Sociology 2206A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Participant Observation, Ethnography, Data Analysis
25 Dec 2019
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Document Summary
Involves pure observation: participant observation, early ethnographic research. "hanging out" with people in their natural, everyday settings. Purpose of field research: understanding everyday life from the perspective of the members of the field, observing people in settings and staying with them in some social role, grasping multiple perspectives in natural settings. Fieldwork: on site collection of observations (in an uncontrolled environment, meaning-making work (between the research/the members who belong to the field, also known as ethnography. What is ethnography: ethnography, focused on studying "underside" of urban life (i. e. inner city poverty, crime, deviance, suicide) Levels of involvement: field researchers involvement can be arranged on a "continuum" --> the extent to which the researcher participates in the field. Types of involvement: researcher role: complete observer. Drawback: cannot seek clarification, ask questions, etc: observer-as-participant. Researcher identity is revealed; limited engagement with the people in the field. Provides for natural interaction, clarifications, questions possible: participant-as-observer.
