...Participant Observation is a method of data collection that takes advantage of the human ability to empathise. Unlike other research methods participant observation allows the sociologist to look at people in their natural environment. Participant observation is often associated with qualitative research, although the use of observation is not confined to researchers advocating any particular methodological approach. Sociologists such as Ned Polsky and Nigel Fielding have used participant observation to research different topics. This essay will explore the usefulness of the use of participant observation in sociological research, and its drawbacks. One of the most important decisions that participant observers have to make is how to approach the social group they wish to join. They can either choose to be a covert or an overt participant observer. A covert participant observer will declare their true identity and purpose whereas an overt participant observer will keep this hidden. Whilst some researchers choose to only be partially open, others strongly advocate being open from the start and argue that it is both morally and practically the best way to carry out participant observation. Ned Polsky suggests that it is morally correct to be truthful and that the research can easily be ruined if the covert participant observer is uncovered. However, leading overt research can sometimes have its drawbacks as the group may behave artificially so as to present themselves in a better...
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...attitudes towards gender and this may make it difficult for the researcher to get at the truth. Sociologists are interested in the reasons for gender differences in subject choice. These include primary socialisation in the home peer group pressure, subject images and gender career opportunities. Question: Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the strengths and limitations of participant observation for the study of gender relations in schools. There are two types of observation, covert and overt. The difference between them is that covert observation is when the people being observed do not know they’re being watched or studied, and overt observation is when they have been told and given consent to be observed by the researcher. Observation can also be done in two ways. This is called participant and non-participant observation. In participant observation the observer joins a group and observes their activities, while at the same time taking care to observe what is going on. Often that means writing notes and reflections later on. In Non Participant observation, the sociologist simply observes the activities, but doesn’t take part in them. For example OFSTED; he or she is watching the lesson you are in, but they aren’t...
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...attaches a person with a meaning or definition to them. For example, a teacher may use labelling to label students with titles such as bright or thick, trouble maker or hardworking. Participant observation is where a researcher takes part in the event or ordinary life of a group while observing it. There are two types of types of participant observation- covert and overt observation. Covert observation is when the study is carried out undercover, and the researcher’s real identity and purpose are kept a secret. Overt observation is the complete opposite where the researcher makes their true identity and purpose known to those being studied. The provided text looks into researching gender relations in school. Gender relations can cause many issues for the researcher, especially if the researcher is of a different gender. The item suggests that teachers working in the school may disguise their sexist attitudes because they have a professional duty to treat all pupils the same but they may find it hard to put up with this act when being observed over a long period of time. A strength of participant observation is that results are usually valid. Rather than getting a participant to fill out a questionnaire when there is no real way of telling if they are giving accurate answers, participant observation can however provide great amounts of qualitative data and the researcher can put his findings into great detail. By observing ethnic minorities and teacher/student interaction towards...
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...series of ‘snippets’ of information that should broaden and deepen students’ knowledge of this subject area. This document is designed primarily to extend students’ learning and should be completed in conjunction with other course material such as textbooks. Students should click on the links and answer the questions, expanding the boxes as they go. |Participant observation, grounded theory and action research | | | |Click on the Wikipedia entry for participant observation: | |http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participant_observation | | | |What is participant observation? | | | | ...
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...be defined as a controlled observation. The researcher manipulates an aspect of the environment in order to assess the effect it has on the participants’ behavior. Experiments can take the form of lab experiments (done in a controlled environment), filed experiments (done in a natural setting but still observe the IV and DV) and natural experiment (done in a natural setting and the researcher waits for the IV and DV occur). Positivists favor primary data and they want to use quantitative to test their theories, whereas interprevists prefer qualitative data to find meanings that people attach to the world. Sociologists are unlikely to use experiments because have practical limitations, such as being expensive, time consuming and difficult to conduct. Society is too complex to fit in a laboratory so experiments are not relevant to the study of human behavior. Therefore for practical considerations are an important reason why they are not often used by sociologists. However, they have some practical strength. As they use a methodology that mirrors the natural sciences. Hypotheses can be created and variable isolated in order to establish causes and effect relationships e.g. in bandura’s experiment the hypotheses ‘violent imagery causes violent behavior’. Was used to isolate variable and establish that exposure to violent imagery (causes) led to more violent behavior. Experiments tend to be unethical as by their nature they manipulate participants under certain conditions for...
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...Many sociologists argue that theoretical issues are the most important factors to affect choice of method. Theoretical issues refer to what we think society is like and if we can obtain an accurate and truthful picture of it. There are four different concerns regarding theoretical issues which influence sociologist’s choice of research methods. Validity is a method that gives a true or genuine picture of what something is really like, which helps the researcher easily find out the truth. Sociologists argue that the use of qualitative methods such as Participant Observation gives a more valid, truthful account as it provides us with a deeper insight through firsthand experience. The next issue that influences sociologist’s choice is reliability which comes from Latin, replica meaning an exact copy of something. This results in the method being able to be repeated and creates a less bias and more accurate research again and again. Quantitative methods such as written questionnaires can be used as they are more reliable results than qualitative methods such as unstructured interviews. Another theoretical issue is representativeness which refers to how much of the characteristics you are looking for is represented by the people being studied. For example if a sociologist is researching single parent homes, you will not interview nuclear families, because they are not representing the variables they are looking for. Similarly if someone is investigating delinquency, they will not...
