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Gangs as a social problem
Ethnology observation
Introduction to gangs
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Questionnaire is defined as “a printed/written form used to retrieve data from an individual”. Ethnography can be defined as “a study of an entire social setting through extended systematic observation. Covert Participation Observation is a popular method of collecting data on gangs and other large and sometimes dangerous social group. The main principles that make sociology a science are it is Empirical, Theoretical, Cumulative, Objective and Value Free. Primary groups are small social groups whose members share close, personal, enduring relationships. Secondary groups are large groups whose relationship are impersonal and goal oriented their relationship are temporary.
Ethnography
Ethnography is a description and interpretation of a
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Participant observation involves a researcher joining the group he or she is studying, and in the case of covert observation, the researcher's status is not made known to the group. Participant observation requires studying of individuals in their natural environment by connecting their daily activities. However the researcher tries not to be open minded, in order to seize the actuality of the issue. The researcher can inform the individuals that are being calculated or keep his / her identity hidden.
Questionnaires
A questionnaire is as set of questions that are present which are used to gather open-ended, fixed choice or a combination of both types of questions. When the questionnaire is made the researcher may decide to test it first before the survey is conducted. This is called a pilot study, in which a small group of people with similar characteristics of those who are targeted to answer the questions. Based on the responses the researcher can determine some facts about the
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It is done through social contact which is intimate and personal. Within the primary group, such as families, clique, a group of close friends the relationship tends to be informal and relaxed. They share experiences, gossips and fill the need of intimate human companionship. In the secondary group social contacts are impersonal and segmental; one is not concerned with the other as a person. Personal qualities are not important; the secondary group may be a labour union, P.T.A. or trade association or club. The group existence is to serve a specific limited purpose involving the members. The primary group function may be the provision of food, shelter and clothing. The secondary group purpose is to fulfil a specific goal. Primary groups are judged by the satisfying human response they supply, secondary groups are judged by their ability to perform a task or achieve a particular goal. Primary groups are relationship oriented, while secondary groups are more of a goal oriented group. Primary and secondary groups are different, in a primary group persons tend to find to show love, kindness, sympathy etc., while in a secondary group one tend to discover a mechanism that is effective to achieve certain purposes. Some characteristics of primary group
Topics explored with this group included; conversational skills, internet safety, bullying, conflict resolution, social media, and personal appearance. Accordingly, I was able to gain insight on how to plan activities tailored to the needs of the group as well as obtain tips on conducting groups effectively. Additionally, I was able to get a sense of the group dynamics, attain knowledge on the stages of a group through observing all the individuals belonging to the group, their uniqueness and how their personality impacted the group itself. Individuals were able to join the group at different stages hence; the forming stage was repeated each time a new member was recruited. This also provided me with the opportunity of gaining first-hand experience of the interaction on the basic dynamics on group stages of forming, norming, storming and
Participant observation is a method of collecting information and data about a culture and is carried out by the researcher immersing themselves in the culture they observing. The researcher becomes known in the community, getting to know and understand the culture in a more intimate and detailed way than would be possible from any other approach. This is done by observing and participating in the community’s daily activities. The method is so effective because the researcher is able to directly approach the people in the community in a natural context as opposed to taking the participant out of their environment. The aim of participant observation is to gain an understanding the subject’s life from their perspective, with the purpose of collecting more detailed information about a community’s habits, opinions, relationships and issues.
The size of a group is considered to be a restrictive condition on the quantity and quality of connection that can transpire amongst particular members. Kephart (1950) established that as group size increases the number of relationships that exist among member’s increases greatly. He suggests that as a result of this increase in relationships among members there will be an increased tendency towards divisions into subgroups in which participants relate to one another.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Participant Observation as a Research Method This essay will examine how participant observation is used as a research method. In the main body of this essay, this idea will be addressed by pointing out advantages and disadvantages of participant observation. I will give examples to support my argument. Participant observation is the main research method favoured by interpetitivists.
One model for understanding group development is the five-stage group development model which states that groups go through five stages of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning (Gibson, el at., 2009). In addition, the model suggests that groups can be in several stages at one time and do not have to move through the stages linearly (Gibson, el at., 2009). While this model has been widely used by individuals, in the study of group dynamics, there is no imperial evidence that this model accurately describes group development (Tuckman & Jensen, 2010). In addition, there is some concern that the model is to static and unrealistic in its explanation of group formation (Gibson, el at., 2009). Another model for group development is the punctuated equilibrium model that suggests that there are only three phases (Gibson, el a...
