AA MINORITY REPORT 2017 (revised)

Click here

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Alcohol research


The “Outsider's” Role in a Field Study, Trice HM, Sociology and Social Research, Vol.22 (Sept-Oct.), 27-32, 1956

This report is interested in adding to the growing body of knowledge about the “outsider's” role that is thrust upon a field researcher in almost all situations. Kluckhohn fifteen years ago, stated that, "the investigator is never able to shake off entirely his role of outsider, and I am in accord with those who maintain that it is not advisable for him to do so. Some exceedingly valuable information comes to the outsider simply because he is one." Later Merton states that, in connection with a study of a planned community, "informants will not hesitate to make certain private views known to a disinterested outside observer - views which would not be expressed were it thought that they would get back to management; the outsider has 'stranger' value.

The effectiveness of this strategy was recently demonstrated to the present writer in what seemed to be an almost impossible research situation. The research question concerned what experiences and attitudes discriminated alcoholics who had successfully affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous from those alcoholics who had been unable to affiliate with A.A.”



PS For AA Minority Report 2013 click here

No comments:

Post a Comment