Participant Observation and the Collection and Interpretation of Data

The social role of the participant observer and the images which respondents have of him have a decisive influence on the character of the data collected. In this light the tactical situations of conformity or nonconformity and identification, or the lack of it, with groups, causes, or issues are to be re-evaluated, as are also problems connected with the formulation of prearranged categories, the imputation of motives, the study of social change, and the validation of data.