Observations Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is non participant and participant observation?
Non participant researcher observed the group or even without taking part in it. Participant researcher joins the group and participated in its everyday life while observing ethnographic research.
What is overt and covert observations
Overt is when true identity of the researcher is known to those studied. Sociologist open with observation and participants are aware. Covert study conducted undercover, real identity and purpose is covered from group so researcher entail in a false role.
What happens in non participant observations?
Researcher uses structured observational schedule to categorise systematically. Schedule is a predetermined list of behaviours they record.
Advantages and disadvantages of overt participants observations
- lead to an Hawthorne effect (Elton may to see if coffee increased productivity) people might ‘ play gallery’ of researcher which ceases to be natural/normal behaviour so have blend into background and minimally intrusive.
- limits observation of group and understanding so interpreter some points.
- only record behaviour that fit into schedule.
+ detached
+ reliable can observe diff departments
+ standardised with quantitative data to make comparisons.
+ less training needed
+ practical not time consuming easier to organise and carry out.
What is participant observation?
Getting in:
Sociologist gain entry so need personal skills, have right connections or pure chance. Thornton Glasgow gang. Age, gender, class or ethnicity may be an obstacle. Researcher should adopt role in group but not disrupt normal patterns.
Staying in:
Have to be both involved in a group and be detached striking a balance so remain objective and unbiased. Maurice punch acting as a police. the longer the S spends with the group, the less strange its ways come to appear.
Getting out:
Sociologist has become difficult and difficult to reenter their normal life.
Overt or covert?
Covert creates practical issues keep up an act cover being blown by even a trivial mistake cannot take notes openly and have to rely on memory nd opportunity to write in secret. Ethical issues immoral to deceive people also may hv to participate in immoral of illegal activities in which they have a legal duty to report or intervene.
Advantages of participant observations
- valid provides rich qualitative data provides pic of how people really are
- insight personal or subjective understanding verstehen (putting yourself in other peoples place
- flexible allows researcher to enter with relatively an open mind, new explanations can be developed discover things other methods would miss.
- practical only viable method to research deviant groups or activities that would no cooperate in research. Also enables them to build a rapport to reveal realities.
Disadvantages of participant observations
- practical, time consuming, be personally stressful and demanding sociologist need to be trained to notice sociological relevant info so require observational and interpersonal skills, social status and personal characteristics limits the type of group
- ethical deceives people to obtain info
- Representativeness sample small and selected haphazardly
- reliability unique personal skills and characteristics is highly unlikely any other researcher would be able to replicate.
- Bias and lack objectivity is difficult. Loyalt to group and fear of reprisals lead to conceal sensitive info
- validity already have pre existing prejudice views
- only see things through actors eyes which will never give a complete picture may be unaware of the structural forces shaping behaviour.
How can structured non participating observations be used in education?
- Practical issues:classrooms are closed physical and social environment so easy for researcher to sit at the back and record into set categories. Short duration time, cheaper,requiresless training. However some school too many diff behaviours to satisfactory categorise.
-reliability: classroom behaviours limited so limited benaviour categories established so easy to replicate. However it ignores the meanings pupil + teachers attach to it. - validity: simply counting t classifying behaviours limits number of pre-determined categories.
- observer presence:presence of stranger,non- participating observer with checklist can be off-putting and reduce validity.
How can participant observation be used in education?
- Validity: overcome problems of status difference between pupil and researcher, allows them to gain acceptance by pupil so more valid. However teacher/pupil are  skilled at altering their behaviour observed by those in authority so difficult to know if it is genuine.
- practical: schools are complex so may take time to understand functions. Would be less disruptive than interviews so easier to gain permission. However its restricted by school timetable, holidays,teachers.
- ethical issues: pupil are more vulnerable so may not be able to give informed consent. So normally has to be overt also ethical issues when protecting schools identity. (Poor image can damagereputation).
- representativeness: only carried out small scale so hard to achieve with over 35,000 schools/college.
- Hawthorne: pupil/teachers may be suspicious of an observer and later their normal behaviour.
