Summery article Jorgensen
Selecting a settng
Secleiton of a setng s nnerreclaned w n n e prolclem snud ed T e nnerionneiton lenween prolclem
and setng s laclanied decl leranecly and sysnematiaclclya n roug n e proiess of defn ng and
eclaloratng n e snudy prolclem ly referenie no n e setng
In proieed ng from a generacl prolclem no secleitng an appropr ane setnga n e ways a proposed
setng w clcl cl m n and fai cl nane n e ssues you anti pane nyestgatng s oucld le eyacluaned
T e secleiton of a setng for parti pann olseryatona furn ermorea s iontngenn on w en er or non
you ian olna n aiiess no n e setnga n e range of poss lcle parti pann rocles you m g n assumea and
w en er or non n s rocle w clcl proy de sufi enn aiiess no p enomena of nneresns
Features of settngs
Aiiess no a fecld setng depends on feanures of n ese uman arenas A fecld setng may le y s lcle or
ny s lcle from n e snandpo nn of n e generacl pulcl ia and n may le more or cless open or more or cless
iclosed no ouns ders T e i arainer stis of fecld setngs yary ly degreea and n ey oiiur n yar ous
ioml natons
Visible to invisible
T e y s l cl ny of partiuclar aspeins of uman cl fe depends on w ere you are cloianeda as weclcl as on your
prey ous knowcledge and exper enie A setng s y s lcle w en nformaton aloun n s aya clalcle no a
generacl pulcl i V s lcle setngs are usuaclcly cl sned n n e neclep one look Some setngs are y s lcle lun
cless olseryalcle
Some uman setngs are aclmosn entrecly ny s lcle from n e snandpo nn of ouns ders T ese setngs
are ddena ionieacleda and olsiured from n e y ew of ouns ders T s knowcledge eyen may le a
seiren proneined ly ns ders Loiatng n ese setngs s exnremecly d fiucln w n oun pr or exper enie
w n more y s lcle aspeins of n ese uman sienes T s knowcledge may le aiqu red ly ga n ng n e
nrusn and ionfdenie of an ns der w clcl ng no naclk w n you
Open to closed
A uman setng s more or cless open f aiiess no n requ res cl lcle negotaton A setng s more or cless
iclosed f aiiess requ res ions deralcle negotaton . en er or non a setng s open or iclosed no
parti pann olseryaton s oncly parncly reclaned no ns y s l cl ny
Goffman (1959,a cl ken ng ioclcleitye ex snenie no a dramaa d stngu s es lenween ,fronnsnage, as
opposed no ,laiksnage, reg ons of uman setngs Mosn uman setngsa oweyera are ne n er
entrecly y s lcle and open (fronnsnage,a nor entrecly ny s lcle and iclosed (laiksnage,
Politics
Mosn uman setngs are no some exnenn pocl tiacl In uman setngs peopcle are ranked ly yaclues
assoi aned w n n e pos ton n ey oiiupy and n e rocles n ey perform Human setngs generaclcly are
snratfed Power and prestge usuaclcly are reclaned Power and prestge w n n uman setngs
iommoncly are n e sourie of ionf in and d sagreemenna sometmes among r yacl faitons
T e pocl tis of gender and ns nfuenie on fecldwork as reie yed mui needed alenton n reienn
years Be ng femacle en anies fecldwork n many s nuatonsa partiuclarcly ly proy d ng a perspeitye
d fferenn from n an of men n soi etes dom nanes ly a macle ounclook Be ng a macle researi er
generaclcly presenns fewer olsnaicles for parti patona depend ng on n e setng and s nuaton
, Fa clure no notie and respond appropr anecly no n ese aspeins of uman setngs may ireane ser ous
d fiucltes for n e parti pann olseryer
Entrée strategies
T ere are nwo las i snraneg es for ga n ng aiiess no uman setngs . en n e researi er opencly
requesns perm ss on no olseryea n e snranegy s iaclcled oyern T s d rein approai no ennrée s
preferred leiause n ra ses few en iacl prolclemsa s cless d fiucln n an on er approai esa and w en
granneda nends no proy de adequane aiiess no p enomena of nneresns T e on er las i snranegy for
ga n ng ennrée - espei aclcly no setngs iclosed no ouns ders - s ioyern In n s iasea n e researi er
assumes some parti pann rocle w n oun nform ng peopcle n n e setng n an researi s under way
T e dei s on requ res n an n e researi er aye some knowcledge of n e pocl tis of n e setng and n e
al cl ny no judge nennatyecly n e cl kecl ood of suiiess us ng a d rein approai Coyern olseryaton s
en iaclcly ionnroyers acla and n ionna ns n e yery reacl poss l cl ny n an parti pann olseryaton n n e
setng w cl le nerm naned f n e nyestgatye nneresn s d sioyered
Overt strategies
