Participant observation

Question 1

Types of Observations

Answer 1

Non participant observation-researcher observes group without taking part e.g use two way mirror to Observe behaviour
Participant observation-Researcher takes part in event

Overt Observationreseracher makes their identity & true purpose known to those studied

Covert observation-study is carried out’undercover’ researchers real identity & purpose are concealed from group

Question 2

Conducting a participant observation study

Answer 2

Sociologists face two main issues when conducting participant observational study:
* Getting in,staying in,getting out
* Whether to use overt or covert observation

Question 3

Conducting a participant observation study-getting in

Answer 3

Getting in To do study must firdt gain entry to group
Making contact:
1. making initial contact with group may depend on personal skills, having right connections or pure chance
Acceptance:*
* To gain entry to group researcher has to gain trust & acceptance e.g making friends with them
The observors role:
* Getting in poses the question of what the researcher should adopt , getting entry should not dirupt a persons normal patterns
* offer a good vantage point

Question 4

Constructing a participant observatiobn-staying in

Answer 4

staying in -once accepted, researcher needs to be able to stay in group & complete study
probelms:Researcher has to be involved in group & detached from group to remain objective & unbiased
goining native:
one danger of staying in-researcher may become over involved or ‘going native;-by overidentifying with group researcher becomes biased
staying in research for long tiime-will become less observant

Question 5

Constructing a participant Observation-Getting out

Answer 5

Getting out-of the group
leaving group when becam close with participants may be difficult ]re-entering nromal world also difficult
researcher may find that loyalty prevents them from fully disclosing everything they have learnt -reducing validity of study

Question 6

Advantages of Overt Observation

Answer 6

researcher revals true identity & purpose to group observed
advantages:
* Avoids ethical problems of obtaining info when studying deviant groups
* Allows observer to ask naive but important qs
* Observer can take notes openly

Question 7

Disadvantages of Overt Observation

Answer 7

• A group may refuse researchers permission to observe them
• Risks creating hawthorne effect (those who know they are being observed behave differently) undermines validity of data

Question 8

Advantages of Covert Observation

Answer 8

• Practical advantage of covert observation-reduces risk of altering peoples behqaviour -only way to obtain valid inf
  if p know they are observed -would change & conceal behaviour
  thus covert -observes naturalistic behaviour

Question 9

Disadvantages of Covert Observation

Answer 9

Requires researcher to keep up on an act -requires deep knowldege of groups way of life
risk of ones cover being blown by little mistake
Cannot take notes openly-rely on memory & opportunity
Cannot ask naive or important qs
ethical issues-immoral to decieve people by obtaining info by pretening to be friend
Covert research-cannot obtain informed consent of subjects & reveal purpose of study
May have to participate in immoral/illegal activities

Question 10

Advantages of participant Observation

Answer 10

• Valid
• Insight
• Flexible
• Practical advantages

Question 11

Disadvantages of Participant Observation

Answer 11

• Practical disadvantages
• Ethical problems
• Representativeness
• Bias & lack of objectivity

Question 12

Practical disadvantages of Participant Observation

Answer 12

• Time consuming
• Researcher needs to be trained to recognise aspects of situation
• personally stressful & demanding
• Requires observational & interpersonal skilsls
• Personal characteristics such as age,gender or ethncity restrict the kind of groups studied

Question 13

Ethical problems of particpant observation

Disadvantage

Answer 13

Decieving particpants in order to obtain ii=nformation about them & participating in illegal activity-immoral

Question 14

Explain how participant Observation is biased & lacks Objectivity

Disadvantage

Answer 14

• Risk of becoming too involved & going native makes it difficult to ra=emain objective & researcher may end up presenting one sided biased view of group

Question 15

Explain how participant observations are not representative

Answer 15

The group studied usually very small- is not representative of wider population & so cannot generalise findings

Question 16

Explain how participant observation is valid

Advanatge

Answer 16

Observing people we can can obtain rich qualitative data that provides a picture of how they really live

Question 17

Explain how participant observationis gives insight

Advantage

Answer 17

‘verstehen’-german word for obtaininjg objective understanding
Participant observation allows researcher to gain empathy through personal experience
By living as member of the group-can gain insight into their way of life, viewpoints,their values
this unique personal insight means participant Observation can give unique valid, authentic data

Question 18

Explain how participant Observation is flexible

Answer 18

Participant Observation is flexible method , without having a fixzed hypothesis it allows researcher to enter situatuon with open mind , new situations encountered-so new explanations formed

Question 19

Explain practical advantges of Participant Observation

Answer 19

• Allows researcher to build rapport with group,gain trust -successful for studying delinquent gangs

Question 20

Methodological perspectives on types of observations

Answer 20

• Interpretivists favour unstructured participant observations -achieves main goal of validity
• Positivits favour structured non participant observation because achieves their main goal of reliability,generalisability & representativeness

Question 21

Explain why Interpretivists favour unstructured participant observations

Answer 21

• Achieves their main goal of validity
• Observations give researcher a true picture because it shows what ppl do rather then simply what they say they do
• Participation in the group gives researcher first hand insight into social actors meanings & behaviours -especially if carried out convertly

Question 22

Explain why positivists favour structured non participant observation

Answer 22

• Standardised behaviour categories produce reliable data because other researchers can replicate observation
• pre-determined observational categories allow us to produce quantitative data,identiofy patterns of behaviour & establish cause 7 effect relationships
• Structured observations take less time than unstructured,can obtain larger sample-more representative