Advantages + Disadvantages of Participant Observations


	Participant Observations
	Advantages Experience - Allows the researcher to see through the eyes of the research group, see the same perspectives as group members. Generating new ideas - Leads to new insights and generate new ideas unlike traditional research. Getting the truth - Participant observation means there is no lies as the researcher can see the person in action. Digging deep - Close bond is form between participant and researcher making participant likely to reveal a lot more. Dynamic - Participant observations are not 'static' as they take place over a period of time and allows attitudes to change. Reaching into different areas - Participant observations obtain research from hard-to-reach groups of people.	Disadvantages Bias - The observer can be taken in which allows no futher information to be revealed. Influence of the researcher - The presence of a researcher may make the group reveal a lot less as they are aware of being studied. Ethics - How far should the researcher be drawn into the activities of the group? Proof - Whether or not what the researcher has found out is true or not. Too specific - Observations are of such a smaller group and not of the wider population. Studying the powerless - The information obtained does not always help us to understand the more important issues within society.
	Evaluation A participant observation is where the sociologist joins a group of people and studies their behaviour and actions.

Experience - Allows the researcher to see through the eyes of the research group, see the same perspectives as group members.
Generating new ideas - Leads to new insights and generate new ideas unlike traditional research.
Getting the truth - Participant observation means there is no lies as the researcher can see the person in action.
Digging deep - Close bond is form between participant and researcher making participant likely to reveal a lot more.
Dynamic - Participant observations are not 'static' as they take place over a period of time and allows attitudes to change.
Reaching into different areas - Participant observations obtain research from hard-to-reach groups of people.

Bias - The observer can be taken in which allows no futher information to be revealed.
Influence of the researcher - The presence of a researcher may make the group reveal a lot less as they are aware of being studied.
Ethics - How far should the researcher be drawn into the activities of the group?
Proof - Whether or not what the researcher has found out is true or not.
Too specific - Observations are of such a smaller group and not of the wider population.
Studying the powerless - The information obtained does not always help us to understand the more important issues within society.

A participant observation is where the sociologist joins a group of people and studies their behaviour and actions.

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