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Direct Observation

Direct Observation. Describe methods and goals of direct observation Carry out an unstructured observation on a segment of video, writing up notes, with as little analysis as possible. Direct Observations. Participant Observation Unstructured Direct Observation Structured Observation.

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Direct Observation

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  1. Direct Observation • Describe methods and goals of direct observation • Carry out an unstructured observation on a segment of video, writing up notes, with as little analysis as possible

  2. Direct Observations • Participant Observation • Unstructured Direct Observation • Structured Observation

  3. 6 differences between (ordinary) observer and participant observer 1 PURPOSE • engage in activities appropriate to the situation • observe the activities, people & physical aspects of the situation

  4. 2. EXPLICIT AWARENESS • normally filter out much of what goes on in an activity, but not as a participant observer • 3. WIDE-ANGLE LENS • take in a much broader spectrum of information • 4. INSIDER/OUTSIDER Experience • do the activity and see what people around you are doing too, so can be both at the same time • 5. INTROSPECTION • -Normally take most of an experience for granted • -As a participant observer, find out what it feels like to do something • 6. RECORD KEEPING

  5. Get close enough to people and make them feel comfortable enough in your presence so you can record information about their lives

  6. Alternate between roles of participant & observer • (active to passive), participating observer (usual role for social research), passive observing participant, active

  7. What to do? attend ceremonies (funerals, seasonal festive events) • do the work • be around and talk when conversation comes up • jokes

  8. 5 reasons to do participant observation to learn about culture 1 Can collect sensitive data, impossible as a stranger STUDENT EXAMPLES

  9. reasons to do participant observation to learn about culture 2. Reduces reactivity, get higher validity of data (Beloksi visit)

  10. reasons to do participant observation to learn about culture 3. Helps formulate questions, as you understand culture better (supervision in health post workers)

  11. reasons to do participant observation to learn about culture 4. Helps understand meanings, can make strong statements about cultural data you have collected (telling mothers to boil water)

  12. reasons to do participant observation to learn about culture 5. Basis for general understanding of how social organization works (emic concept of poverty absent)

  13. 5 rules to follow for making an entry into fieldwork 1. Choose easy site over a difficult one, if all else is the same

  14. rules to follow for making an entry into fieldwork 2. Bring documentation about yourself and project

  15. rules to follow for making an entry into fieldwork 3. Arrange to be introduced, have a contact (Gongtala, Ephrosini)

  16. rules to follow for making an entry into fieldwork 4. Prepare answers to questions expected to be asked

  17. What will you do with this information? What are you doing here? What are your qualifications? Why do you want to do this? Who sent you? Who is paying you? What good to us is the work that you do? Why are you working with the other group and not us? How many children do you have? Is it true about American women that they.......? How much money do you make? What does your camera cost? Do you have some medicine?

  18. rules to follow for making an entry into fieldwork 5. Get to know the physical and social layout of the scene • Ethnographies • Maps • Organizational charts • Internet

  19. Skills Establish rapport eye contact? physical contact? (materials about yourself, pictures)

  20. Skills Language esp. the sounds:

  21. Skills Explicit awareness (facial expressions, body language): (Newars nose piercings)

  22. Skills Naiveté

  23. Skills Memory

  24. Skills Writing skills to expand what you observed THICK DESCRIPTION

  25. Possible conflicting roles participant or observer:

  26. Reactivity

  27. Objectivity Record your feelings and reactions to what you observe

  28. Studying your Own Culture

  29. FIELDWORK: Gender, Parenting, Personal Characteristics, Sex

  30. Consent issues: • Many political aspects

  31. Unstructured focused observations Purpose is exploration Speak in 5 different ways: • Body • Face • Eyes • Tone of voice • What we actually say (~20% of communication)

  32. Emphasis on note-taking • record what you see and hear, emphasize thick, detailed description • video and film technology helpful, but limited to field of lens

  33. Scripting format • Time, activities in sequence • Can record a timeline when activities occurred

  34. Levels of observation • regional (often impractical) • community (walk around, do a map, go to markets, stores, temples) • neighborhood/compound (types of buildings, where walls are, how used) • household/event • individual

  35. Focal topic or subject • person (follow child around) • location (meeting room for village committee?) • event (wedding or meal, or disciplining behavior) • have a guide like EFG

  36. What to record? • who • where • when • what (break behaviors into discrete units)

  37. What to record? • why • key behaviors • what does not happen • maps and diagrams

  38. Description Question Matrix Spradley Participant Observation Descriptive Question Matrix Pg. 82-3

  39. Practice Exercise • Observing at mall

  40. Structured observation always preceded by unstructured observations Quantifiable record of behavior(s) or the outcome(s) of behaviors collected by a trained observer through the use of a pre-coded or partly coded data instrument

  41. Continuous Monitoring behavioral stream • behaviors observed in order, in context, get a sense of flow, duration of behaviors • prioritization, develop set of rules, focal actor (e.g. child age 2-5 in the kitchen), & set of priorities in relation to actor & other activities in order, develop a sense of what comes first • use codebook of “key behaviors” which are behaviors you have identified & defined from unstructured observations, Birdwhistell 1970 example lists body language

  42. Continuous monitoring • observer watches a subject(s) for a specific period of time & records their behavior as faithfully as possible, following a structured format with time, location & features of importance, tend to observe for an extended period of time http://www.filmsdulosange.fr/kitchen-stories/ http://videodetective.com/home.asp?PublishedID=99843

  43. spot check observations observer appears at randomly selected places/times and records people’s activities when they are first encountered, recording behaviors in isolation from other behaviors (not part of behavioral stream)

  44. New York Times Sept 17, 1996

  45. Rating observations need to make a decision based on observation about the presence or absence of a particular feature or abstract quality, often along some sort of scale, may need judgment

  46. Rating observations clear definitions essential, • Clean • Dirty

  47. Reliability • clear operational definitions required, considering all possibilities (determined from key informant what if situations) • need to train & standardize observers, look at intra-observer consistence over time, kappa or other measure

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