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Participant Observation

The Art of Hanging Out: Social Process

Stranger Stage: The process of learning the rules, the language, and building familiarity with others just as they learn about you.

Acquaintance Stage: Once beyond the stranger stage and acculturated, people begin to recognized the other beyond simply a social identity. The individual’s quirks and characteristics become important. Eventually, competence in social interactions is attained.

Final Stage: The researchers at this stage responds naturally to their environment. They don’t have to consciously construct his behavior or speech.

Tools: Notepad, Pen, Index Cards

  • One set for observations
  • Another set for interpretations

Advantages: 1) allow access to the backstage of society, 2)It allows for a thick description of a society or group, 3)provides opportunities to observe new behaviors and events, 4) collects data from which theory and hypotheses can be based.

Disadvantages: 1) limited informants provide insight.

Related Procedures: contact tree diagrams, stage coding, theoretical approach