In the early 1960s, sociologist Herbert Gans moved into a newly developed suburb in new jersey where he lived for two years, observing and interviewing his neighbors. in research terms, Gans conducted a participant observation study. Participant observation is method used for data collection, in which the the observer is a "player" in the action (he/she participates in ongoing activities and records observations). The technique is used in many studies in Anthropology and Sociology.
