About this Video

• Video Title: La técnica de la observación participante
• Channel: María Gabriela Gentiletti
• Speakers: María Gabriela Gentiletti
• Duration: 00:13:17

Introduction

This video explains the participant observation technique used in research. It details the method's characteristics, planning, execution, and reporting. The speaker emphasizes the importance of intentionality, selectivity, systematicity, and interpretation in conducting effective participant observation.

Key Takeaways

• Participant observation: Allows researchers to access, remain within, and become a limited part of a field of practice to understand its tasks and activities in depth.
• Intentional and selective: Observation must focus on specific elements or features relevant to the research question and objectives. It's not about observing everything.
• Systematic: Requires pre-planning, including what to observe, when, how often, and how to record observations. This involves using instruments and methods for recording observations.
• Illustrated and interpretative: Observations are guided by theoretical categories and prior readings. Data is analyzed through these categories, allowing for interpretation and comparison.
• Three levels of recording: Subjective impressions (feelings, ideas), detailed descriptions of the field (gestures, materials, interactions), and interpretive notes relating observations to theoretical categories.
• Types of questions: Identification questions (what materials, people, functions exist?), and descriptive questions (how are interactions, attitudes, and behaviors?).
• Sampling: Careful planning of observation time, situations, and subjects is crucial.
• Field notes: Notes should be taken during or shortly after observation, including details, dialogues, sketches, and dates. Three types of notes (descriptive, subjective, and interpretive) should be distinguished.
• Habits for the observer: The video highlights the need for the observer to develop skills in description (physical aspects, postures, language, actions), memory, and narrative description.
• Report: The report contextualizes the observation (date, location, subjects), organizes the data (identifies categories and themes), and interprets findings using theoretical categories.