Sociology: Observations

Sociology: Observations

1. Covert observations (undercover)

   • The participants do not know they are being observed
   • Participant: Infiltrates the group. Become on of them and joins daily activities
     • James Patrick, Glasgow gang
   • Non participant: Observing from the side lines, the researcher is completely separate from what is being observed and plays no part
     • Laud Humphreys, Tea room trade
   • P.E.T issues
     • Ethical: No consent - deception
       • But they are unaware so no hawthorn effect
       • Effect > high in validity
     • Interpretivists favour this

2. Over observation

   • Participants: Researcher participants in activities of the group
     • Barker: making of the Moonies
   • Non Participant: Watch from the ‘side lines’ as the researcher doesn’t get involved
     • Bain & Taylor: Call centre workers
   • Ethical: There’s informed consent
   • Theoretical: Creates the hawthorn effect and reduces validity

3. Verstehen

   • Max Weber’s term for studying human behaviour
   • Someone who can understand the feelings and motivations of people they are studying, having empathy

4. Observations are example of ethnographic study, it is the study of the way of life of a participant group of people - their culture and the structure of their society

   • Researchers often attempt to ‘walk a day in their shoes’ (to gain verstehen)
   • The researcher needs to gain trust to help make friends with a key individual (gate keeper) that will help assist you into that group

5. John Howard Griffin ‘BLACK LIKE ME’

   • A white journalist dyed his skin black in order to discover what it was like to live as a black man in the southern states of america in the 1950’s

6. Guilt knowledge: when you hear or see something you shouldn’t, morals come into play

   • As they believe it is completely wrong but have to choose between continuing the study or stopping the research

7. Going native: They have lost their objective and simply become a member of the group

8. Strengths

   • Participants: Experience, gets a real feel for what’s going on
   • Non Participant: Bias, less likely to be drawn into the group
   • Covert: Fully accepted and trusted, no hawthorn effect
   • Overt: In the position of an outsider and receives confidence from others. Honest investigation

9. Weakness

   • Participant: Protection, you may have built a strong connection with the members
   • Non Participant: Just observing leaves the researcher on the outside with little understanding
   • Covert: Danger if the role is uncovered. Ethical dilemmas could have to take part in illegal or immoral activity
   • Overt: ‘outsider’ in some cases, only trusted members will be let into secrets