Observation & Ethnography.pptx presentation

ethinography presentation

1. Observation as a Method in Social Research An In-depth Guide to Ethnography, Participant Observation, and Fieldwork Practice

2. Ethnography as Immersive Research Definition: Ethnography involves long-term immersion in a community. Goals: Understand cultural values, behaviors, and social meanings. Example: Malinowski’s work in the Trobriand Islands studying the Kula trade. Methods: Involves immersive fieldwork: living, working, and engaging with subjects , participating in daily routines, and taking detailed notes.

3. Historical Foundations Herodotus: Considered one of the first ethnographers (5th c. BCE). Travelers: Ibn Battuta (Morocco to Asia), Marco Polo (Europe to China). Colonial Observers: Jacob Haffner, German scientists under Peter the Great. Beatrice Potter-Webb: Studied sweatshops in London. Malinowski: Institutionalized participant observation during WWI.

4. Why Participant Observation? Rich Data: Combines visual, auditory, and textual data (notes, images, recordings). Naturalistic Context: Events occur in real time with minimal intervention. In-depth Insights: Long-term presence enables deeper access and trust. Example: Observing a football team to understand local norms and dynamics. Pre-research Tool: Aids in refining surveys and interviews based on field insights.

5. Core Components of Participation Observation through all senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, touching. Writing as practice: field notes, memos, reflective logs. Researcher Identity: Gender, age, class, ethnicity all impact data. Example: Researcher in Sri Lanka struggled with classical vs. local Tamil dialect. Impression Management: Presenting yourself as a student, sibling, or fellow worker.

6. Researcher Roles & Reflexivity Observing Participant vs. Participating Observer (Junker & Gold). Roles shift during research: dancing at a festival vs. observing it. Reflect on data quality and perspective gained from different roles. Example: 'Fly on the wall' during temple ceremony, later 'participant' during feast.

7. Observational Paradigms • Formal Sociology (Simmel): Focus on social forms like 'the stranger'. • Dramaturgical (Goffman): Social life as performance—front/back stage. • Public Realm (Lofland): Interaction in urban anonymity. • Autoethnography: Self as both observer and subject. • Ethnomethodology: Everyday practices creating social order (e.g., queuing behavior).

8. Spradley’s Observational Funnel • 1. Descriptive Observation: Broad overview (Grand Tour & Mini-Tour). • 2. Focused Observation: Follow emergent themes or surprises. • 3. Selective Observation: Deep dive into patterns and exceptions. • Example: Street vendors’ greetings differ by time of day or customer type.

9. Common Observational Biases Confirmation Bias: Only noticing data that confirms expectations. Inattentional Blindness: Missing important details (e.g., 'invisible gorilla'). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo Change Blindness: Not noticing gradual shifts (e.g., glasses change mid-speech). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3iPrBrGSJM&t=1s Strategies: Reflexive writing, peer debriefing, triangulation with documents/interviews.

10. Case Study: Lyn Lofland on Public Space • Observed people waiting in a bus terminal. • Concept: 'Privatizing Public Space'—symbolic transformation of setting. • Styles: 'Sweet Young Thing' (reading), 'Nester' (arranging objects), 'Investigator' (wandering). • Entrance Routines: Check mirror, take reading of space, choose seat. • Urban Principles: Minimize expressivity, body contact, eye contact.

11. Taking Field Notes Structured: Coding systems (e.g., Flanders Interaction System). Unstructured: Jottings, mental notes, diaries, memos. Three Key Types (LeCompte & Schensul): Inscription, Description, Transcription. Example: Audio logs and situational sketches during hospital visits.

12. Organizing Fieldwork Plan ‘deep hanging out’—time-intensive immersion. Regular review of collected data: check focus, identify gaps. Organize by: date, material type, theme. Use CAQDAS software (e.g., NVivo, Atlas.ti ) for coding and retrieval. Avoid disorganized 'data dumping'—structure from the start.

13. Observation or Interpretation? • Observations are never fully objective recordings. • Geertz's 'Thick Description': context-rich, theory-informed narrative. • Ryle's Example: Twitch vs. Wink vs. Parody of a Wink. • Use of theory + common sense (e.g., identifying a pickpocket via category-bound behavior).

14. GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY Gestalt psychology argued that by investigating the parts you may miss some particular information which is only presented in the whole as in the hall there is always more information - Gestalt psychology advocated the principle of the Totality that is one should investigate the whole perception by taking into account all possible parts - Gestalt in German means essence or shape of an entity is complete form - Gestalt psychology provides a description of perceptual principles but Does not explain perceptual mechanisms - Gestalt psychology operates on the principle of pragnanz i.e. Sensory input is processed in a way which results in a percept which is simple, stable, regular, orderly and/or symmetric 

15. Figure-Ground Illustration Figure-ground differentiation The tendency to distinguish and focus on a stimulus that is classified as figure as opposed to background. 28 Figure/Ground

16. What Do You SEE?