Participant observation Flashcards
Non-participant Observation
Simply observe group and don’t take part in it
Participant Observation
Researcher takes part in event or everyday life of group
Overt Observation
Researcher makes true identity and purpose known to the group
Covert Observation
Study is carried out ‘under-cover’, researcher takes on a a false identity and role
What are the two main issues a researcher faces when conducting a participant observation?
- Getting in (e.g making contact, acceptance and role), staying in (e.g ‘going native’ = over-involved = biased) and getting out
- Using covert or overt observation
What are the advantages of overt observation?
- Openly ask questions and take notes
- No ethical problems
What are the disadvantages of overt observation?
- Group may refuse the researcher permission
- Hawthorne effect
What are the advantages of covert observation?
Reduce risk of Hawthorne effect
What are the disadvantages of covert observation?
- Practical problems:
- keeping up an act risk cover being blown
- cannot write down notes
- cannot ask naive important questions
- addition of member to group can have hawthorne effect
- Ethical problems:
- immoral to deceive people to obtain information
- participate in immoral / illegal acts
- witness activities which must be reported to police
What are the advantages of participant observation?
- Practical:
- build a rapport good for studying ‘outsider’ groups
- flexible
- easier to gain access than interviews
- Theoretical:
- valid data
- verstehen
What are the disadvantages of participant observation?
- Practical problems:
- time consuming
- training, observational and interpersonal skills
- personal characteristics restrict what groups can be studied e.g age, gender, ethnicity
- difficult to access
- Ethical problems
Theoretical problems: - not representative, reliable
- ‘going native’ = over-involved = biased
- loyalty to group or fear of harm may conceal information
- may be biased in favour of ‘underdog’
- structuralist theorists argue it ignores wider structural values
What are the advantages of non-participant observation?
- Practical:
- don’t need to put on an act
- take notes openly
- Theoretical:
- unbiased
- analyse social interactions
What are the disadvantages of non-participant observations?
- Practical:
- time consuming
- Hawthorne effect
- Theoretical:
- limit researchers understanding as not involved
- lack reliability
- not representative