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...stimulates thoughts and emotions which are not ordinarily forthcoming in an individual interview, or through the examination of how people behave. Focus Group Business Research More structured approach Active moderator More use of stimulus Pre-defined questions Emphasis on content Academic Research Less controled Moderator facilitator Emphasis in the discussion among participants Focus on the process Less participants per group Focus Group Phase I: Planning Three Phase Process Phase II: Conducting Sessions Phase III: Analyzing & Reporting Focus Group Phase I: Planning PLANNING THE FOCUS GROUP 1. Generating questions – the focus group guide 2. Definition of groups 3. Participant Recruitment 4. Logistics and Agenda Focus Group Phase I: Planning 1.1. Focus group guide development • Think about the problem • Brainstorming • Five to six major topics • Open-ended questions • Careful with “Why?” questions • Avoid dichotomous questions Focus Group Phase I: Planning 1.1. Focus group guide development • Use questions that get participants involved (reflection, examples, choices, rating scales, drawings, etc). • Ordered from general to specific • Distinguish “nice-to-know” from “need-to-know” questions • Test questions, obtain feedback from other people Focus Group Phase I: Planning 1.1. Focus group guide...
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...Gathering Research in Criminal Justice Law enforcement officers and officials have a very strenuous job and even life style. Many things go into being a police officer and even more behind it. Research plays a crucial role in criminal justice in statistics, measuring crime rates, and on the job hazards or satisfaction. There are indeed many areas to look into but I believe that an officers job hazards would be the main focus in my research. The goal of researching law enforcement hazards would be to identify the risks of the job and in doing this, weighing those options with possible options to reduce risk or to just be aware of it and be mindful of what these risks can pertain. For example before you take a trip to the beach, researching the weather and knowing of any possible conditions that can occur before you travel would give you a better idea of the trip and if it's worth going or needing to be postponed. There are different types of interviews and the interview structure involved needs to be catered to the audience selected and the type of information needing to be gathered. Interviews from an actual police officer are an ideal method of gathering information needed concerning police job hazards. An officer would be able to give his or her first hand experience and knowledge. Interviews can be informal with the purpose being learning about the industry, company, people, skills required, cultural fit, and perhaps generating additional avenues of research...
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...Camila Madeo Cultural Anthropology 207 August 28,2015 Neighborhood Tokyo Exercise 1. What does the Anthropologist do? What are two methods he uses in his research? Anthropologist Theodor C. Bestor immerses himself into the culture and community within the neighborhood of Miyamoto in order to learn through them. Bestor conducts fieldwork and participant observation. In doing so Theodor Bestor learns the local habits, custom and even the language of the people of Miyamoto to become fully involved. Bestor visits Miyamoto almost routinely and engages with all aspects that belong to the people of Miyamoto, which include participating in festivals, contributing to neighborhood market shops and even making good friends with the people of the neighborhood. 2. The Miyamoto neighborhood has both physical and spiritual boundaries. How are those boundaries marked? The area of local business and shops, far from the greater global market force, marks some of the physical boundaries of Miyamoto. The shops in Miyamoto deal mainly with daily goods. Another physical boundary is that of the houses and apartments marked by close and narrow passageways inaccessible by car and fire equipment. A spiritual boundary of Miyamoto is marked my sacred shrines important throughout festivals and parades specific to celebrations. 3. People of Miyamoto celebrate several rituals over the course of the year. What’s one of those rituals? What happens during the ritual? One of the many rituals...
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...choice. For example, large-scale surveys may employ dozens of interviewers and data inputting staff and cost a great deal of money. By contrast, a small-scale project involving a lone researcher using participant observation may be cheaper to carry out, but it can take several years to complete. The researcher’s access to resources can be a major factor in determining which methods they employ. A well-known professor will probably have access to more research funds than a young student, for example. Requirements of funding bodies: Research institutes, businesses and other organisations that provide the funding for research may require the results to be in a particular form. For example, a government department funding research into educational achievement may have targets for apss rates and so require quantitative data to see whether these targets are being achieved. This means the sociologist will have to use a method capable of producing such data, such as questionnaires or structured interviews. Personal skills and characteristics: Each sociologist possesses different personal skills, and this may affect their ability to use different methods. For example, participant observation usually requires the ability to mix easily with others as well as good powers of observation and recall, while depth interviews call for an ability to establish a rapport (relationship of empathy and trust) with the interviewee. Not all sociologists have these qualities and so some may have difficulty...
