ABSTRACT
Many anthropologists have used participant observation to analyse the social world of non-state security actors across the globe, such as gangs and vigilante organizations. This chapter discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of using participant observation when studying private security companies. It draws author's own field experiences from two different projects on private security companies that took him/her to South Africa, Kenya, Jamaica and Israel. The chapter examines participant observation as a method and analyses the seven main elements that define it: participation, open interviews, observation, field notes, longitudinal research, establishing rapport, and reflexivity. It presents some of the benefits and obstacles author faced and how he/she dealt with these issues. The chapter combines these seven elements together and emphasizes that participant observation provides insight into what people say and do. It concludes with some concluding remarks on the use of participant observation when studying non-state security actors.
