Participant Observation

Participant Observation

1. Overt or Covert

   • Getting in
   • Staying in
   • Getting out

2. Non-participant or Participant

3. Practical issues

   • Insight
   • Access
   • Flexibility
   • Limitations
     • Time consuming
     • Personally stressful and demanding
     • Requires observational and interpersonal skills
     • The large amounts of qualitative data produced is hard to analyse and categorise
     • Powerful groups may be able to prevent sociologists participant in them

4. Theoretical issues

   • Interpretivism
     • Validity through involvement
     • Flexibility and grounded theory
   • Positivism
     • Representativeness
     • Reliability
     • Bias and lack of objectivity
     • Lack of validity
     • The Hawthorne effect
     • Structure vs action perspectives