What happens inside meetings, events, and activities held by civil society organizations—and how often do those internal dynamics occur? I answer these questions using a new adaptation of systematic social observation (SSO)—the use of multiple, trained observers and standardized protocols to collect comparable, quantitative data from observable settings. The SSO technique offers data that bridge the gap between small-N ethnographies and large-N surveys, allowing better tests of theories and expanded understanding of civic engagement.
Bio:
Matthew Baggetta is an Associate Professor of Public & Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. He studies civil society organizations (CSOs), civic engagement, and social movements and recently developed a systematic social observation tool for collecting quantitative, observational data from CSO meetings, events, and activities. His work appears in the American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, and Sociological Methods and Research among other outlets.
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