Margaret Mead conducted famous qualitative field research through participant observation where she lived with and studied the culture of a group of Samoans. There are four main types of qualitative field research: participant observation, systematic observation, intensive interviewing, and focus groups. They all aim to understand individuals' thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a given setting by having researchers immersed in the location to gain access to personal experiences which are then coded and analyzed. This document provides an assignment to describe the four methods, explain why participant observation is considered archetypal, and discuss the strengths and limitations of participant observation compared to the other methods.
Criminal Justice Research 6216Application Qualitative Field Res.docx
1. Criminal Justice Research 6216
Application: Qualitative Field Research Methods
One of the most famous examples of qualitative field research is
that conducted by cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead. In the
1920s, Mead lived amongst a group of Samoans on the island
Ta’u and studied that culture’s rites of passage, transitions, and
attitudes concerning the transition to adulthood. This work is an
example of one type of qualitative field research called
participant observation
.
There are four main types of qualitative field research, each of
which has strengths and limitations and situations for which
each would be more or less appropriate. These types include
participant observation, systematic observation, intensive
interviewing, and focus groups. What they all have in common
is the goal of understanding the thoughts, feelings, and
experiences of individuals in a given setting. They all position
researchers as close as possible to the subjects, in order to gain
access and collect personal experiences. Researchers collect
data in the form of texts and descriptions of behaviors and
actions or practices, which may subsequently be coded and
analyzed for meaningful interpretation.
For this Application Assignment, explore the four main methods
of qualitative field research and consider why participant
observation is archetypal. Then consider the strengths and
limitations of each type of qualitative field research method.
The assignment (2
–
3 pages):
Describe the four main methods of qualitative field research.
Explain why participant observation is considered archetypal.
Lastly, explain strengths and limitations of participant
observation compared to the other types of qualitative field
research methods.