Observational Studies.ppt (original) (raw)
Using a community psychology approach in your research
Community psychology has a primary focus on understanding, and working with, people in their wider social context, as opposed to understanding them purely as individuals. A community psychology stance on psychological issues generally acknowledges the role of systems that exist around people relating to place, history, and culture. All of these factors affect people's well-being and behaviour. In this way, it distinguishes itself from dominant psychological approaches that are more individualistic in orientation. It initially borrowed from understandings of the ecology of human development (e.g. Bronfenbrenner, 1979), and later drew from a number of models and theories including those relating to empowerment (e.g. Rappaport, 1987), and liberation psychology (e.g. Montero, 1998). It uses a multi-layered focus (Nelson & Prilleltensky, 2010) with analysis of: micro-systems (e.g. a family or social network), meso-systems (i.e. links between micro-systems such as between home and school or relationships between work and home) and macro-systems (e.g. social norms, economic systems and policies). This multi-level approach can thus differentiate between various influences that could be exerted on people in specific social settings at different stages of their lives. Community psychologists regard social exclusion, marginalisation, powerlessness and oppression as having a fundamental impact on people's well-being. Oppression on the basis of demographic factors, such as social class, gender, sexual orientation and race, can create states of learned helplessness, conformity, self-blame and worthlessness. When combined with other factors, this contributes to downward
Q ualitative researchers typically rely on four methods for gathering information: (a) participating in the setting, (b) observing directly, (c) interviewing in depth, and (d) analyzing documents and material culture. These form the core of their inquiry—the staples of the diet. Several secondary and specialized methods of data collection supplement them. This chapter provides a brief discussion of the primary and the secondary methods to be considered in designing a qualitative study. This discussion does not replace the many excellent, detailed references on data collection (we refer to several at the end of this chapter). Its purpose is to guide the proposal writer in stipulating the methods of choice for his study and in describing for the reader how the data will inform his research questions. How the researcher plans to use these methods, however, depends on several considerations. Chapter 1 presents an introductory discussion of qualitative method-ological assumptions. As the grounding for a selection of methods, we extend that discussion here, using Brantlinger's (1997) useful summary of seven categories of crucial assumptions for qualitative inquiry. The first concerns the researcher's views of the nature of the research: Is the inquiry technical and neutral, intending to conform to traditional research within her discipline, or is it controversial and critical, with an ❖ ❖ ❖
2017
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF QuALITATIVE METHODS Qualitative methods arise from and are utilized by multiple theoretical, philosophical, and disciplinary foundations and comprise many typologies, methods, and aims. Nonetheless, at their core they share a commitment to nonnumerical data and focus on such elements as experience, language, memory, meaning, and purpose. They are also uniquely suited to explore iterative processes. Although quantitative methods excel at testing a priori hypotheses,
Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method
2005
Observation, particularly participant observation, has been used in a variety of disciplines as a tool for collecting data about people, processes, and cultures in qualitative research. This paper provides a look at various definitions of participant observation, the history of its use, the purposes for which it is used, the stances of the observer, and when, what, and how to observe. Information on keeping field notes and writing them up is also discussed, along with some exercises for teaching observation techniques to researchers-in-training.
"Applied Sociological Research", Miami University, Department of Sociology (Spring 2019)
2019
This course is focused on understanding and practicing relevant research methodologies for the investigations of sociological issues related to terrorism, extremism, social movements and political violence. Students will explore the research process through engaged scholarship that is methodologically rigorous, and focused on the development of an original research project. Through an engagement with the Prosecution Project (tPP) data set, students will be introduced to a variety of research methods, theoretical positions, and ethical pitfalls hidden through the field of research. Through a focus on both qualitative and quantitative methods, students will practice selecting the best method and data sources, and the basics of how these methods are deployed. Special attention will be paid to issues of knowledge extraction versus knowledge construction, the cooptation of academic research for criminalization and securitization, and the role of action-oriented, community-based, participatory research as a manner of social justice engagement. Students will spend time studying and applying specific research methods including descriptive and inferential statistics, content analysis and typology methods, textual analysis including corpus linguistics and discourse analysis, ground theory, event analysis, qualitative comparative analysis, case study, mapping and GIS, social network analysis, and other emergent methods of data science. Students will have the opportunity to present various components of their research process to the class and engage in peer-review. It is expected that at the conclusion of the course, students will have produced a piece of original research suitable for publication and presenting to a wider academic world. Student Learning Outcomes 1. Identify and understand the steps involved in the research process, and evaluate appropriate methodologies for exploring particular research problems. 2. Investigate ethical issues surrounding the research process paying special attention to issues of intentionally, design, power, and the ethical responsibility of the researcher. 3. Workshop various research methods commonly found in the social sciences, paying particular attention to their benefits and challenges, as well as their applicability for furthering a research agenda situated in a social justice framework. 4. Experience the complete research process-from conceptualizing design to presenting findings in a public forum-focused around constructing a research plan, collecting data, analyzing data and generating findings. 5. Collaborate in the shared process of learning, practicing and refining research methods as well as aspects of public scholarship including peer review, conference presenting and publishing.
Q ualitative researchers typically rely on four methods for gathering information: (a) participating in the setting, (b) observing directly, (c) interviewing in depth, and (d) analyzing documents and material culture. These form the core of their inquiry-the staples of the diet. Several secondary and specialized methods of data collection supplement them. This chapter provides a brief discussion of the primary and the secondary methods to be considered in designing a qualitative study. This discussion does not replace the many excellent, detailed references on data collection (we refer to several at the end of this chapter). Its purpose is to guide the proposal writer in stipulating the methods of choice for his study and in describing for the reader how the data will inform his research questions. How the researcher plans to use these methods, however, depends on several considerations.
Challenges of introducing participant observation to community health research
ISRN nursing, 2014
Participant observation elicits unique observation data from both an insider's and an outsider's perspectives. Despite the growing tendency to adopt participant observation strategies in health care research regarding health-related beliefs and types of behavior, the use of participant observation in current research is mostly limited to structured clinical settings rather than community settings. In this paper, we describe how we use participant observation in a community health research study with Chinese-born immigrant women. We document discrepancies between these women's beliefs and types of behavior regarding health and health promotion. We further discuss the ethnical, time, and setting challenges in community health research using participant observation. Possible solutions are also discussed.