参与观察的限度与可能——以在泰、美两国的田野工作经验为例

The Limits and Possibilities of Participatory Observation:Taking Fieldwork Experiences in Thailand and the United States as an Example

所谓“参与观察的限度与可能”,指研究者需要将参与观察的过程问题化,仔细审视参与观察的条件、情境和可能途径,而非认为参与观察是长期田野工作自然而然产生的结果。参与观察的可能性以及参与当地社会生活的广度和深度取决于诸多的个人和社会因素。与此同时,各种限制也成就了研究者对于社会与文化差异的深刻认知,并成为“文化震撼”和跨文化体验的重要部分。可以说,社会与文化的边界同时造就了参与观察的限度和可能性。参与观察是极具反身性的研究方法,对参与观察的观察应伴随整个研究过程并具有重要的价值。

"Limits and possibilities of participant observation"refers to the need for researchers to problematize the process of participant observation and to scrutinize the conditions,contexts,and possible ways of participant observation,rather than to consider participant observation to be a natural outcome of long-term fieldwork.The possibilities for participant observation and the breadth and depth of participation in local social life depend on a number of personal and social factors.At the same time,various constraints contribute to the researcher's deep awareness of social and cultural differences and become an important part of"culture shock"and cross-cultural experience.It can be said that social and cultural boundaries simultaneously create the limits and possibilities of participant observation.Participant observation is a highly reflexive research method.The observation of participant observation should be accompanied by the whole research process,and it is of great value.