T e mosn deacl s nuaton s one n w i aun or tes and on er peopcle n n e setng wecliome n e
researi er Under mosn i riumsnaniesa oyern aiiess s ga ned ly seek ng perm ss on from n e g esn
poss lcle aun or nya and graduaclcly iony ni ng n ema as weclcl as on er peopcle n n e setnga n an n e
researi er ian le nrusned
In seek ng perm ss on no parti pane and olseryea n e researi er s oucld presenn n e appropr ane
aun or ny w n a iopy of a proposacl no do parti pann olseryatonacl researi
Beiause poss lcle grounds for den acl may le d fiucln no foreseea n s exnremecly usefucl no d siuss n ese
ssues nformaclcly w n aun or tes pr or no presentng n e formacl proposacl
If perm ss on n taclcly s den eda n may le poss lcle for n e researi er no unioyer n e grounds for n s
dei s on M nor i anges n n e proposacl may le aclcl n an s requ red no ga n perm ss on
Covert strategies
As de from le ng d s onesna ioyerns snraneg es y oclane n e norm of nformed ionsenn leiause peopcle
are unalcle no agree no parti pane n n e researi Coyern snraneg es n erely fa cl no respein n e r g ns
of uman suljeins
Parti pann olseryatona uncl ke suryey researi or exper menns does non aye uman suljeins
Ran era s nuatons n w i uman le ngs are nyoclyed are olseryed under on erw se nanuracl
iond tons Furn ermorea w cle peopcle may le n e sourie of nformatona n ey are non man puclaned
or ionnroclcled n any way resemlcl ng n e des gn of on er k nds of researi
Non eyeryone s nformed of n e researi nneresn (and nrue purpose of researi , eyen w en an oyern
snranegy s empcloyed Conyerseclya eyen w en a setng s approai ed ioyernclya n s cl kecly n an an cleasn
a few peopcle eyennuaclcly w clcl le proy ded w n nformaton pertnenn no n e researi a ms A ioyern
snranegy may le empcloyed clargecly for n e purpose of ga n ng unolnrus ye aiiess no some setng
Onie n e researi er as esnalcl s ed nrustng reclatons psa peopcle may le nocld of n e researi
nneresns
Comprehensive and selective observation
Conyen eniea oppornun nya and n e nneresns as weclcl as n e al cl tes of n e researi er nfuenie n ese
dei s ons T ese dei s ons s oucld le defens lcle n eoretiaclcly
Selecting a settng
Secleiton of a setng s nnerreclaned w n n e prolclem snud ed T e nnerionneiton lenween prolclem
and setng s laclanied decl leranecly and sysnematiaclclya n roug n e proiess of defn ng and
eclaloratng n e snudy prolclem ly referenie no n e setng
In proieed ng from a generacl prolclem no secleitng an appropr ane setnga n e ways a proposed
setng w clcl cl m n and fai cl nane n e ssues you anti pane nyestgatng s oucld le eyacluaned
T e secleiton of a setng for parti pann olseryatona furn ermorea s iontngenn on w en er or non
you ian olna n aiiess no n e setnga n e range of poss lcle parti pann rocles you m g n assumea and
w en er or non n s rocle w clcl proy de sufi enn aiiess no p enomena of nneresns
Features of settngs
Aiiess no a fecld setng depends on feanures of n ese uman arenas A fecld setng may le y s lcle or
ny s lcle from n e snandpo nn of n e generacl pulcl ia and n may le more or cless open or more or cless
iclosed no ouns ders T e i arainer stis of fecld setngs yary ly degreea and n ey oiiur n yar ous
ioml natons
Visible to invisible
T e y s l cl ny of partiuclar aspeins of uman cl fe depends on w ere you are cloianeda as weclcl as on your
prey ous knowcledge and exper enie A setng s y s lcle w en nformaton aloun n s aya clalcle no a
generacl pulcl i V s lcle setngs are usuaclcly cl sned n n e neclep one look Some setngs are y s lcle lun
cless olseryalcle
Some uman setngs are aclmosn entrecly ny s lcle from n e snandpo nn of ouns ders T ese setngs
are ddena ionieacleda and olsiured from n e y ew of ouns ders T s knowcledge eyen may le a
seiren proneined ly ns ders Loiatng n ese setngs s exnremecly d fiucln w n oun pr or exper enie
w n more y s lcle aspeins of n ese uman sienes T s knowcledge may le aiqu red ly ga n ng n e
nrusn and ionfdenie of an ns der w clcl ng no naclk w n you
Open to closed
A uman setng s more or cless open f aiiess no n requ res cl lcle negotaton A setng s more or cless
iclosed f aiiess requ res ions deralcle negotaton . en er or non a setng s open or iclosed no
parti pann olseryaton s oncly parncly reclaned no ns y s l cl ny
