Participant Observation

Question 1

4 types of observation

Answer 1

1.) Non-participant observation: The researcher simply observes the group r event without taking part in it.
2.) Participant observation: The researcher actually takes part in an event or the everyday life of the group while observing it.

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1.) Covert observation: The study is carried out ‘under-cover’
2.) Overt observation: The researcher makes their true identity + purpose known to those being studied.

Question 2

What are the 2 main issues sociologists face when conducting a participant observation study?

Answer 2

1.) Getting in, staying in + getting out of the group being studied
2.) Whether to use overt or covert observation

Question 3

Getting in; making contact

Answer 3

-Making the initial contact with the group may depend on personal skills, having the right connections or even pure chance.

Question 4

(Theoretical issues) What are the strengths of participation observation?

Answer 4

✅High validity - Interpretivists tend to find PO useful as it produces valid data. It takes place in natural everyday settings, which allows the researcher to gather a deep insight into behaviour that reflects a true accurate picture of what they are investigating. Whereas when questionnaires+ interviews are used respondents can lie/bend truth.
✅ Generating new ideas - Limitations of social surveys is that they limit the flexibility for new ideas + info. to move research in a new direction. In PO, the researcher enters the study with an open-mind + no pre-fixed hypothesis, thus allowing new insights + ideas.

Question 5

(Practical issues) What are the strengths of participant observation?

Answer 5

✅ The only investigation possible - Covert PO may be the only available research method to gain a valid picture of what is going on, especially for deviant social groups such as criminal gangs or religious cults (hostile to + suspicious of outsiders).
✅ Problem of documenting - A researcher will struggle to write down everything important while in the act of participating + observing, therefore must rely on their memory to write down + expand on observations. Quality therefore depends of the diligence of the researcher.

Question 6

(Ethical issues) What are the strengths of participant observation?

Answer 6

✅ No ethical issues - The advantage of overt PO is that it does not have any of the ethical problems of covert PO, such as deception, lack of consent + invasion of privacy.
✅ Dangerous situations avoided - In overt PO, permission has been granted which prevents the researcher from putting themselves in a dangerous situation or becoming involved in illegal activities.