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Participant observation is where the researcher actively involves themselves directly in studying the population or indirectly by disguising themselves. From numerous social studies that have been conducted, the method has been widely used as it is considered one of the effective methods which can be used to unearth information from a community. However, the technique has been marred with several challenges, which affects its ability to obtain accurate information that can be used for decision making. During the entire study, it was realized that despite the numerous techniques adopted to minimize the challenges of the method, there are still loopholes that pose potential threats.
Usually, there is an assumption that respondents are objects that provide answers accurately without considering that they are indeed humans who are prone to errors and bias. As a participant-observer, people have to face different challenges (Arango & Miller, 1985). For instance, every researcher would want to conduct a study free from any biasness; however, internal noise such as anger and anxiety often affect the process of the research. This usually happens when people tend to suppress personal responses such as the humanness of an individual. As this happens, the study’s objective can be challenging to meet since there is internal fear that the survey’s outcome can be jeopardized.
The dilemma in observing boundaries in everything is usually considered a potential source of threat to participant observation, as it may be challenging to determine if the information included is unwanted or essential. Although Arango and Miller (1985) advocate for a selective as opposed to inclusive data, and Becker and Geer (1957) support this by illustrating that participant observation promotes precision in understanding certain words, it is usually challenging to determine which data can be helpful for the project under investigation. Additionally, there is no single description of an object being investigated in the field mainly because multiple descriptions originate from an observational perspective. Therefore, participant observation is affected by numerous challenges that can at times make it unrealizable even though some techniques have been designed to tackle the challenges.
Although participant observation is anxiety-provoking and frustrating, it offers a fulfillment experience that can never be felt with technology and the interview process. However, it should be redefined to incorporate both individuals and the deployed method (Hockey & Forsey, 2020). In most cases, it usually focuses on the technique and the problem; thus, it is easy to manipulate without the researcher realizing that the whole process is jeopardized by personal knowledge, feelings, and even attitude. For instance, the process of preparedness can be affecting the results when it influences personal expectations. For example, this is to say that the researcher can be consumed with the sample population they are studying. At times, the participants can transform their behaviors to conform to the researcher’s expectations when there is initial communication of the study.
Succinctly, participant observation is a crucial technique that is used for social research. However, the method is faced with numerous challenges that can be difficult to handle. For example, the researchers themselves can never release that they are contributing to their problems because of their expectations, attitude, and involvement. Additionally, although it is recommended that data collected should be selective rather than inclusive, it is often difficult to know which data is crucial and can yield the expected result. Therefore, studies that require participant observation should be conducted with an open mind to get the best results from experience.
References
Arango, B., & Miller, R. C. (1985). On Becoming a Social Scientist by Shulamit Reinharz: A Critical Review. Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies, 3, 127-137.
Becker, H., & Geer, B. (1957). Participant observation and interviewing: A comparison.Human organization, 16(3), 28-32. Web.
Hockey, J., & Forsey, M. (2020). Ethnography is not participant observation: Reflections on the interview as participatory qualitative research. In The Interview (pp. 69-87). Routledge.
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