Chapter+6+Notes

Gene's notes for Chapter 6:

Folk wisdom about human observation. When looking at the same scene or object, different people will see different things. What people see is highly dependent on their interest, biases and background. So many people think that they are “Natural” observes and therefore have little to learn. You have to be in the field to give great research. Observation data are to describe the setting, activies. Naturalistic observations take place in the field. Direct personal contact. Firsthand experience. Chance to learn things that people would be unwilling to talk about in an interview. IRB Procedures for the protection of human subjects has put a big damper in doing research. One classic form of deception in fieldwork involves pretending to share values and briefs in order to became part of the group. Observational studies vary is the length of time devoted to data gathering. Documents are only part of doing research. Fieldwork: What you say and what you do. Data gathering and analysis flow together in fieldwork. Check out page 331 OUT-LINE

-- Martie's notes for Chapter 6:

Fieldwork Strategies and Observation Methods

To understand a world you must become part of that world while at the same time remaining separate, a part of and apart from.

1. Folk Wisdom About Human Observation a.human perception is highly selective b.scientific inquiry using observation requires discipline and preparation c.researchers go from observations to rigor of systematic seeing 2. The Value of Direct Observations a. describe the setting b. naturalistic observations take place in the field c. participant observer can also discover things no one else has every really paid attention to d. interviewees are always reporting perceptions e. field observers also have selective perceptions f. observers can arrive at a more comprehensive view of the setting being studied e. getting close to the people in a setting through firsthand experience permits the inquirer to draw on personal knowledge 3. Obervation-Based Evaluation and Applied Research in a Political World a. modern day politicians may not be able to view their community anonymously, they don't hide in society Variations in Observational Methods 4. Variations in Observe Involvement: Participant or Onlooker or Both? a. what is the extent the observer will be involved as a participant b. participation can change over time c. full participation observation constitutes simultaneous document analysis, interviewing, participation, observation and introspection d. sometimes take notes, sometimes record later e. gender can create a barrier f. evaluators must be flexible g. full participation can be called "going native" h. caution: plans may not turn out 5. Insider and Outsider Perspectives: Emic Versus Etic Approaches a. emic: language and categories used by the people in the culture b. etic: important cultural distinctions 6. Who Conducts the Inquiry? Solo and Team vs. Participatory and Collaborative Approaches a. ultimate: coresearchers collaborating 7. Overt vs. Covert Observations a. pros and cons 8. Variations in Duration of Observations a. pros and cons 9. Variations in Observational Focus a. ethnographic fieldwork emphasizes whole cultural system 10. What to Observe: A Sensitizing Framework a. pure observation - without hypothosis b. sensitizing concepts - paying attention to the prevalant words and meanings 11. Sources of Data a. what and how closely related 12. The Setting a. write description of environment without words like comfortable, drab b. common mistake to take environment for granted 13. The Human, Social Environment a. observer looks for ways people organize themselves into groups 14. Historical Perspectives a. can shed important light on social environment 15. Planned Programs Implementation Activities and Formal Interactions a. look for beginning, middle and closure 16. Informal Interaction and Unplanned Activities a. build in free unstructured time between activities for further observation 17. The Native Language of the Program b. language shapes our perceptions and experiences 18. Nonverbal Communication a. easily misinterpreted 19. Unobtrusive Observations a. being observed can make people self-concious 20. Documents a. records and artifacts provide rich source of information 21. Observing What Does Not Happen 22. Nested and Layered Case Studies During Fieldwork a. critical incidents may be presented within the larger case b. fieldwork can be thought of as a series of multilayered and nested case studies 23. Observing Oneself a. voice and perspective (reflexivity) is a strategic theme of qualitative inquiry 24. Sources of Data Reviewed a. can be used to stimulate thinking 25. Creativity in Fieldwork a. a checklist may not be reliable to guide all fieldwork b. creative fieldwork means using every part of oneself to experience and understand what is happening 26. Doing Fieldwork: The Data-Gathering Process 27. Field Notes a. many options to write descriptions, quotes, etc, not an option to not take notes 28. Procedurally Speaking a. must be strategic about notetaking b. write promptly 29. Observations, Interviews, and Documentation: Bringing Together Multiple Perspectives a. use more than a single method or technique 30. The Technology of Fieldwork and Observation a. battery operated tape recorder b. portable computers c. camera, video photography d. stenomask (microphone on strap attached to tape recorder) 31. Stages of Fieldwork a. entry stage, data gathering, closing stage 32. Entry Into the Field a. negotiations with gatekeepers, actual entry 33. What You Say and What You Do a. actions speak louder than words 34. Routinization of Fieldwork: The Dynamics of the Second Stage a. second stage move to high quality data gathering and investigation 35. Key Informants a. source of information about what the observer cannot or has not experienced b. helpful in learning about subgroups 36. Bringing Fieldwork to Close a. difficult to predict how long, usually determined by resources available b. researcher interested in verification rather than new data 37. Evaluation Feedback a. observer must consider what feedback is to be given to whom and how 38. The Observer and What is Observed: Unity and Separation a. the role of the evaluator/ observer can change over the course of the fieldwork 39. The Personal Experience of Fieldwork a. intersection of of social science procedures with individual capabilities and situational variation b. fieldwork is not for everyone 40. A Part of and Apart From the World Observed a. personal involvement permits firsthand experience and understanding b. weakness in that personal involvement introduces selective perception 41. Summary Guidelines for Fieldwork a. it depends