Participant and Non-Participant Observation - Topic 5 (part 4) - Theory and Methods

Participant Observation

To see participant observation in action, follow the links below.

Hooligans Donal Macintyre and the chelseas headhunters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBI-2N-9-rk

Participant observation involves a researcher becoming involved with the group he/she is studying by joining them, integrating gaming them, working and/or living with them.

Participant observation is typically used by interpretivist Sociologists as it allows them the opportunity to see and understand people as they go about their daily business acting naturally. It allows the researcher to better understand their point of view (verstehen - Weber) and gain an in-depth detailed knowledge of the subject groups actions. 

Many studies into criminal gangs and subcultures are done through participant observation as seen in the above documentary. Other investigative journalists who often gets up close and personal with their subjects are Louis Theroux and Reggie Yates -  feel free to look up their documentaries to see many of the dangers associated with their work as well as the success they have in speaking with participants and gaining an understanding.

Problems with Participant Observation

Getting in

When joining a group the researcher faces a dilemma - should he/she let the group know the true intentions and that research is being conducted, or should the researcher hide the fact that he/she is a researcher?

Overt Role - is when the researcher openly declares their identity as a researcher and the purpose of the researcher. 

The researcher might do this for several reasons 

- ethical reasons - it is considered ethical to make people aware that they are being studied

- it would allow the researcher to make notes, take recordings, pictures, audio samples and carry out interviews on group members

- The Hawthorne effect could become a major problem! Can you recall the meaning of the Hawthorne effect?

Covert Role

Researchers may adopt a covert role and may do so to gain access what a hostile or dangerous group who may not want an outsider studying them. The researcher would concoct a cover story, fake name and become fully involved in the group to avoid their identity and propose being discovered - they may even go so far as to take part in criminal activity!

Staying In

The researcher will have to find a role within the group to gain their trust and be allowed to take part in group activity. The problems involved with staying can be finding time for note taking and documenting the research. You can find lots of films on undercover police and researchers joining criminal gangs.

Getting out

Getting out of a group presents challenges such as trying to not damage relationships and becoming detached enough from the experience to write about it neurally. An additional concern is reprisals and acts of revenge from the group against the researcher. 

Advantages of Participant Observation

- researcher gains in-depth, valid information be seeing the group up-close and gain a detailed understanding - qualitative data

- it may be the only practical way to researcher criminal gangs and religious sects

Disadvantages of Participant Observation

- time consuming and expensive

- stressful and dangerous - especially in covert role

- risk of Hawthorne effect - this affects the validity of the study

- Positivists argue it is not reliable and produces no quantitative data

- only small groups can be studied so the findings cannot be generalised

- covert observation is unethical 

Non-participant observation

Non-participant observation is carried out by the researcher remaining detached from the study group and thus reducing the Hawthorne effect. This can be done by the researcher blending in to the background, being behind one-way glass or using video cameras.

Advantages

- reduces the potential of Hawthorne effect

- possible to replicate and check findings

- comparisons can be made with similar observations which can be turned into quantitative data (positivists)

Disadvantages

- ethical issues - e.g. using hidden cameras to observe a group

- the researcher is too distant and therefore cannot entirely understand meanings associated with group behaviour