Participant Observation -- Definition

The participant observation method, also known as ethnographic research, is when a sociologist actually becomes a part of the group they are studying in order to  collect data and understand a social phenomenon or problem. During participant observation, the researcher works to play two separate roles at the same time: subjective participant and objective observer. Sometimes, though not always, the group is aware that the sociologist is studying them. The goal of participant observation is to gain a deep understanding and familiarity with a certain group of individuals, their values, beliefs, and way of life. Often the group in focus is a subculture of a greater society, like a religious, occupational, or particular community group. To conduct participant observation, the researcher often lives within the group, becomes a part of it, and lives as a group member for an extended period of time, allowing them access to the intimate details and goings-on of the group and their community. This research method was pioneered by anthropologists Bronislaw Malinowski and Franz Boas  but was adopted as a primary research method by many sociologists affiliated with the Chicago School of Sociology in the early twentieth century. Today, participant observation, or ethnography, is a primary research method practiced by qualitative sociologists around the world. Subjective Versus Objective Participation Participant observation requires the researcher to be a subjective participant in the sense that they use knowledge gained through personal involvement with the research subjects to interact with and gain further access to the group. This component supplies a dimension of information that is lacking in survey data. Participant observation research also requires the researcher to aim to be an objective observer and record everything that he or she has seen, not letting feelings and emotions influence their observations and findings. Yet, most researchers recognize that true objectivity is an ideal, not an actuality, given that the way in which we see the world and people in it is always shaped by our previous experiences and our positionality in the social structure relative to others. As such, a good participant observer will also maintain a critical self-reflexivity that allows her to recognize the way she herself might influence the field of research and the data she collects. Strengths and Weaknesses The strengths of participant observation include the depth of knowledge that it allows the researcher to obtain and the perspective of knowledge of social problems and phenomena generated from the level of the everyday lives of those experiencing them. Many consider this an egalitarian research method because it centers the experiences, perspectives, and knowledge of those studied. This type of research has been the source of some of the most striking and valuable studies in sociology. Some drawbacks or weaknesses of this method are that it is very time-consuming, with researchers spending months or years living in the place of study. Because of this, participant observation can yield a vast amount of data that might be overwhelming to comb through and analyze. And, researchers must be careful to remain somewhat detached as observers, especially as time passes and they become an accepted part of the group, adopting its habits, ways of life, and perspectives. Questions about objectivity and ethics were raised about sociologist Alice Goffmans research methods because some interpreted passages from her book  On the Run  as an admission of involvement in a murder conspiracy. Students wishing to conduct participant observation research should consult two excellent books on the subject:  Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes  by Emerson et al., and  Analyzing Social Settings, by Lofland and Lofland.

Organic Foods Business Report - 3019 Words

Organic Foods Business Report The contents of this document are various factors to be considered while purchasing new hard ware for Organic Foods and related security software to be implemented as a new system of automation. This report also provide information on regular backups and elaborate detailed analysis on day to day record keeping of a company. Udayasree Swarnapuri Office Manager for Organic Foods Table of Contents Organic Foods Business Report 1 Purchasing a new laptop for Organic Foods and Well Wheels 3 Best Utility Tools and Software Recommended 6 Backup and Electronic Security 7 Advertisement 9 Record Keeping 10 APA Referencing 12 Purchasing a new laptop for Organic Foods and Well Wheels Following points need to be kept in mind while purchasing a new laptop. †¢ Today in market there are several models of computer systems available. We have to judge ourselves which type of computer system suits Organic Foods and Well Wheels business requirements. An operating system (OS) is a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for computer programs. First let’s look at most commonly used operating systems, like†¦ o Microsoft windows is one of the most popular operating system widely used all over the world. This is easiest and user friendly operating system with (GUI) graphic user interface. There are different versions of Windows, but the most recent ones are Windows 8 (released in 2012), Windows 7Show MoreRelatedA Report On Foodborne Disease1506 Words   |  7 PagesAnnual reports in New Zealand of 2014, about 524 cases (49.9%) of foodborne disease were recorded in commercial food operator settings like restaurants, takeaways, mobile stalls, supermarkets and other food outlet (Annual report concerning foodborne disease in New Zealand, 2014). This shows that there were high number of outbreaks reported in New Zealand related to food bacteria’s and micro-organisms. 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Economics A Human Interaction Within Markets Essay

