Observations Flashcards
participant observation
researcher joins group being studied to see world the way they do
participant observation - theoretical context
interpretivist
understand world from their point of view
verstehen
qualitative data
researcher avoid letting values affect observation
participant observation - getting in
researcher shares personal characteristics of group
requires permission from higher authorities (affects behaviour)
participant observation - covert tole
researcher conceals their role
participant observation - when is covert role used?
when overt researcher seen as threat/unwelcome or risk people changing their behaviour
participant observation - problems of covert role
- full participant may involve participating in illegal/unpleasant act
- difficult to ask questions & take notes without being suspicious
- moral and ethical issues
participant observation - overt role
researcher reveals their identity and purpose of research to group
participant observation - benefit of overt role
- openness, honesty builds trust
- research able to ask questions, interview, take notes, avoid illegal behaviour
- morally and ethically correct
participant observation - problems of overt role
people aware they’re being studies - affects behaviour and validity
participant observation - staying in
- observer gains trust and cooperation
- extensive note-taking may disrupt behaviour
- how far to get involved without losing trust of group or objective of research
participant observation - getting out
- leaving group without damaging relationships
- becoming detached to write accurate account
- members unidentifiable
participant observation - advantages
- in-depth valid data
- hypothesis/theories emerge throughout research
- understand meanings of social situation for group
- may be only possible method
- normal social situation
- less chance that researcher can be misled
participant observation - disadvantage
- what is regarded as important differs between researchers, depends heavily their characteristics (in-built bias)
- not reliable
- positivists; data not quantifiable, selective observation: researchers interpretation of findings
- quotations written latter so partially recalled (validity)
- hawthorne effect
- researcher may become too involved, difficult to report findings in neutral way
- time-consuming/expensive
- small group studied (not representative)
- ethical issues
- researcher may face personal danger
non-participant observation
carried out without researcher participating
carried out without knowledge of recipient
non-participant observation - when is this used?
when groups unwilling to cooperate in research (ethical)
