Abstract
This paper assesses the participant method as a research design strategy and offers some observations on the utility of such an approach to research. In particular, the method is examined for its utility in theory testing and for providing a more substantial understanding of roles in political behavior. A typology of roles germane to the participant observation process is presented. The use of participant observation in political science is examined, and finally, some illustrations of the participant method are presented and analyzed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Becker, Howard S. (1958). Problems of inference and proof in participant observation.American Sociological Review 23: 652–660.
Campbell, Donald T. (1975). “Degrees of freedom” and the case study.Comparative Political Studies 8: 178–193.
Dexter, Lewis A. (1956). Role relationships and conceptions of neutrality in interviewing.American Journal of Sociology 62: 153–157.
Dexter, Lewis A. (1964). The good will of important people: more on the jeopardy of the interview.Public Opinion Quarterly 28: 556–563.
Ellison, Ralph. (1963).Invisible Man. New York: New World Library.
Fenno, Richard F., Jr. (1978).Home Style: House Members In Their Districts. Boston: Little, Brown.
Freeman, Jo (1986). The political culture of the Democratic and Republican parties.Political Science Quarterly 101: 327–356.
Gold, Raymond L. (1958). Roles in sociological field observations.Social Forces 36: 217–223.
Huitt, Ralph K. (1961a). Democratic party leadership in the Senate.American Political Science Review 55: 333–344.
Huitt, Ralph K. (1961b). The outsider in the Senate: an alternative role.American Political Science Review 55: 566–575.
Humphreys, Laud. (1975).Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places. Chicago: Aldine.
Junker, Buford. (1952). Some suggestions for the design of field work learning experiences. In Everett C. Hughes et al. (eds.),Cases on Field Work. Chicago: University of Chicago, Part III-A.
Kaplan, Abraham. (1964).The Conduct of Inquiry. San Francisco: Chandler.
LeVine, Robert E. (1981). Knowledge and fallibility in anthropological field research. In Marilynn B. Brewer and Barry E. Collins (eds.),Scientific Inquiry and the Social Sciences. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, p. 172–193.
Liebow, Elliot. (1967).Street Corner Society. Boston: Little, Brown.
McClintock, Cynthia. (1981).Peasant Cooperatives and Political Change in Peru. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Miller, Roy E. (1981). Experimental studies. In Dan Nimmo and Keith Sanders (eds.),Handbook of Political Communication. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Sage, pp. 561–590.
Peabody, Robert L. (1969). Research on Congress: a coming of age. In Ralph K. Huitt and Robert Peabody (eds.),Congress: Two Decades of Analysis. New York: Harper & Row, pp. 3–73.
Robinson, James A. (1970). Participant observation, political internships, and research.Political Science Annual, Volume 2. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, pp. 71–110.
Schatzman, Leonard and Anselm L. Strauss. (1973).Field Research: Strategies For A Natural Sociology. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
Stinchcombe, Arthur L. (1968).Constructing Social Theories. New York: Harcourt-Brace.
Vidich, Arthur J. and Joseph Bensman. (1968).Small Town in Mass Society. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Webb, Eugene J., Campbell, Donald T., Schwartz, Richard D., Sechrest, Lee, and Grove, Janet B. (1981).Nonreactive Measures in the Social Sciences, 2nd ed. Boston: Houston-Mifflin.
Whyte, William Foote (1943). A challenge to political scientists.American Political Science Review 37: 692–697.
Whyte, William Foote. (1981).Street Corner Society, 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Originally published in 1943.)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bositis, D.A. Some observations on the participant method. Polit Behav 10, 333–348 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00990807
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00990807