Field Research Social Research Methods 2113 6501 Spring

Field Research (質化田野研究、田野調查) Social Research Methods 2113 & 6501 Spring, 2006 April 3 -24, 2006 1

(Qualitative) Field Research (Ethnography, Participant observation) (民族誌、參與觀察) • produce qualitative (non-numerical) data • very old and very new in social science • direct and face-to-face social interaction with “real people” in a natural setting (自然情境下的 與人面對面的社會交流) • Interesting but could be time consuming, emotionally draining and sometimes physically dangerous 2

Part I • Research questions appropriate for field research • A short history of field research • The logic of field research • Choosing a site and gaining access • Relations in the field 3

Research Questions Appropriate for Field Research • • • Provide a very comprehensive perspective, so it’s appropriate for topics defying simple quantification (完 整深入的觀察，適合無法以量化方式呈現的研究主題) Study attitudes and behaviors best understood within their natural setting (適合在自然情境下最能被理解的態 度和行為) appropriate when studying a group of interacting people Study: people in a location, amorphous social experiences (不定型的社會經驗) The strength: reveal things that would not otherwise be apparent (發現顯示那些並非顯而易見的事物) 4

Terminology of Field Research • Members (成員): people who are studied in a field setting (被研究者，即觀察對象) • The Outsider (局外人): 即研究者 5

A short history of field research ( 也可視為不同質性研究典範興起的過程) • Academic field research began with anthropology • Chicago School of Sociology (芝加哥社會學派) – 1910 s~1930 s: journalistic and anthropological models of research (探討真正發生什麼事 & 用局內人的觀點看 世界) – 1940 s~1960 s: developed participant observation (參與 觀察) • In situ, direct interaction, members’ perspectives (研究自然場域、直接與人互動、以成員觀點 瞭解世界) 6

A short history of field research (也可視為不同質性研究典範興起的過程) • Declined after WW II • Revived in the 1970 s and 1980 s • Today: an activist or social constructionist perspective on social life (行動主義或社會 建構觀點納入社會生活) – Social processes of negotiation, discussion, and bargaining to construct social meaning 質性研究的重點在於每天面對面協商、討論、討 價還價的社會過程中建構出的社會意義 7

Ethnography (民族誌) • Ethnography: describing a culture and understanding another way of life from the native point of view (描述某種文化及從原始觀點去了解 另一種生活方式) • Moving from what is heard or observed to what is meant (從所觀察聽聞到的推演到其意義) • Cultural knowledge: explicit knowledge (顯性知 識—人們能描述事件的發生) and tacit knowledge(隱性知識—為了和他人有所區隔而沒 有明說的文化規範) • Thick description: rich, detailed description of specifics (豐富、充滿細節的描述) 8

Ethnomethodology (俗民方法論) • The study of common sense knowledge (對常識 的研究，觀察在自然情境持續的社會互動中常識 如何被創造及運用) • Assuming that social meaning is fragile and fluid – Meaning is constantly being created and re-created • People “accomplish” commonsense understanding by using tacit social-cultural rules (人們藉由隱性社會文化原則完成對常識的理解) • Breaching experiments (破壞實驗: 證明人們在日 常生活中創造現實感的簡單隱性原則) 9

The logic of field research • More of an orientation toward research than a fixed set of techniques • Naturalism(自然主義): observing ordinary events in natural settings, not in researcher-created settings • Direct involvement in the field: fun, exciting, but time, physically and emotionally demanding (實際田野研究有趣 但花時間，且身心影響大) 10

What Do Field Researchers Do? • Observe events/activities in natural settings • Directly involved with the people being studied • An insider and an outsider (得到圈內人的看法但 維持局外人的分析觀點) • Use different techniques and social skills flexibly • Produce extensive written notes (and other forms of data) 11

What Do Field Researchers Do? • Sees events holistically and individually (全面 獨立的觀察) • Understands and develops empathy for members in a field setting (對成員的同理心) • Notices both explicit and tacit aspects of culture (文化中外顯與隱藏的面向) • Observes ongoing social processes without disrupting or imposing an outside point of view • Copes with high levels of personal stress, uncertainty, ethical dilemmas, and ambiguity ( 能調適高度的個人壓力、不確定性、道德兩難、 模糊情況) 12

Steps in a field research project • Flexibility: researchers can shift direction and follow leads • Getting organized – Can begin with their own experiences – Careful looking and listening, short-term memory, and regular writing – Learn concepts and data collection methods – Defocusing (去除焦點: 看更廣大的情境或場域，不要 把焦點放在研究者身上) – Self-knowledge • Strong impact on a researcher’s identity and outlook 13

