CULTURE is a deep and complex way of life and understanding it requires a rigid study of its processes. It is treacherous to dissect it from afar because the view is limited. Clifford Geertz, the author of the popular "Deep play: Balinese cockfighting," as an ethnographer, understand that the way to learn a culture is to have a personal experience of it.
In his study on cockfighting in Bali, he was an outsider to a culture that has been existing for generations and to have a real grasp of it, he must, at least be accepted in the community. There should be a way get closed to the real setting to make the study real. The so-called firsthand experience adds and even cements the validity of the study. So, Geertz, along with his wife, packed his bag and headed to Bali, Indonesia to place himself in the shoes of the Balinese cockfighters and observe the relevance of this deep play to their culture. The participant observation was clearly presented in the study in a way where readers understand its significance. The participant observation used here elevated the status of study because Geertz was able to capture a holistic view of cockfighting as far as the culture of locals are concerned.
Being in the community does not mean that an ethnographer is already "one" with the people. This was apparent in Geertz narration in his introductory paragraphs. There is a huge difference between "physically in" and "culturally in." Geertz described that in the early days of their stay, they were literally treated as 'intruders.' The Balinese dealt with them as if "they were not there." One can understand that this conflict is rooted in their cultural differences. Even if the villagers knew the purpose of their stay, there was no enough reason to trust the outsiders. In addition, Geertz stated that he felt like they were "nonpersons, specters, and invisible individuals." Culture is bound among a certain group of people and Geertz was not part of this group that is why the villagers were having difficult time opening up to the newcomers. For the locals, Geertz was still a foreigner, someone who has different set of beliefs and one who adheres to a different norm and standard.
Geertz described this as the concept of being "away" (Bateson and Mead, 1942). They were physically in the community but there existed a distance between them and the locals due to their perceived differences of beliefs and practices. This concept was best described on the third paragraph when Geertz narrated how someone moves away when they venture to approach the individual. This is very relevant to the concept of participant observation because as long as there is this distance that separate them, a researcher will have a restricted view and observation on the people's realities, thus affecting the conduct and weight of the study. After using the concept of "away" to describe the indifference of the locals, Geertz used the concept "in" to refer to the moment of their acceptance in the community. Once "in," the "away" notion is overcome.
The distance brought upon by cultural differences is mostly lessen. The moment of being "in" is a triumph by the qualitative researcher employing a participant observation tool even if no data are gathered yet because this signifies the researcher's "entry" to the locals' fascinating world. The researcher is no longer considered a foreigner, an intruder, or an outsider. It is an invisible, un-celebrated baptism of his/her reception. I like to connect this idea on the local practice where certain provinces and/or towns adopt a person calling them as "adopted daughter/son" of the community or town (place) because this individual did something that embodies the values and ideals of the place. On the other hand, people who acted something that maligns the integrity and dignity of the people are discredited and often declared as "persona non grata."
The moment of being "in" was certainly the defining moment for Geertz. To restate his words, "it was the turning point so far as our relationship to the community was concerned." This was after an incident when he and his wife ran with the cockfighters during a police raid. It was a classic gesture of solidarity. For me the action can also be categorized as a fellowship act which is very important among the elders of the community. In the Cordillera, we have a lot of distinct practices, indigenous ones, and a way to get the heart of the elders, who hold much of the authority, is to perform an act of fellowship with the people. If they eat with their bare hands it would be polite to do the same. Geertz cited the idea of "when in Rome, do what the Romans do." After that incident, the treatment of the villagers towards them dramatically changed. It was the signal of their acceptance. Everybody was talking to them and was talking about them. They even started to tease them. It was like a barrier was removed between them.
They were no longer distant from the people because they were now somehow "in" and part of the community. Geertz and his wife suddenly became participants in their own study hence their method of "participant observation" was achieved.