Qualitative research in statistics includes one of the most powerful and immersed methods known as participant observation widely used in subject disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, and ethnography. It allows researchers to gain the deep knowledge of a research subject by engaging directly in that specific environment and knowing about social practices, interactions in distinct religion and cultural ethics. In this blog, we will guide you through what is participant observation, provide a simple participant observation definition, give you knowledge of participant observation examples, and distinguish between ethnographic participant observation and covert participant observation.
Introduction to Participant Observation
In qualitative research human experience is understood in depth and simple manner. One of the effective and simple techniques is participant observation for social interaction. Unlike interviews and party wise surveys, all participants are observed individually. Their behavior is recorded as they naturally occurred.
What Is Participant Observation?
What is participant observation? Simple answer to this question is that it is an immense research method used by investigators to study participants in their natural behavior. They maintain their role of observer. This dual role allows the researcher to gain deep insights into objective as well as subjective areas, leading to more effective data. It is frequently used in disciplines such as social psychology, public health research, cultural areas and urban sociology. A widely accepted practical participant observation definition: “It is a qualitative research method in which the investigator becomes actively involved in social gathering, to better understand each individual participating perspective and their nature of behaviour.”This approach is best for researchers as it allows them to go beyond their understanding level; they are use to access and gain more practical knowledge in social norms. This is impossible through interview surveys and questionnaires.
Key Features of Participant Observation
Participation observation is defined by several characteristics that are described below:
1. Reflexivity: The researcher in this method constantly tries to reflect on their influence over the group and vice versa.
2. Natural setting: This method includes the observations that occur in real life settings and not in artificial environments.
3. Immersion: The researcher tries to embed themselves within the group and community.
4. Detailed Field notes: All insights, conversations and observations are meticulously recorded in document.
5. Extended Engagement: This feature of participant observation requires months or even many years of engagement.
Types of Participant Observation Explained
There are two major categories in types of participant observation that are detailed in following points:
Overt and covert participant observation:
In the overt participant observation the researcher identity and need are known to the group of participants. This approach has the benefit of being more transparent and ethical as compared to others, but sometimes can lead to altered behaviour due to the observer's presence. On the contrary if we talk about covert participant observation the researcher does not disclose his or her identity. This allows for a more natural behaviour record. The main drawback of such participant observation is it raises some ethical issues. Convert participant observation is necessary in some sensitive areas of research, deviant behaviour areas, and in hidden populations. The main thing should be kept in mind that the observation should be done with caution and approval of the institution.
Ethnographic participant observation method
Ethnographic participant observation refers to a qualitative participant observation method which works for long term, including in-depth study. This study is done in socio-cultural subjects and anthropological topics. Here the researchers and investigators live for years among participants to learn and observe their language, religion, values and rituals. Ethnographic participant observation is sometimes called the central method, making it essential for understanding culture, religion and migrant community subcultures.
Examples of Participant Observation in Research
Ethnographic Research in Rural Africa
This is an example of remote areas where an anthropologist moves to a remote village, observe and communicates in the local language or dialect, participates in farming rituals, and observes family behaviour staying together to understand their friendship and kinship and social hierarchy. This was an excellent case of ethnographic participant observation.
Studying Homeless Communities
This is an example of community culture where a sociologist lives in a temporary shelter for two to three months, engaging in daily life with local residents where they eat together, attending community meetings, and documenting their struggles, coping mechanisms, and social networks.
Covert Observation in Nightclubs
This is an example of nightclub and high profile gathering where a researcher investigating drug use in parties and nightlife scenes poses as a regular part of various clubs, observing behaviours without revealing their original research identity, this is covert participant observation. This helps in getting transparency and authenticity in the results.
When and Why to Use Participant Observation
1. When accessing unspoken knowledge: Participant observers uncover the hidden knowledge by observing different body languages, actions, context, religion and culture.
2. In ethnographic participant observation researchers live for extended a year which is ideal for studying entire culture and traditional norms.
3. When studying social processes in the natural environment, researchers understand how people behave and interact in daily routines such as in schools, religious institutions and workplaces.
4. Participant observation is best to adapt as it allows the researcher to focus on new areas, new study a day and answer some questions emerge during the study.
Why use participant observation:
1. To study the behaviour over long time period
2. To see beyond words.
3. To study someone’s behaviour over some times
4. To build trust, rapport, and transparency
5. To work on theories in real life examples by insights in empirical observation.
Steps to Conduct Participant Observation
Conducting participant observation involves several steps that are described below:
1. Entry and gaining Step: The first step to conduct participant observation is to gain the trust and take permission from various communities for an interview. This can be a slow and sensitive process and require some level of negotiation often with leaders of the community.
