Participant Observation

Participant Observation

1. ADVANTAGES

   • Validity
     • Observations can obtain a rich amount of qualitative data that provides a picture of real life
     • Sociologists in favour of this method (interpretivsts) would argue this is a main strength of Participant observation
   • Insight/Vershten
     • Personal/Subjective understanding known as 'verstehen' - an understanding from putting yourself in the same position as another
       • Gives uniquely valid and authenic data collection
     • By becoming part of a particular group, sociologists can follow their way of life ad gain an 'empathy'
   • Flexibility
     • A more flexible method of research (contrast to questionaries' and structured interviews)
     • Doesn't start with a fixed hypothesis so sociologists to enter situations with open mind, can expand on specific points
     • Allows expansion which can lead to sociologists discovering things other research methods may have missed
   • Practical Issues
     • Allows sociologists to build a rapport with the specific group/ individual can be used to research more deviant groups in society

2. DISADVANTAGES

   • Practical Issues
     • Very time consuming - takes time building rapports ect,
     • It can be personally demanding and stressful for the researcher, especially if covert
     • Not everyone want s to be researched in this way, and have the ability to restrict access, usually why participant observation targets powerless groups i.e. criminals
   • Ethical Problems
     • Specifically covert observation raises issues of deciet
     • Zimbardos experiment with the prision gaurds
   • Representativeness
     • Group sample being studied is usually very small and therefore cannot be generalised from
   • Reliability
     • PO relies so much on personal skills and characteristics so is unlikely another researcher would be able to replicate the original research
     • Qualitative data makes it difficult to make comparisons with other results
   • Validity
     • Positivists reject claim that PO is valid, findings are subjective and biased impressions of the observer, jut shows the story through the observers eyes
   • Bias & Lack of Objectivity
     • Sociologists can become too involved leading to then feeling loyalty and concealing sensitive information