participant observations Flashcards
What is a non participant observations?
the researcher does not participante in the group they are observing
advantages non participant observation
- observing in natural environment
- unlikely to go native and will remain objective
- gather quantitative data
disadvantages of non ppt observations
- not able to develop rapport // versthen
- could jump to conclusions as not ivolved
what is a structured observation?
mostly non- ppt, where the researcher will count the number of times an event happens.
What is an overt observation?
researcher makes their true identity and purpose known to ppt
What is a covert obsrvation?
Where researcher identity is concealed
conducting an observation (5)
- getting in - must enter group
- making contact - initial contact to have right connections
- acceptance - must win trust and acceptance on ppt
- observer role - not to disrupt normal patterns
- staying in - once accepted need to stay in group but remain detached / unbiassed
making contact - Fairhurst
found herself hospitalised so used it as an opportunity to conduct a study on being a patient
Acceptance example - GRIFFIN
used medication to change his skin colour to make him pass as black to experience the first hand impact of white racism
What does ‘going native’ mean ?
Danger of staying in the group is over identifying and the researcher becomes biased and stop being an objective observer
- Researchers may preserve their detachment so as to avoid bias, but by remaining detached they risk not understanding the events they observe
- The more time the researcher spends with the group the less strange its ways comes to appear → researcher may begin to not notice things that they previously would have seen as unusual
Punch going native example
when trying to be accepted by a patrol group he over identified even acting as a policeman by chasing criminals / doing house searches
How must a researcher exit a observation?
- Researcher can simply halt and leave it
PATRICK - when sicken by violence abandoned a study immediately - Can be difficult to re enter researchers normal world can be difficult
- Loyalty to the group they studied - prevents them from fully disclosing their findings perhaps out of fear
overt observation strenghts
- Avoids ethical problem of obtaining information by deceit + when studying deviant groups → no expectation of them joining in
- Allows researcher to ask the naive type of questions only outsiders could ask
- Able to take notes openly
- Able to use interview methods to check insights derived from observations
disadvantages of overt observations
- Group may refuse the researcher permission
- Risks creating the ‘hawthorne effect’ - undermines validity
Covert observation strengths
- Reduces the risk of altering people’s behaviour - valid information
- Humpheries - only way to watch the highly discreditable behaviour
Covert observations practical issues
- Requires the researcher to keep up an act → risk of ones cover being blown
- Cannot take notes openly / must rely on memory
DITTON - studying theft used toilets as a place to record observations - caused suspicion - Cannot ask naive questions
- Unable to mix with other research methods
- Addition of a member → may still change behaviou
Covert research ethical issues
- Immoral in deceiving people
- Not able to obtain consent
- May have to participate in illegal or immoral situations to keep role
practical advantages
- Only viable option for certain groups - deviant / disrespectful groups
YABLOWSKY - teenage gang likely to see questionnaires as unwelcome representatives of authority - Able to build a rapport with the group and gain its trust- successful with deviant groups / religious sects / drug gangs
- Able to be used in situations where questioning is ineffective
CISOURELS - study of how policeman categorise juveniles based on assumption and conscious → therefore unable to ask questions as studying assumptions / biases
theoretical strengths
- Qualitative data creates an accurate picture of how they really live - no lies - **validity **
- Allows for verstehen - researcher able to gain empathy through personal experience
- By living in the situation - able to gain the meanings and viewpoints,values and problems
- Close living gives uniquely valid and authentic data - **insight **
practical advantages
- Allows sociologist to enter the situation with an open mind - so able to change direction at anytime data presents itself
- Allows researcher to discover things other methods may have missed
- covert cheap
practical disadvantages
Practical
* Time consuming ( whyte’s study took 4 years)
* Researchers need to be trained on what to look out for (Requires interpersonal skills / observational skills)
* Stressful and demanding → covert research
* Many groups wish to not be studied in tis was / some have power to make access difficult → reason why observations are often on powerless groups
ethical issues
- Covert studies → deceive people to obtain info
- Involvement in immoral / illegal activities
theoretical disadvantages
- Sample is often very small - doubtful external validity - **low representivity **
- Depends on personal skills of the researcher so unlikely the results can be replicated
- As produces qualitative data → comparisons can be difficult **low reliability **
- Risk of becoming to involved and ‘going native’ - providing biassed view
- Loyalty to the group leads to concealing of vital information
- researcher selects what they see as noteworthy → bias may influence these judgements **bias **
positivists view
- Lack of structure / not reliable / replicable
- Find that they are merely subjective and simply biassed impressions of the researcher → as they choose what’s noteworthy
