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Observations Types of observations Advantages of observations Note taking Observational research Observational research in plain English means watching people Observations are used… To explore new subjects upon which little is known such as religious cults, homeless. etc Observations are used… At the start of a project to be carried out by other means to examine parameters of the situation, location, etc. Observations can also be thought of as a supplement to other techniques. Observations are used… Where people are unable to express themselves well (e.g. children, mentally ill) One of the main methods used by sociobiologists studying the behavior of primates. Observations are used… Where people will not give a truthful answer Where one is studying interaction: that is how, people relate to one another e.g. teamwork, courtship, parent/child relationships. Observations are used… Observation is also used in a variety of other fields in addition to sociology, for instance, in police work and spying Where difficult to use In historical sociology where the actors have died and the situation being studied no longer exists But may be possible using old films and artifacts Luciano attained a position of great power throughout La Cosa Nostra in 1930’s Where difficult to use Where the subjects cannot be directly observed Newspaper articles, appearances on TV can be used Where difficult to use Where opinions or attitudes are being examined. But is possible to study racial attitudes by for example looking at seating arrangements on trains and buses Where difficult to use With large-scale studies observation tends to be expensive to do Types of Observations Complete participant Complete observer Participant observer Complete participant Our activities as researchers are wholly concealed As researchers we may join a group – a church or political party – and pose as ‘ordinary members’ – but have the purpose of doing research. We may get some better sense of how ‘insiders’ experience situations – but at the same time there is the danger that we simply become part of the situation, that get too close. Complete participant Example 1: Rosenhan was interested in how diagnoses of mental illness were made. He and seven associates went to different mental institutions and simply said they were hearing voices. Rosenhan would have never been able to have the insight into how labels, diagnoses, and treatments were given without acting as a participant in the observation. Example 2: Festinger and Doomsday cult He joined the cult that thought the world was going to end on a particular day. Festinger was interested in how the beliefs of the cult's members would react when the world didn't end. Amazingly, after the world didn't end, the strength of the cult members' beliefs actually increased. Why? Because they thought the world didn't end because of their prayers. Complete observer It is simply studying behaviors that occur naturally in natural contexts, unlike the artificial environment of a controlled laboratory setting. Importantly, there is no attempt to manipulate variables Conditions for complete observer 1) The setting must be natural. A researcher cannot adjust, control, change, or influence the setting or environment. 2) The event must be natural. If you're interested in memory for arguments and you wanted to use naturalistic observation, you'd basically have to wait until an argument to occur to collect data -- bad idea. Staging a fake argument, however real it may seem, is not a natural event and thereby violates this criterion. 3) The behavior must be natural. This requires that a researcher be unnoticed. For example, if you're measuring walking speed, you have to make sure you are sneaky about it; if anyone notices you with a stopwatch and a notepad, their behavior will likely change as a results, thereby violating this criterion. Participant observation The researcher adopts an overt (open) role, and makes their presence and intentions known to the group This view of scientific inquiry has been subjected to scrutiny and criticisms The researcher often becomes a ‘fan’ or supporter, though this does not mean attempting to act as one of the group – for instance, in studying prostitution, it does not entail being a prostitute Positive aspects of participant observation It is least likely to lead researchers to impose their own reality on the social world; It seeks to understand action: as to how and why practices and relations change; Observers record their own experiences in order to understand the cultural universe which their researched subjects occupy Problems in Undertaking Observations Characteristics of the observer. The researcher's own prejudices might lead him/her to interpret the situation in his/her terms, rather than in terms of the group being observed and its participants. Language. The observer must speak the same language as the observed. Age. Can by a problem in studying the old as well as young. For instance, some elderly have many problems that may be distressing to the researcher. Children may not easily adapt to presence of an adult. Problems in Undertaking Observations Sex. It can be difficult for a women to participate in studies in some organizations which (for whatever reason) have tended to exclude females from key positions. Likewise men may sometimes find it difficult to observe women. Ethnicity. White researchers may not be easily accepted into black settings that might rule out participant observation. Field notes The data logging process is often regarded as boring (sometimes taking up three hours in a day in writing the field notes in a daily journal), but if the researcher lacks any personal emotional attachment to the concerns of the research, the quality of the project and, even its completion, may be jeopardized There are three rules to note-taking: To take notes to familiarize oneself with the social setting and the people within it; One’s theoretical interests ought to guide one’s observations, and, in turn, modify and alter those interests – it is impossible and undesirable to record everything; Minimize the time from observations to full notes to maintain good recall. Problem # 2 20 feet Rope 30 feet 40 feet 20 feet Ground