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Participant-Observation

INFO 272. Qualitative Research Methods. Participant-Observation. Outline. Review: Thinking about Selection Observation Participation Recording (Field Notes). …continuing from last week ’ s discussion of ‘ Selection ’ / Sampling…. Systematic Population Selection.

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Participant-Observation

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  1. INFO 272. Qualitative Research Methods Participant-Observation

  2. Outline • Review: Thinking about Selection • Observation • Participation • Recording (Field Notes)

  3. …continuing from last week’s discussion of ‘Selection’ / Sampling…

  4. Systematic Population Selection Social strata, functions and categories (known) Representations (unknown) Varieties of: Belief Attitudes Opinions Stereotypes Ideologies Worldviews Habits Practices [Bauer and Gaskell]

  5. Selecting Field Sites • Some work is clearly ‘sited’ • Some is not (amorphous social settings) – and therefore locating such work will be more involved • Multi-sitedness and logistics (next week)

  6. Selection from Observation • Description (in field notes) is a selection from what is observed – we do this implicitly [Becker] • If it is done well, conscientiously, creates new categories and ideas that ‘get around conventional thinking’

  7. How to Observe (2 impossible tasks) • (1) Evenly distributed attention • (2) Direct observation and description without interpretation as a way to challenge conventional thinking, discover new categories, concepts [Becker] When relying on observation alone be very careful about imputing motives, general mind-reading.

  8. How to Participate Varying degrees: • ‘going native’ at the extreme • striking a balance between insider and outsider • Researchers role as translator

  9. How to Record Field Notes • when? as soon as possible • where? somewhere unobtrusive • what? – “a running description of events, people, things heard and overheard, conversations among people, conversations with people.” – [Lofland and Lofland] • KEY IDEA: Log more data than you know you will need (to support an inductive analytical approach)

  10. How to Record Field Notes

  11. Jottings vs. full field notes

  12. http://www.studioincite.com/73urbanjourneys/map.htm

  13. Assignment 1 • Practice evenly distributing your attention • Practice breaking down your observation into the most basic descriptions (and distinguish this from your interpretations) • Practice recording more data than you think is relevant • Practice thinking iteratively • Bonus points for approaching and engaging strangers in your quest to understand the social setting

  14. Sites • Off the Grid event - 5 • Art Murmur - 2 • Gym - 3 • Grocery Store - 3 • Bars / Nightclubs - 1 • Libraries - 0 • Sproull Plaza - 3 • Bathrooms - • Church / Place of Worship – 1 • BART station, ticket kiosk - 3 • Shops - 1 • Cafes (coffee shop) - 3 • Parks - 3 • Classrooms (intro to computers) - 3 • Hackerspaces - 2 • ATMs - 4 • Movie Theaters - 1

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