“Participant observation” is a common research method in anthropology and can be applied to many other fields, such as design. Its goal as a research strategy is to gain intimate familiarity with a group of individuals by becoming immersed in their environment. A key principle of this method is that one cannot merely observe in order to understand, but must actively partake. This method allows the “participant observer” to better understand aspects of a culture that are not always immediately evident.
Here at Penn Museum, I will be conducting my own participant observer research by traversing the many galleries in a wheelchair. Tomorrow should offer a different perspective of a building I have already grown accustomed to, and help me to identify issues that may have previously overlooked.
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