-: Hello, and welcome to the video lecture on observation
which is the next data collection technique
that we will be doing in this class.
And it is a qualitative research method.
So we're going to talk about observations, what they are.
There's two main types, some how to's,
strengths and weaknesses, and that's it.
This is a photo and a quotation
by that great qualitative researcher
and former baseball hall of famer, Yogi Berra, who says,
"You can observe a lot just by watching."
So this is, again, this is a qualitative method.
There's too many types and what we are going to do next
for our class project.
So the two main types are determined
by how much does the researcher participate
and immerse themselves.
So first is a participant observation
where the researcher sort of jumps right in
and does the thing that whatever
the subject they're observing does.
So eating a meal in a dining hall,
if you are researching dining hall food,
if you are researching the behaviors and attitudes
and experience of migrant farm workers,
you could jump into the field and do that work
and watch what they do.
But in each case, you are doing what they do.
You're really immersed in the experience
and are therefore having this Emic perspective
as opposed to the direct observation
where you sort of stand on the outside
and watch from afar and do not participate.
And this, again, this is the Etic perspective
and I invite you to think about what are the pros
and cons of each.
Why do you do observations?
So first, it's a way to sort of watch a natural event,
unfold some sort, you know,
watch your subjects doing something
that they naturally do,
it's a way of understanding the broader context,
the physical, social, cultural, and economic contexts.
What are the conditions under which
this action is being done,
what are the sort of environmental factors,
what is the setting?
And it helps you to gain a deeper understanding
to see new things and it's also a way
to gain data beyond what is just spoken and written.
So it's another sort of perspective on things.
So you wanna watch for both the physical
and the social environment,
how are the decisions being made, what's the language,
are there non-verbal communication,
what are the events that are happening, et cetera.
So you select a site, sometimes you may wish
to ask permission, sometimes you might wanna just go
and not, it really depends on are there legal issues,
are there ethical issues,
will your presence there sort of alter behavior
or put your subjects at risk?
Those are all pretty important consideration.
And as you do it, you wanna take notes
and write up the results.
So here is a list of the strengths and weaknesses
and we will go over these as well in class.
And you'll see that most of what the weaknesses
are things that we are going to address through our work.
And here's a great resource on observations
that I encourage you to read.
And that's it. Thank you.