Participative observation: standing in the shoes of others?

Abstract

This article argues that participant observation is more than mere method and in need of greater theoretical attention. This is particularly true for its more participative forms, which are inseparable from assumptions about the role of the body in the generation of knowledge. Drawing on fieldwork experience, parallels are noted between participative observation and the clinical practice of nursing, for example, their reliance on physical involvement, their claims to experiential knowledge, and the associated theoretical assumptions they share, such as a reciprocity of perspective between subject and object. Such assumptions need to be examined if the knowledge learnt through participation is to carry-weight.