In The Field

For first M.Phil Paper

Full Bibliograhpic deets
In the Field: An Introduction to Field Research Robert G. Burgess Routledge London and New York 1994

From Coral Garden to City Street

 * "Anthropology has now 'come home'. It is as likely that social anthropologists will be found conducting field research in their own societies as in other cultures" (14).
 * Sociology studied "natives" in their own society - those "not of their class" (16).

Participant Observation

 * "In research involving the use of participant observation it is the researcher who is the main instrument of social investigation. On this basic participant observation facilitates the collection of data on social interaction; on situations as they occur rather than on artificial situations... Furthermore, the researcher can obtain accounts of the situation in the participants own language which gives access to the concepts that are used in everyday life." (79)


 * So true for boyd's work -> kids speaking to their parents, very natural

Types of Participants Observation

 * 1) Complete Participant - "conceals the observer dimension of their role" thru "covert observation" and "participation" (80)
 * 2) Participant-as-observer - very mobile and active observing agent (81) Common role
 * 3) Observer-as-participant - Poorly defined, but less common (82)
 * 4) Complete Observer - covert, overhearing, "reconnaissance" (82)

Role of the Social Researcher

 * Influenced by "researcher's own experience" (89)
 * "age of the researcher" (89) - "rarely, if ever, taken into account"
 * Really shud be for boyd, as a young person studying youth cultures
 * Not just because of culture but also because of professionalism (pressures and liability)
 * Sex - Gender (90)
 * Ethnicity (91)

Developing relationships

 * "The participant observer needs to blend into the situation if observations are to be made of the participants in their natural settings." (92)


 * (96) - A chart of "features of data collection"

Interviews as Conversations

 * Modern Sociology compared to "science of the interview" (101)
 * Unstructured interview -> Informal, "conversation with a purpose" (102)
 * But requires prior knowledge/observation


 * 1) Establish Relationships
 * 2) Agenda


 * Interviews "rarely conducted in isolation" and can "complement participant observation" (106)

Personal Documents

 * Chapter on using participant documents (writing, photos, etc.)

Recording/Analyzing Field Data

 * Structures and Techniques of Field Note taking
 * "substantive fieldnotes consist of a continuous record of the situations, events, and conversations in which the researcher participants" (167)