Non-Participant Observation: Watching and Studying Behavior Patterns in a Coffee Shop

Choose a public place such as a shopping mall, a library, a restaurant, or any other place where you are not participating in the activities you are observing. Record your observations in field notes. Pay attention to and describe the following in detail:

• The setting (layout of the space, arrangement of furniture, decor, “feel,” and so forth),
• The people (describe individuals and groups, detail behaviors)
• The action (what are the relationships between people and/or groups?).
• Then expand the description of one particular person at some point in the observation.

By Day 7, turn in:

• A 4-6 page summary of what you observed.
• A few paragraphs of what you learned about yourself as a researcher.

Tutorial for Non-Participant Observation: Watching and Studying Behavior Patterns in a Coffee Shop