You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
Observation involves the researcher watching and recording social behaviour as it happens in its natural setting. It is one of the most distinctive and controversial methods in sociology, raising fundamental questions about the relationship between the researcher and those being studied. Observation can take several forms, each with its own advantages and limitations.
Observation can be classified along two key dimensions:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Participant observation | The researcher joins in with the activities of the group being studied, observing from within |
| Non-participant observation | The researcher watches and records behaviour from the outside, without joining in the group's activities |
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Overt observation | The group being studied knows that the researcher is present and that they are being observed for research purposes |
| Covert observation | The group does not know that the researcher is present as a researcher — the researcher conceals their identity and purpose |
These two dimensions combine to produce four possible types of observation:
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 10 lessons in this course.