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86 INTRODUCING SOCIOLOGY to tackle large scale research involvingParticipant Observation large numbers of respondents and Popular in sociology and specially investigators.Surveyresearchisthemost social anthropology, participant common example of a ‘macro’ method, observation refers to a particular although some historical methods can alsotacklemacrophenomena. method by which sociologist learns Whateverthemodeofclassification, about society, culture and people that h/sheisstudying(Recallthediscussion it is important to remember that it is aon sociology and social anthropology matter of convention. The dividing line from Chapter 1). between different kinds of methods need not be very sharp. It is often This method is different from others in many ways. Unlike other possible to convert one kind of method methods of primary data collection like intoanother,ortosupplementonewith surveys or interviews, field work another. involves a long period of interaction The choice of method is usually with the subjects of research. dictated by the nature of the research Typically, the sociologist or social question being addressed by the anthropologist spends many preferences of the researcher, and by months — usually about a year or the constraints of time and/or sometimes more — living among the resources. The recent trend in social people being studied as one of them. science is to advocate the use of As a non-native ‘outsider’, the multiple methods to bear on the same anthropologist is supposed to research problem from different immerse himself/herself in the culture vantage points. This is sometimes of the ‘natives’ — by learning referred to as ‘triangulation’, that is,their language and participating process of reiterating or pinpointing intimately in their everyday life — something from different directions. In in an effort to acquire all the explicit this way, different methods can be and implicit knowledge and used to complement each other to skills of the ‘insider’. Although the produce a much better result than sociologist or anthropologist usually what might have been possible with hasspecificareasofinterest,theoverall each method by itself. goal of ‘participant observation’ field Because the methods most work is to learn about the ‘whole way distinctive of sociology are those that of life’ of a community. Indeed the model is that of the child: sociologists are designed to produce ‘primary’ data, these are the ones stressed here. Even and anthropologists are supposed to within the category of ‘field work’ basedearn everything about their adoptive methods, we shall introduce you to communitiesinjusttheholisticwaythat only the most prominent, namely the small children learn about the world. Participant observation is often survey, interview and participant observation. called ‘field work’. The term originated Reprint 2026-27