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Assess the usefulness of participant observation as a sociological method Participant observation is the main technique used by qualitative or ethnographic researchers often in conjunction with informal interviews - being personally involved with your subject is considered to be the best way to acquire in-depth perception of people's actions. There are many reasons as to why sociologists choose to use participant observation as a method. Participant observation is a straightforward procedure: by immersing him- or herself in the subject being studied, the researcher is presumed to gain understanding, perhaps more deeply than could be obtained, for example, by questionnaires. Secondly it allows observation of social behaviour in a natural setting. This means that the participants act more naturally and relaxed giving honest reliable answers. This in turn gives a true picture of what is being studies and provides a view of the world created from a participant's point of view. Valene...

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