the Hawthorne effect.
What is a participant observation?
Researcher joins the group/community participating in the actives over a period of time and tries to become accepted
What is covert observation?
Researcher carries out “under cover” study with their real identity and purpose concealing, usually becoming part of the group to avoid disruption to the groups normal behaviour
What is overt observation ?
Researcher asks for permission/consent beforehand and makes their true purpose known to the group and is open about their research and aims before conducting research
What are the stages of participant observations ?
Getting in, staying in, getting out
Explain stage 1 of participant observations
Getting in : making contact - dependent on personal skills, having connections or chance.
Fairhurst- found herself hospitalised and used this as an opportunity to conduct a study
Acceptance- researcher must win trust and acceptance of the group, yet researchers age gender ethnicity and class can become a problem
Explain stage 2 of participant observations
Staying in: can be difficult, and researcher must be detached to remain objective and unbiased.
going native - a problem potentially is an interviewer becoming too involved with the group/over identifies with the group leads to bias
Punch (1979)- whilst trying to be accepted by the Amsterdam police, he found himself acting like a policeman himself chasing and holding suspects
Explain stage 3 of participant observation
Getting out: poses issues such as leaving group without damaging relationships and becoming detached enough to write an impartial and accurate account
Patrick: while covertly researching a Glasgow gang he was so disturbed by the violence that he abandoned the study abruptly
PET advantages of participant observations
Practical: Flexibility, does not require set list of questions, Yablonsky says only way to study deviant groups (teenage gang unwelcome representatives of authority)
Ethical: informed consent (overt)
Theoretical: high in validity, due to overt observations transparency ensuring they can make an informed decision to participate - Verstehen says best way to understand something is to experience things ourselves , German word meaning empathy
PET disadvantages of participant observations
Practical : time consuming, personal characterisers can restrict kinds of groups studied, Dowes and Rick explain not everyone would pass uneventfully into the world of punk rockers or Hell’s Angels, also cost.
Ethical - covert in particular raised ethical issues which is deception in order to gain information
Theoretical: Validity, reliability, representativeness, lack of objectivity
PET advantages of overt observations
Practical: access
Ethical: avoids ethical problems such as deception
Theoretical strengths: high validity
PET disadvantages of overt observation
Practical: group can refuse permission, Punch had finished his research and the officers told him “when you were with us we only let you see what we wanted you to” , cost, time
Ethical: people may feel uncomfortable regardless of consent, can be considered invasion of privacy to come extent
Theoretical: validity, lack of representativeness
PET advantages of covert observation
Practical: Access to sensitive or restricted environments, Laud Humphrey’s tea room trade found that “only one way to watch highly discreditable behaviour and that it is to pretend to be in the same boat as those engaging in it.
Ethical: exploitation of socially sensitive topics, building a rapport, avoidance of harm to researcher.
Theoretical: no Hawthorne effect/high validity , ecological validity
PET disadvantages of covert observation
Practical: Time, limited access, skilled researcher, Patrick was almost found out by the gang since he bought his suit with cash not credit and fasting middle button of his jacket not the top one
Ethical: Immoral activities, moral/ legal obligation, unethical to simply leave the group
Theoretical: Note taking, lacks validity, lacks reliability, lacks representation. Ditton (1977) studied theft, had to use toilets to record his observations , causing suspicion
