Foundations of Observing

Related to ask, observation is another empirical foundation for pragmatic fieldwork. Observation characterizes ethnographic methods (Spradley, 1980). Fostering attentive ways of being in the world improves immediacy, empathy, evaluation, and a host of other organizational virtues. 

I feel the etymology of “observe” is instructive. It means “watch,” but the word comes from the Latin root ser, which means to protect or guard. While surveillance often is rendered in a negative light in critical scholarship, to watch over people who are in actual need of protection is a highly ethical act. This act could just as well be called “witness,” for simply seeing what others try to ignore is an act of justice.

Skill Development for Observe

Observation can be improved by practicing fieldnote techniques, reading detective stories (Goodall, 1994), learning how to separate description and evaluation, and being in one’s senses.