Question 1: Economic system is a science that studies the way individuals and societies employ scarce productive resources, for example water, by deciding what and how goods and services will be produced and distributed to the members of society. It’s a human interaction within markets, that’s why it reveals people’s goals that they are accomplishing. The economic agents can be individuals, businesses, organizations, or governments. Economics can be broken down into microeconomics and macroeconomics. †¢ Microeconomics is small theories of supply and demand, and the quantity of production and charge desired by individual businesses. People who have any desire to start their own business or to learn the rational of the pricing of particular products and services are interested in this area. †¢ Macroeconomics focuses on the national economy by providing a basic knowledge of how things work in the business world. So, for an overall perspective of the way economy works, understanding the two levels of economics is a need. Market economies are willing to make the market forces, such as supply and demand, the best determinants of a right nation’s well-being. Individuals buy and sell what they think is the best for themselves and their families, responding to prices set on open markets where suppliers compete to sell to potential buyers. People in general respond to incentives; sellers seek high prices while buyers seek low prices. People earn their incomes by selling theirShow MoreRelatedWorld Wars And The Great Depression1059 Words   |  5 PagesEconomic institutionalists confined the study of economy interactions to allocational choices between scarce means for preferred ends. By contrast Polanyi showed how economies exist because humans need to produce things to sustain themselves, and these things come from nature. 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Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Question: Discuss about the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Answer: Introduction: On May 14th, 2003, the Bill for this act was introduced in the Alberta Legislature (Government of Alberta, 2017a). The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), 2003 was incepted on 1st January 2004 (Canadian Federation of Independent Business, 2017). The reason behind the establishment of this act was to provide such a legislature which could oversee the disclosure, usage and collection of the personal information by various organizations. And this had to be done in such a manner which would recognize the rights of an individual, towards their personal information to be safeguarded, plus the requirement of the organizations to disclose, to collect or to make use of the private information for rational reasons. Since its inception, PIPA has been amended four times, and the latest amendment was done in 2014. On November 18th, 2014, PIPA was amended so as to permit the trade unions to collect, disclose and use the personal information without the consent to persuade or inform the public regarding any matter which is importance for some labour relations dispute or significant public interest. The reason for such amendments was to resolve the disputes or the matters which involve public interest in a swift manner, as taking permissions consumes time, which in precious and limited in such circumstances (Government of Alberta, 2017a). PIPA is the private sector privacy law of Alberta. And as such, it is applicable to all such private sector businesses and organizations which are within Alberta, and in some cases, is also applicable to non-profits organizations with the intention of protecting the personal information, along with providing the right of access to the personal information of the individual by themselves. The act is only applicable on limited basis to some of the non-profit organization and these include the ones established under the Agricultural Societies Act, the Societies Act, or to such organizations which are registered under the Companies Acts part 9, which relates to charities (Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, 2017). Though, this act is not applicable on the public bodies, for instance the municipalities and the government departments, as on them the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act is applicable (Government of Alberta, 2017b). Purpose and Overview of the Act PIPA was introduced to govern the personal informations handing by the organizations in Alberta. Through this act, an attempt is made to balance the rights of a person to have their private information safeguarded with the requirement of the organization to disclose, to collect and to make use of this information for sensible/rationale and legitimate reasons (Law Society of Alberta, 2010). PIPA also provides the individuals the right to ask the organizations to see the personal information which such organizations have about them and to establish