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...Participant observation is a primary method in which the sociologist studies a group by taking a role within it and participating in it's activities. It may be over, where other participants are aware if the researchers true identity and motive. Over participant observation has a number if potential weakness or limitations. These range from the relativity mundane - including the amounts if time and expense involved, through possible problems with data interpretation to more serious questions about the researchers actual levels of involvement in the group and the extent to which this May be considered a naturalistic method if research. Data interpretation problems can include deciding which observation - among many- are significant. Another thing, any social group has many things happening at the same time. It is difficult for the researcher to observe anyone. Decisions have to be made about who to observe and when to observe them significant evidence may be missed, leading to invalid interpretations if the groups behaviour. Involvement with a group may be too superficial, given that one of the purposes if participant observation is to experience the world from the viewpoint of the people being studied. Is the researcher does not become sufficiently involved with the group then this type of data might not be collected. An example might be observation of a group involved in criminal activities. Clearly to understand how and why people commit crimes it would be necessary to...
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...Interpretivist sociologists would argue their ideas of methodology are the most appropriate methods for researching society. They believe behaviour is influenced by situations in society, and use qualitative data gathered by unstructured questionnaires, unstructured interviews and participant observation. They believe in verstehen- the process of putting yourself into the participant’s shoes. They prefer validity to reliability; they collect qualitative data that creates statistical evidence. There methods include unstructured interviews, questionnaires, and participant observation. There are many strengths but interpretivist methods also can be criticised other perspectives such as positivism. They argue that people cannot be studied like inanimate objects, and they look at the deeper means and motives behind people’s actions. They argue that people cannot be studied unless you put yourselves in that persons or actors shoes. Going along with Webers’ theory of verstehen-, this is observing through participant observation. Through verstehen the researches places themselves into the life of the person they are studying/researching, by doing this they can collect qualitative data and get a deeper meaning and understanding of peoples actions. They are also more likely to get a better understanding of people’s means and motives, and also why things happen and they will get a better understanding of how society influences people’s actions. It is also filled with rich data, and...
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...Interpretivist sociologists would argue their ideas of methodology are the most appropriate methods for researching society. They believe behaviour is influenced by situations in society, and use qualitative data gathered by unstructured questionnaires, unstructured interviews and participant observation. They believe in verstehen- the process of putting yourself into the participant’s shoes. They prefer validity to reliability; they collect qualitative data that creates statistical evidence. There methods include unstructured interviews, questionnaires, and participant observation. There are many strengths but interpretivist methods also can be criticised other perspectives such as positivism. They argue that people cannot be studied like inanimate objects, and they look at the deeper means and motives behind people’s actions. They argue that people cannot be studied unless you put yourselves in that persons or actors shoes. Going along with Webers’ theory of verstehen-, this is observing through participant observation. Through verstehen the researches places themselves into the life of the person they are studying/researching, by doing this they can collect qualitative data and get a deeper meaning and understanding of peoples actions. They are also more likely to get a better understanding of people’s means and motives, and also why things happen and they will get a better understanding of how society influences people’s actions. It is also filled with rich data, and...
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...is an excellent strategy in understanding and describing a cultural group. Field work is also an asset in performing a needs assessment in the planning phase of developing health promotion interventions. As described by Bailey (2002), “ethnographic techniques are integral tools for galvanizing and mobilizing communities for social action relative to generating a promotion and disease prevention agenda.” (Bailey, 2002) This paper serves as a proposal to conduct a medical anthropology field work project to assess reinforcing and enabling factors that promote the use of early detection and preventative breast cancer screening services among African American women. The study design consists of a qualitative ethnographic approach utilizing observation and focus group methodology. This project consists of conducting a focus group with a group of African American women age 40-65 years of age at a Nash County church, who regularly receive early detection and preventative breast cancer screenings. Qualitative data collected will be analyzed utilizing qualitative research coding and content analysis to identify common themes. Data will allow us to identify factors that...
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...Critical thinking, thesis thinking and field work Thesis Statements Tells the reader what you will attempt to do Tells the reader what you will argue in your paper Appears near the beginning of your paper Can be recalibrated as you advance Thesis statement will be carried throughout your paper Helps organize your thoughts Used in qualitative research Why do we need a thesis statement? It tells the reader what your conclusions are Helps keep you and the reader on track It may or may not include a plan of development Narrows the scope of your paper Makes for a stronger paper Shows that you acknowledge the different positions on the topic Answers questions like who, what, where, why and how Testing your thesis statement Does the thesis statement show analysis and depth of thought, or is it mainly descriptive? Does the thesis statement present an argument about the material, and is it worded as an argument? Is the thesis contestable? Is the thesis defensible? >Example of thesis statement What is critical thinking? Analyzing; conceptualizing; defining; examining; inferring; listening; questioning; reasoning; synthesizing Pinpoint and minimize biasing influence from culture and upbringing Seek out and be guided by knowledge and evidence that fits with reality We must not hold onto our beliefs unconditionally Skepticism= doubting, suspending our judgment Reasoning based on acts not emotional claims Black and white terms- false dichotomy Taking...
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