THEORY & METHODS - Issues with participant observations Flashcards
What are the 3 steps to participant observations
- Getting in
- Staying in
- Getting out
Getting in - how did these sociologists make contact with the subjects of their study
- Polsky
- Patrick
- Fairhurst
POLSKY: Was a good pool player = entry into the world of the poolroom hustler
PATRICK: Looked young + new a member from the gang = easy joining into the Glasgow gang
FAIRHURST: Hospitalised = opportunity to conduct a study on being a patient
Getting in
The observers role should
1…
2…
1) Be one that does not disrupt the groups normal patterns
2) Offer a good vantage point from which to make observations
Staying in - ‘going native’
- Punch - what did he do
- What problems are there with what Punch did
PUNCH: STUDY OF AMSTERDAM POLICE
- Striving to be accepted by the patrol group he over-identified with them, acting as a policeman and chasing and holding suspects etc.
PROBLEMS: Researcher may preserve their detachment to avoid bias = risk of not understanding the events as they observe
- More time a researcher spends with a group = less strange its ways appear (instead of like before where certain things would be pointed out and discussed)
Getting out
- Patrick
What problems did he face trying to leave the group
PATRICK: Wanted to leave, sickened by the violence
- Was difficult as it was covert and he was close with them
Getting out
Re-entering the normal world
- Whyte
WHYTE: STREET CORNER SOCIETY
When returning to Havard uni after his research, he was tongue tied and unable to communicate with fellow academics
- This can be made worse if research is conducted on and off over a period of time with multiple crossings with two worlds
Getting out
- How is the sociologist loyal to the groups they are studying and why
- What problems does this cause
- Loyalty prevents sociologists from fully disclosing everything learnt in fear this might harm the other group members (e.g. criminal groups) = reduced validity