how such information is utilized and disclosed, and even ask for corrections in case the individuals believe that some mistake has been made (OIPC, 2008). Some of the key provisions of PIPA relate to the accumulation/ gathering of private information for sensible/rationale purposes; permission/consent/approval has to be taken for collection of private information, unless provisions under PIPA specifically provides that the consent is not required; limits the access to, the usage of and the disclosing of the private information; the private information has to be stored in complete and accurate manner; policies and procedures are provided for breach of privacy; and measures are provided to resolve the complaints (Alberta Queens Printer, 2014). In Alberta, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner or OIPC is responsible for overseeing the privacy legislation. And since PIPA is a privacy legislation of Alberta, it is overseen by OIPC (Government of Alberta, 2012). Employment Related Situations An employer needs some personal information of the employee in order to process the payroll and has to follow the laws relating to pension plans, income tax and employment insurance (Service Alberta, 2010). Under section 15, 18, 21 of PIPA, an employer can collect the personal information of the employee without the permission/consent/approval for sensible/rationale purposes, which are associated to the recruitment, to the management, or to the termination of the employees (Turnbull, 2009). The employer in such cases is held responsible as PIPA requires the accumulation of information for the quoted purposes only which have to be reasonable. It is also required from the employer to give the notice of purpose to employees, and in case such notice is not given, then the consent is required (Service Alberta, 2010). PIPA protects the rights of the employees in such situations by providing the employee the right to request the access to or regarding the rectification of their private information, under section 24. Moreover, section 33 makes it obligatory for the employer to make the reasonable efforts to make certain that the information collected is complete and accurate. Furthermore, such information has to be safeguarded against destruction, modification and unauthorized access through section 34. Lastly, section 35 provides the protection as such information can only be retained for legal purposes for reasonable time (Service Alberta, 2010). So, the act would be applicable for both the employee and employer in different manner. If the notice is not given properly, correction in information is denied, or the consent is not taken, it is deemed as a breach of this act, and accordingly, the employer is deemed to have committed an offence under section 59 and the penalties covered under this act are imposed (Alberta Queens Printer, 2014). Second Situation In some situations, the employees are required to undergo hearing tests due to the applicability of the Health and Safety Act 2009. An independent physician conducts the test upon making a contract with the employer and the summary of the tests is sent to the employer. This summary is the personal information of the employee, as this information was to be collected under the law by the employer dye to its obligation by virtue of being an employer. And as highlighted in the sections covered in previous problem, the employer has the liberty to collect this information devoid of any consent, although the employer has to give a proper notice under section 14(b) (Service Alberta, 2010). This is because the collection was through the requirement or authorization of the Albertas statute or the regulation. And similarly, if such a notice is not given in proper manner, than an offence would be committed by the employer, who would then be liable for penalties stated under PIPA. References Alberta Queens Printer. (2014). Personal Information Protection Act. Retrieved from: https://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/P06P5.pdf Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations. (2017). Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act. Retrieved from: https://www.calgarycvo.org/albertas-personal-information-protection-act/ Canadian Federation of Independent Business. (2017). The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA): guidelines for Alberta businesses. Retrieved from: https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/english/article/377-the-personal-information-protection-act-pipa.html Government of Alberta. (2012). Privacy law. Retrieved from: https://www.albertacanada.com/business/invest/privacy-law.aspx Government of Alberta. (2017a). Overview. Retrieved from: https://www.servicealberta.ca/legislative-history.cfm Government of Alberta. (2017b). Overview. Retrieved from: https://www.servicealberta.ca/pipa-overview.cfm Law Society of Alberta. (2010). Privacy Legislation and Model Privacy Policies. Retrieved from: https://www.lawsociety.ab.ca/files/practice_advisors/Privacy_Legislation_and_Model_Privacy_Policies_2010.pdf OIPC. (2008). A Guide for Businesses and Organizations. Retrieved from: https://www.oipc.ab.ca/media/383666/guide_for_businesses_on_pipa_nov2008.pdf Service Alberta. (2010). Personal Employee Information. Retrieved from: https://cms.abvma.ca/uploads/Employee%20privacy2014.pdf Turnbull, I.J. (2009). Privacy in the Workplace (2nd ed.). Ontario: CCH Canadian Limited.