Participant observation : a guide for fieldworkers / Kathleen M. DeWalt and Billie R. DeWalt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

DeWalt, Kathleen Musante.

Contributor:

DeWalt, Billie R.

George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Participant observation.

Ethnology--Fieldwork.

Ethnology.

Sociology--Fieldwork.

Sociology.

Social sciences--Fieldwork.

Social sciences.

Physical Description:

xi, 278 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield, Md., [2011]

Summary:

Participant observation is the foundation of ethnographic research design and supports and complements other types of qualitative and quantitative data collection. Qualitative research in such diverse areas as anthropology, sociology, education, and medicine draws on the insights gained through the use of participant observation. The authors have written a guide to the systematic collection of data in naturalistic settings communities in many different cultures-to achieve an understanding of the most fundamental processes and patterns of social life. This book serves as a basic primer for the beginning researcher and as a useful reference and guide for experienced researchers in many fields who wish to reexamine their own skills and abilities in light of best practices of participant observation.

This new edition includes discussion of participant observation in nontypical settings, such as the Internet, participant observation in applied research, and ethics of participant observation. It also explores in greater depth the use of computer-assisted analysis of textual data, issues of sampling, and linking method with theory. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 What is Participant Observation? 1

The Method of Participant Observation 1

History of the Method 5

Why Participant Observation Is Important 10

Enhancing the Quality of Data Collection and Analysis 10

Formulating New Research Questions 15

Notes 16

Chapter 2 Learning to Be a Participant Observer: Theoretical Issues 19

Learning To Be a Participant Observer 20

Observation and Participation 21

Participation and Observation: An Oxymoron inAction? 28

What Determines the Role a Researcher Will Adopt? 30

Limits to Participation? 33

Beyond the Reflexivity Frontier 35

Participant Observation on the Fast Track 38

Notes 39

Chapter 3 Doing Participant Observation: Becoming a Participant 41

Entering the Field 41

First Contact 44

Establishing Rapport 47

Breaking Through 54

Talking the Talk 56

Walking the Walk 58

Making Mistakes 61

Notes 66

Chapter 4 The Costs of Participation: Culture Shock 67

Coping with Culture Shock 73

Participating and Parenting: Children and Field Research 74

Reverse Culture Shock (Reentry Shock) 77

Note 78

Chapter 5 Doing Participant Observation: Becoming an Observer 79

The Role of Theory and Conceptual Frameworks 80

Taking the Observer Role 81

Attending to Detail: Mapping the Scene 81

(Participatory) Community Mapping 84

Counting 85

Attending to Conversation 87

Field Notes as a Training Tool for Observation 87

Seeing Old Events with New Eyes 88

Practicing and Improving Observation and Memory 88

What to Observe 9

Just Experiencing 92

Limits to Observation 2

Ethnographer Bias 94

Notes 96

Chapter 6 Gender and Sex Issues in Participant Observation 99

The Gendered Ethnographer 99

Up Close and Personal: Sex in the Field 102

Note 108

Chapter 7 Designing Research with Participant Observation 109

Participant Observation and Research Design 109

Fundamentals of Design of Participant Observation 111

Objectivity 111

Reliability 112

Elements of Design 123

Choosing a Question 123

Appropriate Questions 124

Choosing a Site 126

Appropriate Methods and the Benefits of Triangulation 127

Enhancing Representativeness: Sampling in Participant Observation 128

Proposing Participant Observation 133

Research Objectives 135

Notes 136

Chapter 8 Informal Interviewing in Participant Observation 137

Types of Interviews 138

Interview Techniques 142

Active Listening 142

Sensitive Silence 143

The Uh-huh Prompt 145

Repetition Feedback 147

Summary Feedback 148

Asking Questions in Interviewing 149

Tell Me More 149

For Clarification 150

Naive Questions 150

Avoiding Confrontation 151

Changing Topics 152

Talking About Sensitive Subjects 153

Concluding an Interview 155

Notes 156

Chapter 9 Writing Field Notes 157

History 157

Kinds of Field Notes 160

Notes 160

Expanded Notes: Field Notes Proper 165

Methodological Notes 168

Diaries and Journals 168

Logs 169

Meta-notes/Analytic Notes 170

Headnotes 171

Field Notes in Virtual Research 173

How to Record 174

Research Integrity: Who Owns the Field Notes 176

Notes 178

Chapter 10 Analyzing Field Notes 179

Process of Data Analysis 180

Managing Qualitative Data 180

Data Reduction 181

Approaches to Indexing 184

Coding for Themes 189

Coding for Characteristics 192

Managing Coding and Indexing 192

Word Searches 193

Data Display 196

Quotes 196

Vignettes and Cases 197

Tables and Matrices 198

Charts 199

Decision Modeling 202

Interpretation and Verification 202

Audit Trails 205

Writing Up 207

Notes 210

Chapter 11 Ethical Concerns in Participant Observation 211

Need for Competency 212

The Meaning of Informed Consent in Participant Observation 214

Right to Privacy 218

Ethical Conduct of Participant Observation in Online Settings 219

Ethical Publication 221

Relationships 222

Ethics and the Limits to Participation 224

Note 226.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780759119260

0759119260

9780759119277

0759119279

9780759119284

0759119287

OCLC:

656213202

Publisher Number:

99941078741