Principles and Problems of Participant Observation

Geography and anthropology share a traditional commitment to fieldwork and first-hand observation which has been relatively neglected in recent years. The paper reviews the principles of participant observation identified in the anthropological and sociological literature and discusses the approach's potential interest as a research method for social geography. Various methodological problems are considered, before proceeding to a discussion of the ethical and moral questions raised by participant observation which form current issues of key concern in anthropology and sociology. Attempts to combine participant observation with more quantitative (ecological) research are also explored. Finally, the epistemological status of the type of observational data collected using this kind of subjective approach is considered and an appropriate philosophical basis is suggested in the humanistic tradition of phenomenology.