What are the 7 types of observation?
1) Non-participant
2) Participant
3) Overt
4) Semi-overt
5) Covert
6) Structured
7) Unstructured
What was The Secret Policeman observation?
+ what issues did he face?
A covert observation conducted to investigate institutional racism in the police
+ skills & characteristics required
+ time-consuming
+ costly
+ deception
+ no anonymity or confidentiality
+ risk of harm to researcher & participants
+ emotional toll
+ researcher bias
+ validity affected (possible underlying motive)
What was Patrick’s observation of a Glasgow gang?
+ advantages and disadvantages of this observation?
Semi-overt (posed as one member’s friend)
+ valid as covert
+ practical (easier to gain access
+ published under diff name (anonymity)
- deception, harm, vulnerable group & no informed consent
- lacks representativeness & reliability
- skills & characteristics
What was Humphrey’s observation of gay men in public toilets?
+ advantages and disadvantages of this observation?
Covert & participant (acted as ‘Watch queen’)
+ validity
+ shed light on homosexuality
- deception, risk, no informed consent & stalking
- vulnerable group
- longitudinal & time consuming
- skills required
What was Griffin’s observation of a racism in the Deep South?
+ advantages and disadvantages of this observation?
Semi-overt & participant (changed his skin colour)
+ valid
+ trying to gain understanding
- moral issues
- access
- lack of reliability
- unrepresentative
- practical issues
- skills & characteristics
What was Campbell’s observation of a girl gangs in NYC?
+ advantages and disadvantages of this observation?
Overt & participant (observed 3 racially mixed female gangs)
+ consent & RTW
+ allows rapport
+ range of people
+ could ask questions
- Hawthorne effect
- participants lied (social desirability)
- not all parts recorded
What was Ventakesh’s observation of a Chicago gang?
+ advantages and disadvantages of this observation?
Overt & Participant
+ allows rapport to be built
+ consent & RTW
+ could ask questions
- skills & characteristics
- ethical
- may lack validity
- not representative
What was King’s observation of a children’s behaviour in classrooms?
+ advantages and disadvantages of this observation?
Non-participant & semi-overt (hid in Wendy House)
+ validity
+ non-artificial setting
- vulnerable group
- ethical (no informed consent)
- unreliable
- uncomfortable
What was Whyte’s observation of Italian gangs?
+ advantages and disadvantages of this observation?
Semi-overt & participant (formed close relationship with gang leader)
+ validity
- he started ‘going native’
- loss of objectivity
What was Hargreave’s observation of labelling in schools?
+ advantages and disadvantages of this observation?
Overt & non-participant
+ validity
+ access
- not reliable
- unrepresentative
- skills & characteristics
- impression management
Issues faced by observers
- making contact (requires skills & connections)
- getting in (must win trust which may be difficult)
- staying in (may become less observant or not fully understand observations)
- going native (may over-identify w group leading to bias)
- getting out (may be hard if covert)
- role of researcher (should not disrupt group’s normal pattern)
1) What is a structured observation schedule?
2) Why should observers seek to avoid leadership roles when participating?
3) Why may it be difficult for the observer to gain the trust if the group they wish to study?
1) Quantitative count of what is being observed
2) They may influence the participants (researcher bias)
3) They may be vulnerable or deviant
Skills/characteristics may block access
4) Why can participant observations be described as more flexible than questionnaires?
5) Why do critics argue participant observation studies lack objectivity?
6) Why may participant observation be valid & not valid?
4) Observations allows you to pick up on what’s important instead of pre-set questions
5) Researchers may pick up on things they think are relevant & they may be involved
6) Natural environment & covert avoids Hawthorne effect but your presence as a new member affects the dynamic
