The Research Process - Interpretivist Case Study: James Patrick

What was James Patrick's occupation?

- Teacher

Why did he decide to join Tim's gang?

- To research the subculture and experience it, get qualitative data.

Name two problems that Patrick faced in joining and blending into the gang?

- The Dialect & Slang of the Gang

- He did not fit into their background

What did Patrick mean by 'role confusion'?

- He was confused between his middle-class background & the working-class, criminal persona, he was playing.

What techniques did Patrick use to try and keep the identity of individuals and groups anonymous?

- He gave them fictitious names and did it not specify which gang they were.

What's the difference a 'square-go' and a 'chibbin'?

- A 'chibbin' was a stabbing and 'square-go' was a fight with hands and boots.

What did the gang members spend most of their time doing?

- Absolute boredom, standing about the street.

What two conclusion did Patrick draw from his study?

i) Professional in approved schools need to have a better understanding of gang subcultures.

ii) Violent gang leaders acted in a civilised way if they were away from negative influence of their social environment.

From the experiences of Patrick, what are the advantages of using convert observations?

- See the natural behaviour without the participant responding, increasing vulnerability.

From the experiences of Patrick, what are the disadvantages of using convert observation?

He could be involved with violence and his cover blown.