Participant observation

• definition


  the researcher takes part in a event or everyday life of a griup while observing. Covertly or overtly
• involved ib participation observation

  • qualitive
  • validity
  • no represetivbess
  • gain verstehn
  • generalisable
  • interpretivist
• practicle strength

  • covert- reduce risk of altering people behavior
• practicle limits

  • time consuming
  • high training
  • personal charrctristic
  • some group may jot want to be involved
• how can practicle limit be overcome

  pick someone who is trained and has time
• ethical strengths


  build a rapport
• ethical limit

  • over involved
  • no right to withdraw
  • no privacy
  • deciving people
  • hawthorne effect- harder in schools
• how can ethical limits be overcome

  make sure private info isnt released

  overt info
• theoretical strength


  — interpretivist- valid- gain verstehn- action and interpretatiob
• theoretical limit

  • positivist- no reliable- not generalisable- no socal fact
• polsky


  good a pool so used his skills to get into a bee group- practicle/ethical issue
• king


  tried to blend in the infant school bus spending short time in different areas seeing if behavior changed- link to ethical issue