Choosing a site and gaining access (選擇研究場域然後進入) • Selecting a site: consider your research questions – Consider: richness of data, unfamiliarity, suitability • Level of involvement: depending on the degree of detachment or involvement with members – A detached outsider vs. an intimately involved insider 14

Level of involvement • Complete observer ｜ observer as participant as observer (researcher participant) ｜ complete participant • As an outsider: – Less time, overrapport less an issue, sometimes can helps members open up • Misinterpretation more likely • As an insider – Empathy (同理心), can share a member’s experience – Some difficulties exist 15

Gatekeepers (守門者) • A gatekeeper: someone with the formal or informal authority to control access to a site (有著正式或非正式的權力，能控制人 們進入某個場域) • To negotiate with gatekeepers and bargain for access (與守門者協商以進入某場域) 16

Strategy for entering • Planning: needs commonsense judgment and social skills, re-entry possible (須要計畫: 常識判斷及社交技巧。 有時需再進入一場域 ) 17

Strategy for entering • Negotiation (協商): to form social relations, use connections, networking, or use informant • Disclosure (揭露研究者的身分和研究計劃): how much to reveal about yourself and the research project – Explain the project to gatekeepers and others unless you have a good reason not to 18

Entering the field (進入研究場域) • Presentation of self (呈現研究者的自我) • Researcher as instrument (研究者為研究 具) • An attitude of strangeness (持陌生的態度) • Building rapport (建立關係) 19

Entering the Field • Presentation of Self: be conscious about it – Presentation depending on the occasion – Self-presentation may influence field relations (研究者的自我呈現可能會影響田野中的社會關 係) 20

Entering the Field • Researcher as instrument: the researcher is the instrument for measuring field data (研究者為研 究 具: 研究者測量蒐集田野資料) – Be alert and sensitive to what happens in the field and to be disciplined about recording data (對田野中發生 的情形時時保持警覺與敏感度，並記錄觀察資料) – It has personal consequences (實地觀察的經驗對研究 者個人有一定影響) – Be honest about personal, subjective experiences (誠 實記錄個人主觀的經驗感受) 21

Entering the Field • An attitude of Strangeness: question and notice ordinary details (持陌生的態度: 以外 人的態度質疑注意一般細節) – difficult to recognize what we are very close to – People rarely recognize customs they take for granted – The Martian vs. the convert (a stranger’s and an insider’s point of view) (局外人與圈內人的 觀點) – Reconsider your own social world 22

Entering the Field • Building Rapport by getting along with members in the field (與觀察對象建立關係) – Not always easy – Charm and Trust: Need social skills and personal charm, takes times to build trust – Freeze outs (不願合作或不願參予研究的成員): members refuse to cooperate or become involved in the study – Understanding: precondition for greater depth, create empathy 23

Relations in the Field (研究場域裡的關係) • Roles in the field: needs to negotiate selfrepresentation, social roles, preexisting roles assigned early by members – Roles affected by ascriptive factors and physical appearance, ex: gender is important – Any role limits access to some part of a field site, may become a friend or an enemy of some members, be aware of danger and high risk (see box 13. 4) 24

Relations in the Field Learning the rope • Stress: some emotional stress is inevitable, ex: embarrassment, discomfort, overwhelmed by the details in the field, loneliness, isolation, etc. 25

Relations in the Field • Normalizing social research: help members redefine social research (將社會 研究正常化: 幫助成員重新定義社會研究) – Explaining yourself, explaining field research, accepting minor deviance, appearing nonthreatening – Explaining research in terms members understand 26

Relations in the Field • Acceptable incompetent: partially competent but accepted as a nonthreatening person who needs to be taught (可接受的無能: 某人只具備部分能力， 但不具威脅性，可被教導) – To learn, not to be an expert 27

Relations in the Field Maintaining relations (維持社會關係) • Social relations: developing, modifying, breaking social relations • Small favors (舉手之勞，小忙): small tokens or favors are exchanged, ex: deference and respect • Conflicts in the field 28

Relations in the Field Maintaining relations • Appearing interested (表面上的興趣): researchers pretend to be interested in members’ activities even though they are actually uninterested • Social breakdown (社會衝突): two cultural traditions or social assumptions fail to mesh, hidden routine expectations and assumptions become explicit in a breakdown 29