Video summary

Observación Participante y No participante

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / lessons

  • Observation in research is a data collection technique. Common distinctions—such as:
    • Participant vs. non-participant
    • Covert vs. overt
    • Systematic vs. unsystematic

—can be seen as different expressions of the same underlying issue: how the researcher’s involvement affects what can be observed and how it is perceived.

  • A typology attributed to Goffman (1958, as cited in the subtitles “Gol”) frames observation along a spectrum based on the researcher’s level of involvement:

    • Complete participants
    • Participants as observers
    • Participants as participants
    • Complete observers

  • The key determinant is how involved the researcher can be in the setting—i.e., the context limits how uninvolved the researcher can remain.

  • The video emphasizes that full participation may improve access and trust, but it also requires assuming a role in the community being studied and may involve risk or difficulty.

  • Regardless of type, documentation and rigor are essential:

    • Record what you will observe,
    • include timing,
    • use descriptive (not judgmental) notes,
    • define categories aligned with your theoretical framework.

  • Data collection should stop when data saturation occurs:

    • continue observing until new behaviors stop emerging (i.e., the same patterns repeat).

  • A methodological stance (referenced by an unnamed author in the video) proposes combining:

    • commitment (closeness/participation) and
    • distance (outsider perspective/analysis)

through a dialectical fusion of both functions.

- The goal is to observe **“through the eyes of the other”** while still being able to **explain** social dynamics.
  • The video concludes with a practical example of an observation sheet template for classroom/violence research.

Examples used to explain participation levels

1) Studying violence in schools (adult researcher among children)

  • If a 37-year-old adult enters a classroom of 8-year-old children:

    • the adult is an outsider/intruder
    • children may not behave naturally (they may act “best” to avoid punishment)

  • Possible strategies:

    • Become a teacher’s assistant to observe while staying involved, but still remain a stranger
    • Result: “participant as an observer”—present and observing, but not fully immersed

2) Studying street vendor dynamics in a public space (Colombia example)

A researcher can:

  • Observe passively, for example:

    • walk through and count carts/sales points
    • note pedestrian and vehicle flow
    • sit in a shop

  • Then shift to greater participation, such as:

    • Buy lemons as a minor interaction (more observer than participant)
    • Talk to people, ask about logistics (e.g., “How much to set up a small stall here?”) (more participant)
    • Go deeper by taking on life-like participation (e.g., getting a cart and adapting to vendors’ routines)

Key point: deeper participation requires assuming a role in the community.

3) Undercover police as “complete participation” (Bogotá example)

  • The subtitle describes a context in Bogotá formerly associated with “Cartucho Street”, involving:

    • high violence/danger
    • drug use, but also other crimes
    • homeless people who collect recyclables to survive

  • Undercover officers achieved success through:

    • full immersion
    • assuming roles as recyclers/homeless people
    • initially maintaining some support (food delivered early on)
    • then severing contact to gain trust:
      • “completely sever all contact and immerse ourselves fully…”

  • The video claims that complete participation + complete observation enabled the investigation.

Methodology / instructions (detailed)

A) Decide the observation type based on immersion and context

  • Consider the spectrum:

    • Complete participant (assumes a full role)
    • Participant as observer (partly involved, mainly observing)
    • Participant as participant (more role-involved than pure observation)
    • Complete observer (stays uninvolved)

  • Assess whether the context will allow you to remain uninvolved:

    • If you cannot blend in, plan strategies to negotiate immersion (e.g., adopting a partial role like assistant).

B) Use systematic documentation for credibility

  • Every procedure must be documented, including that you are observing.
  • Record:
    • date
    • a code (if used)
    • day/session
    • the specific observation focus
  • If doing classroom-related observation:
    • choose categories based on your theoretical framework
    • create an observation sheet with structured fields.

C) Limit what you observe (and what you let yourself notice)

  • Recommendation: limit:

    • what you observe,
    • how you observe it,
    • how immersed you are in the reality.

  • In group/classroom practice:

    • assign roles to reduce interference:
      • one student observes a behavior (e.g., cell phone use) but does not alert peers
    • this helps reveal behaviors that usually go unnoticed.

D) Coordinate among multiple observers (if using a team)

  • If several observers are involved, agree on:
    • what counts as relevant,
    • what does not,
    • how notes will be taken.
  • Ensure observers write more or less the same thing regarding the agreed focus.

E) Track timing and context precisely

  • Emphasize timing:
    • record how long something lasts (e.g., a warning/criticism lasts 25 minutes vs. brief)
  • Use timing to interpret behavior:
    • long attention shifts can differ in meaning from brief events.

F) Describe behavior accurately; avoid injecting opinions

  • Avoid descriptive adjectives and subjective judgments.
  • If you suspect intention:
    • note it carefully as interpretation (example given: “The professor is angry”)
    • but recognize actions may reflect attention-getting rather than actual anger.
  • Write notes as most descriptive and objective as possible.

G) Stop when data saturation is reached

  • Answer to “how many classes/observations are enough?”:
    • stop when data is saturated, meaning:
      • repeated observation produces no new behaviors
      • no new relevant patterns emerge
  • Additional sessions are unnecessary once this occurs.

H) Use a “native + foreign” perspective (commitment + distance)

  • Do not choose purely:

    • native (only inside) or
    • foreign (only outside)

  • Instead, combine:

    • native viewpoint: understand from within by experiencing parts of the community
    • foreign viewpoint: maintain analytical distance to explain and produce knowledge

  • Example given:

    • If studying Cúcuta culture:
      • attend local mass, eat typical food, join dance/party settings
      • still remain an outsider from one’s own background/privilege

I) Observation sheet structure (practical template example)

  • The video provides a template-like example (from a 2012 master research):

    • Include fields:
      • place
      • situation
      • date
      • participants
      • purpose / objective
    • Add:
      • categories and subcategories for analysis
      • space for description of what children are doing
    • Use participant coding instead of names:
      • girls coded as 1–4
      • boys coded as 34+ (as described)

  • Recommendation:

    • take time to write what people are doing
    • ensure notes match the intended observation focus, avoiding accidental inclusion of unrelated impressions.

Speakers / sources featured (as mentioned in subtitles)

  • Speaker: The narrator/teacher presenting “Research Methodology” (no personal name given in subtitles).
  • Source cited: Goff (1958) / “Gol in 1958” (appears as “Gol” due to subtitle error; likely referring to Goffman, commonly cited with such typologies).
  • Author cited in theoretical discussion of native/foreigner fusion: An unnamed author (speaker says “this author tells us…” but the author’s name is not shown in subtitles).

Original video