participant observation Flashcards
non participant observation
observation without researcher taking part, may use a two way mirror to investigate behaviours
participant observation
researcher takes part in the event while observing it
overt observation
true identity is displayed
covert observation
secretive, identity of researcher is not displayed
Whytes study f Street Corner Society
semi overt
positivists - structured observation
records count of behaviour making it quantitative
process of research
staying in
getting out
getting in in the first place
getting in into research - cycle of research
making contact
making contact - Polsky
found his useful skill in gaining entry of the world of poolroom players
Patrick in gaining access to inaccessible group
gained access to criminal groups becuase he looked young and knew one of the members
acceptance - gaining access to groups
researcher must win trust and acceptance of the group
acceptance - gaining access to groups - THORTON
the researchers personal characteristics may cause an obstacle to researching specific groups
i began my research when i was 23 and slowly aged out of the peer group i was studying as a Canadian in British clubs + raves she felt like a stranger
how does Labov show that personal characteristics are not that important in getting in
white man got trust of black children
Griffin white man who turned black - went to lengths to have access to certain group
1959 he used medication to turn black. he travelled to the deep south and experienced impact of racism
in time period of segregation , black people faced discrimination
the observers role in getting in
- be the one that does not disrupt the groups normal patterns
- offer a good vintage point to carry out observation
the process of staying in - going native
by over - identifying group, researcher becomes biased. they stop being just an observer, they become the group
Punch - studying the Amsterdam police
to be accepted by the tightly knit security he must over identify with them as a policeman, chasing and holding suspects, searching houses, shouting at people who abused colleagues
Downes and Rock in getting in participant groups
participant observers try to perform a most intricate feat . they are required to reach the probably unattainable state of one who is an insider and outsider. one part of the social world but also as one who stands + analyses it
getting out - patricks experience at the gang
sickened by violence, he left abruptly which can be difficult
re - entering the before world can be difficult - Whyte
when he returned to Harvard uni, he wad tongue tied, and found it hard to communicate with participants
crossing between the two worlds
loyalty and getting out
loyalty may prevent them from leaving or disclosing what they have learnt e/g criminal exposure of their activities might lead to prosecution
overt observations several advantages
- avoids ethical problem of obtaining info by deceit + studying deviant groups
- allows observer to ask naiive important Q’S that only an outsider would ask
- takes notes openly
- observer can use interview methods to derive info
disadvantages of overt observations
group may refuse for participant permission e.g when Punch was with Amsterdam police they only let him see what they wanted him to see
- risks the Hawthorne affect - those who are being observed know they are do may change behaviour - validity outside of window
covert observations - all practical disadvantages
requires researcher to keep up an act + may have to identify the type if identities within the group before joining. Patrick was nearly found out when he bought his clothes with card rather than cash - not the way of gang - may lead to physical harm
Polsky advices - you damned better not be one of them because they will test out claim and you will either find yourself in illegal activity, or cover will be blown
sociologist cannot take out notes in the open, must rely on memory to write it in secret
Ditton - studying theft among bread deliverymen, had to use toilets as safe place for recording observations
covert observations - practical advantges
reduces risk of Hawthorne effect, only way to have valid info
Humphreys - sexual encounters in public toilets notes that there is only one way to watch discreditable data and that is to be pretend to be in the same boat with those engaging in
ethical consideration of covert observations
-immoral to deceive people, pretending to be friends or in the same boat. hypothesis should be layed out in the open of research
- researcher may have to lie about why they are leaving study, or may leave abruptly like Patrick. may cause ethical concerns
- may have to participate in illegal, or immoral activity or their role
- witnesses may have a moral duty to intervene and report them to the police
validity - advantages of covert observations
it is natural behaviour of what they do in everyday life, giving qualitative rich data produces picture of how they really live. no social desirability or Hawthorne effect
insight - advantages of covert observations
the best way to truly understand is to put themselves in their shoes - VERSTEHEN meaning of empathy
gaining empathy through personal experience uniquely authentic data
flexibility - advantages of covert observations
can begin with specific research topics and then can identify what is important later on change what they want to study
as new situations encountered, there are new things that may interest it
flexibility - advantages of covert observations Whyte
i learned answers to questions that i thought i would never find if I was using only participants
practical advantages of covert observations - Yablonsky
yablonsky points out that teenage gang ,more likely to see researcher as unwelcome figures of authority
participant observation allows for a rapport allowing for trust
disadvantage of participant observations
- very time consuming. Whytes study took 4 years
- researcher must be trained to recognise social problems that tare sociologically significant
- personally stressful + demanding, esp if covert
- requires observational interpersonal skills for a rapport
- personal characteristics may act as a barrier to researching some groups
- some groups may reject being studied e.g petty criminals
ethical problems of participant observation
decieving people to in order to obtain sensitive information of illegal minorities
representative problems of participant observations
small scale - we cannot make any generalisations about wider population
Downes and Rock although participant observation is valid it may not be externally valid to wider population
reliability - disadvantage of participant observations
must be standarised. hard to do with participant observations
researcher skills may affect the results as participants may be influenced
qualitative data is produced so it hard to make comparisons between different groups
bias and lack of objectivity - disadvantages of participant observations
- risk of becoming too involved + risking going native makes it difficult to remains objective so sociologist ends of representing biased view of group
- fear of reprisals lead to concealing some info. this may deny the reader of full published study the full information
- sociologist may often sympathise with the group
validity - participant observation disadvantages
positivts argue this claim of validity in participant observations - participant observations are only as researcher sees the behaviour
lack of concept structure
interactionists favour use of participant observations as society is constructed by small scale face to face interactions
Marxists and feminists criticise - they ignore the structural forces that shape our behaviours
what type of observation do positivists prefer
structured non participant observation as it is reliable of main goals of reliability, generalisability
what type of observation do interpretivists prefer
unstructured participant observations - validity , focuses on the meaning of people individually