Ethnography within its wider field of research is described as the study of people’s behaviour in terms of social contexts, with emphasis on interaction in everyday situations (Lindsay, 1997). It is further defined as research that constitutes the art and science of describing a group or culture (Fetterman, 1989). However, the specific definition that will be used throughout this work, is that of its role within qualitative research, which is summarised by Wainwright (1997) in his paper in The Qualitative Report, stating that ethnography can be distinguished as:
Informal groups are a group of employees who associate or work together without the influence or direction of management. Few employees usually compose informal groups. These few employees usually share physical proximity and interplay ideas, feeling or opinions about the workplace. Formal organization can be created or rescinded by management, but informal organization cannot be revoked because management did not inaugurate the organization. At the very epicenter of the informal group are people and their relationships with one another. Built upon the organizational structure and the delegation of authority formal groups contrast in difference the informal groups.
Anthropology delves into the complexities of human societies, with a holistic approach to their culture and development. In doing so, the anthropological researcher ethically focuses on all human aspects and favours an approach that is centred on collecting and analysing data which is mostly non-numerical and rich in accumulative detail. Unlike in other scientific disciplines which favour quantitative research methods, anthropological researchers prefer using participant-observation techniques, as well as an emic approach in order to gain insight into the lives of the people being studied.
Ethnography Ethnography is rooted firmly in the inductive approach. It emanates from the field of anthropology. The purpose is to describe and explain the social world the research subjects inhabit in the way in which they would describe and explain it. This is obviously a research strategy that is very time consuming and takes place over an extended time period as the researcher needs to immerse herself or himself in the social world being researched as completely as possible. The research process needs to be flexible and responsive to change since the researcher will constantly be developing new patterns of thought about what is being observed.
The developmental needs, social and emotional needs of the group are very important. Not everyone in a group has the same background and upbringing. Each person in a group has something different to offer to the group. Whether it be an experience they have had or something they are currently going through.
A secondary group in comparison is a larger group with similar goals or interests. These groups are more impersonal and often short-lived (Macionis 109). Secondary groups are not focused on maintaining relationships between members as primary groups are; they often form later on in life from things such as work or school (Devore). 2. Reference groups are groups that provide reference points that people use to make decisions in their lives (Macionis 111).
Exploratory Research Generally conducted in order to identify the true nature of a problem, Exploratory Research is intended to explore the different elements present in the problem in order to properly pinpoint a source of the anomaly, but is less concerned with actually solving the problem. Most commonly seen as the open-ended questions in surveys, this category of research is used in the formative stages of creating a hypothesis, and is used in a variety of different methods such as trial and pilot studies, interviews, case studies and focus groups. Descriptive Research Unlike Exploratory Research, which tends to be more open-ended, Descriptive Research generally has a more quantitative nature to it, and is this much more conclusive in the data it represents. Used most commonly in the bulk of online surveys, Descriptive Research is most often carefully planned, and is structured to allow collected information to be statistically relevant to a certain population. Put in simpler terms, Descriptive Research is used to define the opinions and attitudes a certain group of people have on a certain subject.
However, quantitative research might be incapable to investigate problem while respondents answer in closed-end survey questionnaires. Even though they are willing to share experience or view, their answers might not useful to researchers. In worse, misunderstanding or inaccuracy creates potential bias in the study. It is unlikely to discover new information but the important attitude, if any, can be overlooked. In case the research study involves a great amount of samples, it might be costly.
Researches are different in nature but in a number of aspects they do have some commonalities. One of the common aspects is the requirement to collect data. Qualitative interviewing methods help researchers to observe and record a subject's unique viewpoint or experience as it narrates a particular issue. Questions are open-ended and the discussion is conversational in nature. The methodology allows the subject to provide a firsthand, first-person account. This gives the interviewer insight into where a subject is coming from, rather than getting “yes” or “no” answers that provide incomplete feedback. Data collection can be resultant of a number of methods, which include interviews, focus groups, surveys, telephone interviews, field notes,
Groups can be defined as two or more people that interact on a frequent basis and share a sense that their identity is aligned with the rest of the group. Charles Cooley suggested that groups could be divided into two categories, Primary groups and Secondary