The Pros and Cons of Participant Observation or Surveys as...

Introduction In our daily activities as humans, we consciously and unconsciously observe what people do around us, how they do it, and sometimes ask why they do what they do. In so doing we gain a better understanding of their ways of life. Anthropologist and sociologist too mention but a few, professions employ the daily observations we engage in as humans in a methodology called participant observation. Dewalt and Dewalt (2002:1) define participant observation as â€Å"a method in which a researcher takes part in the daily activities, events, rituals and interactions, of a group of people as one of the means of learning the explicit and tacit aspects of their life routine and culture.† Participant observation can be carried out in roles†¦show more content†¦The physical presence of the researcher and his use of direct observation have tremendous positive effects on the quality of data generated and further enhances it. This is so because it has the capacity to do the following. Firstly, it has the capacity to reduce reactivity which is capable of distorting data. The likelihood that the presence of the observer may allow for alterations in the behaviour of the observed, by the observed towards the observer exist in participant observation and are capable of reducing the validity of data if such actions are not take into cognisance suggests Schwartz and Schwartz (1955).familiarity between the observed and the observer over time can however change this .Bernard (2006) affirms that rather than encourage the occurrence of such, the presence of the researcher instead discourages reactivity on the basis that the researcher’s presence over time builds trust with the observed and in turn lowers the risk of reactivity because the observed are more familiar and comfortable around the researcher. Hence they act in their natural state this therefore, help to generate more valid data. 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