Participant Observation Moshe Banai, PhD Moshe.banai@baruch.cuny.edu

Participant Observation Overview of Data Gathering Techniques: Participant Observation Interviews Focus Groups Archival Research Documents Public Records Personal Documents Photographs

Participant Observation What is it? Gathering data while experiencing subjects’ social contexts with them. Sometimes called “ethnography” Long term interaction and proximity with group being studied getting close, people feel comfortable with your presence allowing you to observe and record their lives with rapport and acting like them, people go about their business as usual when you are around if you go native you are no longer doing research - you are just living Remove yourself daily from the research setting to put it into perspective, including making notes and some analysis Doesn't rule out administering formal surveys or other structured data collection tasks

Participant Observation Objectives: Gain holistic perspective on social living. To understand how things work emic: understanding how people view their world etic: how researcher views their world Real view of how people behave in their settings See guiding principles of an organization, setting, sub-group, or culture Capture social meanings shared by a group To understand how it feels to be a member of a given group

Participant Observation Information you get: The setting—physical environment Social environment and human interactions Actual behaviors in a setting Native language of the setting being studied Nonverbal communication (dress, opinions, spacing during discussions, arrangement of actors) Notable non-occurrences

Participant Observation Getting Access: Why it may be hard to get in: Personal attributes (age, gender, skin color, nationality, class, sexual orientation) Research topic First impression Covert, overt, or semi-overt research?

Participant Observation Covert/overt research Most observations nowadays are semi-overt Covert – the ethnographer does not reveal their ‘true’ identity Overt – the participants are aware of the researcher’s motives and they grant their consent for the data to be used

Participant Observation Different roles (Gold, 1958) Complete participant (covert) Participant as observer (overt) Observer as participant (overt) Complete observer (overt) This distinction is not always useful – you are never simply an observer

‘Going native’ When the observer becomes a member of the studied group/ loses the sense of being a researcher May be dangerous but it happens Religious conversion, romantic involvement with a research participant, taking on the views of the group studied

Participant Observation Getting Access Among a set of reasonable sites, choose the one that is easiest to get into Be prepared with lots of written documentation about yourself and your project. Grant proposals, resumes, examples of past work, and letters of introduction from your university, granting agency, boss, etc.

Participant Observation Getting Access Depend on social capital. Come with a list of specific people to look up that are acquaintances of people you know With organizations, start at the top and work down -- get to the gatekeepers first. Assure them confidentiality, and don't offer a quid quo pro that could harm your informants

Participant Observation Getting Access Have ready answers that describe your research, what will be done with the results, etc. Do your homework and learn about the setting before you get there. Get comfortable with the physical setting

Participant Observation Options for data collection: Complete observation: “open recording” May change behaviors more Participation and observation Covert participation: “fly on wall” Is it ethical? Is it necessary? Sometimes are forced by persons to take sides Figure out: My behavior is normal for situation or it is interference, changing things

Participant Observation How many observers? More than one: may remove bias has higher costs may change behaviors more

Participant Observation Ways of recording events and impressions: Notes Audio Video For analysis purposes, almost all records will be analyzed as text

Participant Observation Types of notes: Field (descriptive)-when observing, one should: Describe the setting Identify the people Describe the content of the activities Document the interactions Describe and assess Be alert to unanticipated things

Participant Observation Types of notes: Theoretical Personal How much data do you gather? Not Clear Avoid atypical situations Carry out more than one observation Spread observations over time

Participant Observation What should be recorded? Impossible to record everything Sophistication comes with time Detailed can be good Especially if we are dealing with conversations and emotional situations

Participant Observation When and How? When? ASAP, best during an observation but not always possible How? Rushed and fragmented, key words, pictures and drawings, even elaborate notes need refining CONSISTENCY! ‘If in doubt, write it down’

Participant Observation Types of field notes: Jottings – brief phrases to be developed Description – everything you recall about the occasion (time, place, people, surroundings, animals, smells, sounds etc.) Analysis – what have you learned so far? Reflection – what was it like for you?

Participant Observation How long does it take? For very sensitive topics with real strangers, can take a year. Studies show that ethnographies that took less time tend to make scant reference to sensitive topics (sexuality, crime, witchcraft, political feuds, etc) For simple settings with little that is sensitive (e.g., studying a Laundromat), a couple of weeks will do

Participant Observation Researcher Skills Learn the language-language, dialect, jargon, phrases, buzz words, styles Become consciously aware of what people are doing and saying. Otherwise you take in what you expected to see rather than what you saw Maintain posture of apprentice. Informants are experts in their culture. You are ignorant. You learn more this way

Participant Observation Researcher Skills Store information in an organized and routinely thorough way. Good note taking skills Patience. Trust takes time, learning new understandings” takes time Practice Objectivity. Personal ideas can ‘kill’ accuracy Your beliefs may not fit your research context. Don’t try to empty your mind of pre-conceived notions and don't try to disbelieve what you believe. Just be aware that alternative views are possible Be extremely wary of personal outrage, indignation, and similar feelings. They are pleasurable because they produce feelings of self-worth and purposefulness. You will believe ideas, thoughts that make you feel that way

Participant Observation Advantages of Observations: Direct information about behavior of individuals and groups Permits researcher to enter and understand situation/context Good opportunities to identify unanticipated outcomes Natural, non-artificially structured, and flexible setting Reduces reactivity - people changing behavior because they are being watched

Participant Observation Disadvantages of Observations: Expensive and time consuming Need well-qualified, highly trained observers; may need content experts Done poorly, may affect behavior of participants Selective perception of observer may distort data Investigator has little control over the situation May observe atypical behaviors

Participant Observation Participant observation’s sociological role Certain topics cannot be studied by other means. Some groups won't let you see anything unless you are part of their lives (like criminal networks) Many settings are too intricate to be understood with piecemeal techniques. Think of understanding court settings Helps formulate survey questions that are sensible and appropriately phrased

Participant Observation Participant observation’s sociological role Intuitive understanding of contexts that allow you to interpret other findings more meaningfully Participant observation is respectful of subjects. Rather than just hitting them up for data, you invest your time in them and treat them like experts in their setting Pedagogically, research based in participant observation is often the most convincing, easily understood sociological research

Participant Observation Aftermath Keeping in touch: a moral obligation? Feeding the data back to the participants Follow-up research