![]() The main advantage of covert participant observation is that it allows the researcher access to authentic, natural behaviors of a group’s members. ![]() Some sociologists prefer not to alert people to their presence. Soon, as patterns emerge, questions will become more specific, observations will lead to hypotheses, and hypotheses will guide the researcher in shaping data into results. In such a setting, the researcher will be alert and open minded to whatever happens, recording all observations accurately. In keeping with scholarly objectives, the purpose of their observation is different from simply “people watching” at one’s workplace, on the bus or train, or in a public space.įigure 3. Who is the sociologist in this photo? It’s impossible to tell! In participant observation, researchers immerse themselves in an environment for a time. (Photo courtesy of zoetnet/flickr)Īt the beginning of a field study, researchers might have a question: “What really goes on in the kitchen of the most popular diner on campus?” or “What is it like to experience homelessness?” Participant observation is a useful method if the researcher wants to explore a certain environment from the inside.įield researchers simply want to observe and learn. A researcher might work as a waitress in a diner, live as a homeless person for several weeks, or ride along with police officers as they patrol their regular beat.Īlthough these researchers try to blend in seamlessly with the population they study, they are still obligated to obtain IRB approval. Researchers temporarily put themselves into roles and record their observations. A researcher might go to great lengths to get a firsthand look into a trend, institution, or behavior. This method lets researchers experience a specific aspect of social life. In participant observation research, a sociologist joins people and participates in a group’s routine activities for the purpose of observing them within that context. Here, we will look at three types of field research: participant observation, ethnography, and the case study. Buchanan argues that the media thus sustains a myth of rivalry between the two most commercially successful Black women vocal artists. She observed award shows sponsored by iHeartRadio, MTV EMA, and BET that pit one group against another as they competed for Best Fan Army, Biggest Fans, and FANdemonium. Sascha Buchanan (2019) made use of participant observation to study the relationship between two fan groups, that of Beyoncé and that of Rihanna. They see the “song “Born This Way” as a rallying cry and answer her calls for “Paws Up” with a physical expression of solidarity-outstretched arms and fingers bent and curled to resemble monster claws.” Many of Lady Gaga’s fans are members of the LGBTQ community. Like her, they embrace not being a part of mainstream culture. These fans viewed Lady Gaga as a mirror of themselves and a source of inspiration. In their study, Click, Lee & Holiday (2013) interviewed 45 Lady Gaga fans who utilized social media to communicate with the artist. In their studies, researchers have used several research methods including secondary analysis, participant observation, and surveys from concert participants. ![]() Sociologists have studied Lady Gaga and Beyoncé and their impact on music, movies, social media, fan participation, and social equality. (Credit a: John Robert Chartlon/flickr, b: Kristopher Harris/flickr.) Researchers have used surveys and participant observations to accumulate data on Lady Gaga and Beyonce as multifaceted performers. The key point in field research is that it takes place in the subject’s natural environment, whether it’s a coffee shop or tribal village, a homeless shelter or the DMV, a hospital, airport, mall, or beach resort.įigure 2. The researcher interacts with or observes a person or people and gathers data along the way. In field work, the sociologists, rather than the subjects, are the ones out of their element. To conduct field research, the sociologist must be willing to step into new environments and observe, participate, or experience those worlds. It is a research method suited to an interpretive framework rather than to the scientific method. Field research refers to gathering primary data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey. They meet subjects where they live, work, and play. Rather, sociologists go out into the world. Sociologists seldom study subjects in their own offices or laboratories. The work of sociology rarely happens in limited, confined spaces.
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