Participant observation in risk problems

Abstract

Participant observation is a method to collect information through active participation in the social world that is under study, in this case two different risk-related working areas where confidentiality and secrecy are paramount. In reality there is a difference between what people do and say they do. With participant observation this discrepancy can be found. New research areas can be explored with participant observation when there is limited or no data available. In participant observation a level of immersion can be chosen. What position the observer takes depends on the situation and the goal of the research. In both studies discussed in this paper the ‘observer as participant’ form is chosen. The objective of this paper is to investigate whether in behavior or in operation between a traditional ‘safety’ working area and a ‘security’ working area show any similarities. We work from the hypothesis that since both are risk areas similarities exist. The object of study is rule violation and compliance in regulations. In this paper two relatively new areas of research are described which have limited data available. The main focus of one study is observation of decision making airport employees dealing with security. The other focus of study is observation of Seveso inspections of chemical corporations. Justification for participant observation comes from the fact that little is known of the strengths and weaknesses of current processes and procedures. Advantages and limitations of this method will be discussed after the comparison of results from the different working areas, as well as ethical issues that emerged in relation to confidentiality and secrecy. Other differences between settings and the influence of these differences of participant observation and methods of recording and interactions with the observed will be described in this paper.Values and TechnologyTechnology, Policy and Managemen