Final answer:
Bronislaw Malinowski is considered the father of participant observation, known for his ethnographic work among the Trobriand Islanders as detailed in 'Argonauts of the Western Pacific.'
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual considered to be the father of participant observation based on his fieldwork among the Trobriand Islands is Bronislaw Malinowski. Malinowski's groundbreaking method involved immersive fieldwork, during which he lived with the Trobriand peoples for nearly two years. His seminal work, Argonauts of the Western Pacific, was published in 1922 and detailed the intricate kula ring exchange and various aspects of the Trobriand culture, from social structure and economics to religion and kinship. His insights into the functionality of seemingly symbolic practices, like the kula ring, and the role of rituals in managing anxiety for Trobriand Islanders during long and hazardous canoe voyages, positioned him as a pioneer in anthropological fieldwork and participant observation.