Modulated Participant-Observation: Managing the Dilemma of Distance in Field Research

Using examples from studies of dance clubs, the authors offer a solution for dealing with the problems of maintaining the optimal research distance in field investigations. This method is based on teamwork, in which one researcher assumes the role of participant-as-observer and the other has the role of observer-as-participant. In addition to describing the developments of the two roles, the authors provide firsthand accounts of common pitfalls in fieldwork and how they have handled them.