2. Establishing high rapport and identity: For getting the authentic data there is a requirement of gaining genuine relationship with participants. This is the step of establishing high rapport and your identity in the general public.
3. Observation and participation: In this step the researcher participates in the daily process of work, daily routine of people, observing their behaviour and rituals. After this they record all their experiences in field notes.
4. Data collection and recording: Detailed data collection that include notes and analytical topic of what it means with all researchers feelings or biases.
5. Exit and Post observation interviews: The last step of participant observation is exit and post observation interview which begins when the researcher leaves the field. In this he takes follow up interviews, some feedback sessions and after views.
Strengths and Limitations of Participant Observation
Understanding the concept of participant observation can help researchers decide when and how to use the method effectively. The following are strength of participant observation:
1. Naturalistic setting: Participant observation method is effective and takes place in a real work environment. The data collected in participant observation makes the data more authentic and reliable rather than experimental settings.
2. Insight understanding: Participant observation allows the researcher to gain extra knowledge into cultural, social and religious settings. When researchers live with the local residents they have access to norms, values and behaviours.
3. Empathy and Rapport: Long term engagement assists in building trust with participants and making open communication and cooperation.
4. Flexibility: Participant observation is one of the flexible methods of qualitative research. It is not rigid and investigators can adjust their perspective based on emerging situations.
Despite having so many limitations participant observation poses several limitations:-
1. Time consuming: It is time consuming and requires long term commitment.
2. Observer biases: The researchers own experiences and knowledge can influence interpretation
3. Limited Generalization: Participant observation is limited to generalization as findings are deeply contextual and may not apply to broader areas of population.
4. Emotional and environmental strain: In the case of an unfamiliar and dangerous environment the researcher may face some psychological risk.
5. Ethical concern: In the case of ethical dilemmas especially in covert roles there are some serious concerns related to ethics and norms
Tips for Effective Participant Observation
1. Ethics in participant observation are critical and researchers must balance the need for transparency and authenticity. Try to maintain cultural norms and respect privacy.
2. Being aware of one impact on research is crucial for maintaining integrity.
3. Researchers must avoid distress situations and danger to participants to avoid harm.
4. Identities in publications must be protected at the time of observation and interview to maintain privacy.
Conclusion
At last it is summarised that participant observation is one of the powerful tools of the qualitative research method. All types of participant observation whether covert, overt, situational or ethnographic it gives deep insights into participant behaviour towards different situations. It gives details about many things that other methods may overlook or avoid. In this method researchers by directly living the life of those participants actually capture real human experience. This can be started from anthropologists in remote villages to sociologists in urban areas; participant observation continues to give understanding of society and culture. It is the feeling of experiencing living feeling, understanding character and natural habit of human beings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why is participant observation important in qualitative research?
Participant observation is an important part of qualitative research because it allows the researchers to observe human behaviour in the social environment. It assists in understanding what people actually act, and how their behaviour changes in natural surroundings. It makes it easy to understand complex human behaviour and religious dynamics.
Q2. What are some real-life examples of participant observation?
The real life examples of participant observation: A researcher going undercover in jungle night venues to understand the forest living people culture. A sociologist working volunteer in homeless areas for knowing and observing the behaviour of homeless and homeless people. An anthropologist living in tribal areas studies the behaviour of different people to know about their ritual practices.
Q3. How is participant observation used in anthropology and sociology?
In anthropology, participation is a main method as here researchers spend years to know and understand some culture and everyday life of people to know their norms, culture and religion. In sociology, participant observation is used to explore social gathering, group changes, subculture of different people, and institution behaviour. They know about their culture by studying gangs, schools, religious workplace, and different communities and observe social structures and human behaviour.
Q4. What are the steps involved in conducting participant observation?
The process of participant observation typically involves the following steps: Selecting a research setting. Gaining access and building trust. Participating in daily activities while observing behavior. Taking detailed field notes and reflections. Analyzing patterns, themes, and insights. Exiting the field and possibly conducting follow-up interviews
Q5. What skills are needed to be a good participant observer?
To be an effective participant observer, a researcher should have the following skills: Strong observation skills to notice subtle behaviors and patterns. He should have empathy and cultural sensitivity to understand people within their context and excellent memory and note-taking abilities for accurate documentation. Adaptability and patience to handle long-term, unpredictable fieldwork. Having critical thinking to interpret complex social phenomena