Observational Techniques

NAMASTE KRISNA PRASAD POKHREL

MPhil, TU [email protected]

OBSERVATIONAL TECHNIQUES

OBSERVATION

“….Roosevelt observed the reporter but perceived him with more than his eye.” “ The seeing was both physical and mental.” -Reporters’ remarks illustrated by Young

OBSERVATION Contd…..

Observation in field research is seeing the phenomena – taking it in , soaking it up – to try to understand what is really occurring in the field. Observation in other words consists of gathering impressions of the surrounding world through all relevant human faculties that generally necessitates direct contact with the subject(s) of observation. Observation thus, may be defined as systematic viewing, coupled with consideration of the seen phenomena.

Creative Means of Observing

Insightfulness: Seeing with understanding the phenomena. Receptivity: Openness and eagerness to enter the field. Self-understanding: Ability to understand one’s reactions and distinguish them from reactions that others might experience.

STUDY COMPONENTS OF A FIELD

The Setting:      

Public or Private Place Individual or Group Structured or Structureless Field Formal or Informal Regular, Permanent Membership or Temporary Membership Objects or Physical features in the setting

The Subject:

 General or Specific

Social Phenomena:

 Characteristics, causes and consequences of a social phenomena

The Time Frame:

THINGS TO OBSERVE

The Environment: Any field, be it a village school,

street corner, or a trade house, has a general environment with a social temperature, a smell, a look, and a feel about it – a sense of environment of the place of its weather-hot, cold or pleasant. People and their Relationship: Any field contains people in it, who belong to it and others may be visitors or outsiders. All the social phenomena are the outcome of people’s relationships. These relationships are may be of complex types – value-based relationship, affinal tie, economic dependence, interdependence, religious, political and so on. Behavior, Actions and Activities: The better ability to appreciate the meaning of a scene that we are observing depends upon how we distinguish the peoples’ behavioral patterns. For example, to go to Pashupati once is an action, regular going to Pashupati is an activity which shows his greater commitment, involvement and faith on the Lord Shiva.

THINGS TO OBSERVE Cntd… Verbal Behavior:

Verbal behavior of people addresses the meaning of a social field. What is said may be misleading or inaccurate, but it is someone’s interpretation. If that one is important to the social setting, then that person’s evaluation or description is a critical source for understanding that field.

Psychological Stances: Another element

that can be observed is psychological postures of subjects. Some of stances like amusement, laughter, or contentment are quite easy to detect. Individuals may conceal emotions like, discontent and anger however, in children there usually less concealment.

THINGS TO OBSERVE Cntd… Physical Objects: Human behavior can be

reflected in terms through the inanimate objects or materials related to him. Plants, objects of arts, furniture, reading materials, equipments, tools, musical instruments, basic decorations etc. may tell a story about an individual.

Histories: Family histories are not just old tales,

but genuine sources of insight into the nature of a family’s life. Accuracy may not be there, but the symbolic meaning of the stories remains, which would be enough to reflect the attitude toward important conditions or beliefs of the family both as it was in the past or evolved in the present.

OBSERVER’S ROLE

According to Gold (1969) observer may become as;

Full Participant:

The process of observing is secondary, but the researcher will have especial knowledge and experience of the field, note taking and formal or semiformal interviewing in the field seems artificial.

Participant-as-Observer:

Though being a participant, researcher acknowledges that he is an observer. Participation is central than the job of observing.

Observer-as-Participant:

Researcher’s role of observing becomes more central although he does participate in the field.

Full Observer:

This role puts researcher in a position much more similar to a person doing a survey or carrying out an experiment. Researcher will have the sole role of observer, often behind a one-way mirror.

STAGES OF OBSERVATION

Selection of Setting:

Before selecting a field, researcher should gather information from the both external and internal sources if possible. However, he should try to get some perspective on the field from insiders.

Entry into the Field:

Entry stage puts the researcher into the role of a stranger which is often awkward and insecure position. To move beyond this stage requires learning and relearning, socialization and resocialization through establishing reciprocal relations in the field.

STAGES OF OBSERVATION Cntd…. Collecting Information:

It is all the reaction of sensory apparatus to what a person sees, smell, hears, feels and tastes. The act of recording these sensory images would be more appropriate within engaging in the following activities.



In the Field: Recording can be done in many ways. Tape

recorders, video cameras, still cameras, and note taking are all excellent tools. However, it is to be kept in mind that the hallmark of observation has been its noninterventionism as well as unobtrusiveness. Memory sparking elements: # The cast of characters # Details of physical scene # Critical verbatim comments # Incongruent aspects of the scene



After Leaving the Field: Most of the notes writing is done

after returning the field which is to be done within 24 hours of the field observation.

STAGES OF OBSERVATION Cntd….

 After Leaving the Field:

Note Taking Materials: # Running descriptions: Events, people, things heard, and overheard, conversations among people and with people. # Recalled materials that had been forgotten # Ideas that interpret the meaning of a situation # Personal impressions and feelings # Notes from additional information (special)

Organizing the Notes: according to:

People Events Ideas or Themes & Chronological order

Organize the notes

STAGES OF OBSERVATION Cntd….

Analyzing the Results:

The task of analysis is to bring order out of the chaos of the notes kept, to keep out of the central themes of the study and to carry them across to the written work. For this, researcher should look for repeated patterns, common occurrences and normative modes for events and equally s/he should be careful on the deviant or unusual cases.

Validity & Reliability: The most criticism

leveled against observational research lies in the areas of validity and reliability due to its nature of researcher’s biasness and subjective interpretations. Researcher can overcome the difficulty of legitimating their work by triangulating evidences through which s/he can prove or disprove her arguments.

OBSERVATIONAL PARADIGM Formal Sociology:

Study of the forms or structures of a society according to which these are patterned.

Dramaturgical Sociology: Study of people how they construct their self-presentation and carry them off in front of others. It is done by studying how people act, interact and form relationships, to understand how they accomplish meaning in their lives.

Auto-Observation: The use of the self as a research tool for understanding society. Dilthey’s (1961) Verstehen

Ethnomethodology: It is similar to the approach of

ethnography which gives priority to collecting data about people using method as interviewing, auto-observation and using description and narrative in reporting. Ethnomethodological observation yields a product that is more structural and objective, less mediated by the subjective perspective of the researcher.

ETHICAL ISSUES Observational research, being the least obtrusive of all social sciences data gathering, ethical malpractices may make it vulnerable. Two forms of researcher’s invasion are: # Venturing into private places and # Misrepresenting oneself as a member into the field. Remarks of Humphreys (1975) “ Are there, perhaps, some areas of human behavior that are not fit for social scientific study at all? Should sex, religion, suicide or other socially sensitive concerns be omitted from the catalogue of possible fields of sociological research?”

Remarks of Erikson (19670

“It is unethical for a sociologist to deliberately misrepresent his identity for the purpose of entering a private domain to which he is not otherwise eligible.”

Remarks of Warwick (1973)

“ Humphreys was overly concerned with the needs of the researcher and not enough with the freedom of the subjects.”

These quotes are for our discussion.

THANK YOU