For instance, when we were discussing the difference between passive and covert observation, that got me thinking: which one would be applicable in an international context? For instance, if I mean to study the link between religion, politics and access to information in a traditional patriarchal society like Egypt, I'm going to have to study Al-Azhar in-depth or else my study is incomplete. Al-Azhar is by no means co-ed, and not to downplay the female section but the male section is where all the scholarly and political action is (unfortunately). So it got me thinking: how do I get in? I can't just "hang out" in a casual manner, nor can I sit in a corner taking notes. What is a way of overcoming this hurdle that doesn't involve disguising as a man or getting a spy-for-hire to observe and report back to you? Should I forget about first-hand observation all together and just rely on formal interviews? Interviews are no match for observing someone in their natural setting; people just aren't being completely 'themselves' when they are being interviewed. But I won't give up just yet, and all suggestions are welcome!
I think you've just uncovered a research bias that in some cases must exist. You are correct in your assumptions that while there may be a specific topic that you would very much like to research, the nature of your topic may dictate the terms in which in can be researched. In your example here, you may need a 'team' of researchers or a the very least a partner who would be able to access areas of study that you could not and vice versa. I admit, I've been a quantitative snob for years. I've favoured control groups vs. test groups and statistics over observations, but after reading Luker and the Shaffir article, I'm completely taken with ethnography. So much so, that I've actually incorporated it into my own research proposal.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been thinking about ethnography as well for my own proposal. I had started with the idea that I would rely primarily on interviews with public library staff. However, I’m now beginning to think that I should also incorporate some observation and field note-taking as well. One of my questions relates to how public librarians face the challenges posed to them in terms of servicing a diverse population and upholding their core values – therefore it might make sense for me to think about observing these actual circumstances (in addition to interviewing staff). I feel like the two methods could compliment each other well and perhaps fill in the gaps that one method alone may leave. I also agree that sometimes people do not seem to be ‘themselves’ during interviews (for various reasons), although on the other hand, if one knows that they are being observed, might they also behave differently than they ‘normally’ would?
ReplyDeleteCaitilín