Sociology - Observation + Crime & Deviance
- 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.
- Part Observation could lead to over identification with the group
- 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}
- Access
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