Practical Knowledge and Participant Observation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7105224 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Julie Zahle (0000-0002-2109-761X, University of Copenhagen, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 50-65 |
| Publication date | 2012-01-18 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Inquiry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-174X • E-ISSN: 1502-3923 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0020174x.2012.643626 |
| OpenAlex | W2074268835 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 25 |
An important strand of theories of practice stress that individuals' practical knowledge, i.e., their ability to act in appropriate and/or effective ways, is mainly tacit. This means that the social scientist cannot find out about this knowledge by simply asking the individuals she studies to articulate how it is appropriate and/or effective to act in various circumstances. In this paper, I pursue the proposal that the method of participant observation may be used to find out about individuals' practical knowledge. Surprisingly, the literature does not contain any systematic and comprehensive discussion of this suggestion. I distinguish and exemplify four types of observation that are indicative of individuals' practical knowledge. The observations may serve as a basis for the social scientist's formulations of this knowledge. Further, I point to two main ways in which things may go wrong when the social scientist uses participant observation to find out about individuals' practical knowledge. I argue that the social scientist can make reasonably sure to avoid these two potential difficulties. Accordingly, I conclude that these difficulties do not undermine the effectiveness of the method. In this sense, social scientists are right to use the method of participant observation to find out about individuals' practical knowledge
Epistemology · Knowledge management · Participant observation · Point (geometry · Social knowledge · Social science · Sociology · Tacit knowledge · Computer Science · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Critical Realism in Sociology · Management and Organizational Studies · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Citations per year | 0.82 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2015 - 2025 (11) |
| Highly cited | No |