The topic is: The effect dementia has on Family members
Propose in 1-2 pages a qualitative research project on a topic that you would like to investigate using participant observation. Usually, such a design would be based on a review of existing literature. We don’t have the time for that, so base your topic on ideas you’ve covered previously in a sociology class.
NOTE: For your observational research, you cannot select sites that will expose your participants or yourselves to unnecessary risk.
The proposal should include at a minimum:
- a paragraph explaining your topic, its sociological relevance, and the research question
- two paragraphs on sampling/site selection (which site? why that site? which role will you take? how will you gain access to it?)
- a paragraph reflecting on your relationship and if and/or how your presence may or may not impact the space and your observations
You will eventually have to conduct 45 minutes of observation. This time can be broken up in two ways—you can either do 1 45-minute observation of a single setting, or break it up into observation of about 25 minutes in two different settings. If you choose to conduct observations in 2 different settings, you should provide a rationale for this comparison.