Beyond “subjectivity”: The use of the self in social science

Insights about the observer's self can prove useful for understanding others who are the subjects of sociological inquiry. This organizational sociologist studied a midwestern lesbian community using participant observation and in depth interviewing. Subsequent problems with preparing the findings led to development of an analytic technique for dealing with the data. The argument here is that we have much to learn from close examination of the interrelationship between observer and observed.For their help in the preparation of this article, the author would like to thank Estelle Freedman, Marythelma Brainard, Nancy Chodorow, Meredith Gould, and Ann Swidler.