Participant Observation Flashcards
What is Participant Observation (PO)?
A qualitative research method for data collection through immersion, involving living close to subjects, gaining insider information, and building trust to ensure data validity
How is Participant Observation (PO) different from Ethnography?
While PO is a data collection technique, Ethnography is a type of case study employing “thick” descriptions and prioritising the subjects’ viewpoint. PO often serves as a data source for Ethnography.
What are the two main stages of Participant Observation (PO)?
- Data collection through immersion: Living closely with subjects and experiencing their lives to gain trust and access insider information.
- Data analysis: Reflecting on the immersive experience and translating the findings into research insights.
What types of data can be collected using Participant Observation?
PO can collect both qualitative data (e.g., field notes, photos, audio recordings, transcripts) and quantitative data (e.g., direct observations, questionnaires).
What are the three fieldwork roles in Participant Observation?
- Complete participant: Full interaction, usually without disclosing the researcher’s role. 2. Complete observer: Minimal interaction, with or without disclosing the researcher’s role. 3. Participant observer: A combination of observing and participating, involving shifting boundaries between the two roles.
What are the two sub-roles within “Participant observer”?
- Observing participant: Primarily observing subjects and their environment. Example: Phillips studying El Salvadoran refugees in Honduras.
- Participating observer: Primarily experiencing subjects’ lives while also observing them. Example: Bernard living with Greek sponge fishermen.
How does the researcher’s prior experience influence Participant Observation?
Prior participation in a setting can offer advantages for becoming an observer participant, as seen in examples like a study on wives of US Navy officials by a former Navy wife or a study on relatives of cancer patients by a cancer nurse.
What are Rapid Assessment Procedures in Participant Observation?
Techniques used when there’s limited time for rapport-building, often combined with other methods. Examples include:
- 1. Participatory mapping: Involving locals to provide information about geographically located data.
- 2. Participatory transects: Systematic walks with key informants to observe and gain insider explanations.
- 3. Focused ethnographic study: Investigating specific questions with limited variables, using vignettes or scenarios for data collection
What factors determine the duration of Participant Observation fieldwork?
Duration depends on the project and conditions. Short studies are possible in familiar contexts (e.g., a local laundromat). Longer studies (months) might be needed to settle in, understand the context, build trust, and gain access to information.
What are the advantages of Participant Observation?
- Data Variety: Access to diverse data types, including sensorial data about the surroundings.
- Greater Data Validity: Reduced risk of reactivity (subjects changing behaviour due to observation) due to trust-building.
- Better Questions: Developing culturally informed questions in the native language.
- Understanding Data Meaning: Deep understanding of the cultural context, leading to accurate data interpretation.
What are some essential skills for Participant Observation?
- Language: Fluency for awareness of potential misunderstandings and adapting to local language use for building trust.
- Explicit Awareness: Observing subtle details to gain a comprehensive understanding of the context.
- Hanging Out: Building rapport through gradual immersion rather than intrusive observation.
What is the concept of “Objectivity” in Participant Observation?
Objectivity doesn’t mean eliminating biases but acknowledging them and judging their impact on observation and interpretation. Regular discussions with colleagues can help researchers understand their findings better.
How does the “Researcher Effect” influence Participant Observation?
The researcher’s personal characteristics (gender, age, experiences) can create biases, limiting access to information or influencing perceptions. These biases are impossible to eliminate entirely but can be negotiated, mitigated, or circumvented. Examples include limitations on information sharing between genders or age-related differences in how information is perceived.
What are some ways to combine methods in Participant Observation?
Participant Observation can be combined with other research methods. For example, a study on sexual harassment in the US Army found that questionnaires alone wouldn’t reveal the complexities of harassment as effectively as PO.
How does Philippe Bourgois’s study on “Alternative Income-Generating Strategies” in East Harlem demonstrate the value of Participant Observation?
Bourgois’s work highlights the limitations of relying solely on official statistics like census data. By immersing himself in the community, he uncovered the prevalence of the underground economy and its role in supplementing meager incomes. His long-term engagement allowed him to gain the trust of individuals involved in illicit activities, providing valuable insights into their lives and motivations.
What are the key characteristics of the “ethnographic case study” conducted by Philippe Bourgois?
Bourgois’s research uses a combination of methods. Participant observation was his primary method, but he also employs other techniques like interviews and analysis of existing documents to gain a comprehensive understanding of his subjects’ lives. His work aims to provide a “thick” description that prioritises the subjects’ viewpoint and the meaning they attach to their actions. He goes beyond simply describing their lives to explore broader questions about how people adapt to marginalisation and strive for fulfilling lives within their context.
What is the concept of “Self-Conscious Reflexivity” in Bourgois’s study?
Bourgois acknowledges his position as an outsider and the potential for his interpretations to be scrutinised. He addresses concerns about exoticising the community and strives for a balance between empathy and moral clarity to avoid romanticizing or relativising the suffering he observes.
What is the ethical dilemma faced by Bourgois in his research?
He grapples with the potential for his work to reinforce negative stereotypes about Puerto Ricans despite his intention to humanise them. He justifies his approach by presenting his observations honestly and arguing that his work reveals the structural conditions and social stigma contributing to their involvement in drug dealing.
How does Bourgois “intellectualise” his findings from Participant Observation?
He re-conceptualises various aspects of his study: 1. Violence in drug dealing: He sees it as agency within structural constraints, challenging narratives of the “unworthy poor”. 2. Inner-city street culture: He interprets it as a form of resistance and a search for dignity amidst marginalisation, while acknowledging its self-destructive aspects. 3. Underground activities: He views them as gendered expressions of human dignity. 4. Experiences of other residents: He explores the fear and adaptation of residents not involved in illegal activities, contrasting their experiences with middle-class perceptions.