Goffman (1959,a cl ken ng ioclcleitye ex snenie no a dramaa d stngu s es lenween ,fronnsnage, as
opposed no ,laiksnage, reg ons of uman setngs Mosn uman setngsa oweyera are ne n er
entrecly y s lcle and open (fronnsnage,a nor entrecly ny s lcle and iclosed (laiksnage,
Politics
Mosn uman setngs are no some exnenn pocl tiacl In uman setngs peopcle are ranked ly yaclues
assoi aned w n n e pos ton n ey oiiupy and n e rocles n ey perform Human setngs generaclcly are
snratfed Power and prestge usuaclcly are reclaned Power and prestge w n n uman setngs
iommoncly are n e sourie of ionf in and d sagreemenna sometmes among r yacl faitons
T e pocl tis of gender and ns nfuenie on fecldwork as reie yed mui needed alenton n reienn
years Be ng femacle en anies fecldwork n many s nuatonsa partiuclarcly ly proy d ng a perspeitye
d fferenn from n an of men n soi etes dom nanes ly a macle ounclook Be ng a macle researi er
generaclcly presenns fewer olsnaicles for parti patona depend ng on n e setng and s nuaton
, Fa clure no notie and respond appropr anecly no n ese aspeins of uman setngs may ireane ser ous
d fiucltes for n e parti pann olseryer
Entrée strategies
T ere are nwo las i snraneg es for ga n ng aiiess no uman setngs . en n e researi er opencly
requesns perm ss on no olseryea n e snranegy s iaclcled oyern T s d rein approai no ennrée s
preferred leiause n ra ses few en iacl prolclemsa s cless d fiucln n an on er approai esa and w en
granneda nends no proy de adequane aiiess no p enomena of nneresns T e on er las i snranegy for
ga n ng ennrée - espei aclcly no setngs iclosed no ouns ders - s ioyern In n s iasea n e researi er
assumes some parti pann rocle w n oun nform ng peopcle n n e setng n an researi s under way
T e dei s on requ res n an n e researi er aye some knowcledge of n e pocl tis of n e setng and n e
al cl ny no judge nennatyecly n e cl kecl ood of suiiess us ng a d rein approai Coyern olseryaton s
en iaclcly ionnroyers acla and n ionna ns n e yery reacl poss l cl ny n an parti pann olseryaton n n e
setng w cl le nerm naned f n e nyestgatye nneresn s d sioyered
Overt strategies
T e mosn deacl s nuaton s one n w i aun or tes and on er peopcle n n e setng wecliome n e
researi er Under mosn i riumsnaniesa oyern aiiess s ga ned ly seek ng perm ss on from n e g esn
poss lcle aun or nya and graduaclcly iony ni ng n ema as weclcl as on er peopcle n n e setnga n an n e
researi er ian le nrusned
In seek ng perm ss on no parti pane and olseryea n e researi er s oucld presenn n e appropr ane
aun or ny w n a iopy of a proposacl no do parti pann olseryatonacl researi
Beiause poss lcle grounds for den acl may le d fiucln no foreseea n s exnremecly usefucl no d siuss n ese
ssues nformaclcly w n aun or tes pr or no presentng n e formacl proposacl
If perm ss on n taclcly s den eda n may le poss lcle for n e researi er no unioyer n e grounds for n s
dei s on M nor i anges n n e proposacl may le aclcl n an s requ red no ga n perm ss on
Covert strategies
As de from le ng d s onesna ioyerns snraneg es y oclane n e norm of nformed ionsenn leiause peopcle
are unalcle no agree no parti pane n n e researi Coyern snraneg es n erely fa cl no respein n e r g ns
of uman suljeins
Parti pann olseryatona uncl ke suryey researi or exper menns does non aye uman suljeins
Ran era s nuatons n w i uman le ngs are nyoclyed are olseryed under on erw se nanuracl
iond tons Furn ermorea w cle peopcle may le n e sourie of nformatona n ey are non man puclaned
or ionnroclcled n any way resemlcl ng n e des gn of on er k nds of researi
Non eyeryone s nformed of n e researi nneresn (and nrue purpose of researi , eyen w en an oyern
snranegy s empcloyed Conyerseclya eyen w en a setng s approai ed ioyernclya n s cl kecly n an an cleasn
a few peopcle eyennuaclcly w clcl le proy ded w n nformaton pertnenn no n e researi a ms A ioyern
snranegy may le empcloyed clargecly for n e purpose of ga n ng unolnrus ye aiiess no some setng
Onie n e researi er as esnalcl s ed nrustng reclatons psa peopcle may le nocld of n e researi
nneresns
Comprehensive and selective observation
Conyen eniea oppornun nya and n e nneresns as weclcl as n e al cl tes of n e researi er nfuenie n ese
dei s ons T ese dei s ons s oucld le defens lcle n eoretiaclcly
