Sociology - Observation + Crime & Deviance

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  • Created by: Iqra
  • Created on: 21-12-12 20:44
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  • Observation {Crime & Deviance}
    • Access
      • May be hard due to some parts of CJS being formally closed or strictly controlled by law
      • Criminals operate secretly in order to avoid detection and prosecution.
      • However other parts like public gallery are open, this means that the observer has easy access.
    • Time
      • Crime is not always patterned and predictable, meaning that the observer could spend a large amount of time waiting for relevant events to occur.
      • Complex systems could mean that it takes time for the observer to become familar with the system
      • Being accepted could take a long time, but acceptance by the key member could speed things up.
    • Personal Characteristics
      • Observer may not share same social characteristics, limiting research opportunities.
      • This could lead to the group becoming suspicious and defensive.
    • 'Going Native''
      • Part Observation could lead to over identification with the group
        • Some studies which used this method have been accused of 'romancing' gang culture.
    • Ethical Issues
      • Participating in illegal activities
      • Venkatesh
    • The Hawthorne Effect
      • Most observations need to be overt due to there being few roles where the researcher can adopt due to them standing out as socially different to those being observed.
      • The Hawthorne Effect is unavoidable due to police officers, street gangs and others being suspicious of the outsider {The researcher}

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