Conflicting Goals, Ideologies, and Beliefs in the Field

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenore A. Grenoble ◽  
Simone S. Whitecloud
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Endangered Languages ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Ethical Research ◽  
Plant Use ◽  
Conflicting Goals

The last two decades have seen a remarkable surge in work in description and documentation of endangered languages, which has required researchers to rethink how they work with indigenous communities. A wealth of literature has sprung up to address the problems and issues of ethical research and how to create true collaborations between the parties involved. Despite this focused attention, and at times genuine efforts to engage community members in research, this chapter argues that there continue to be fundamental differences between many external researchers and community members in terms of the beliefs each holds about the kind of research that should be conducted, and core differences in ideologies about what constitutes valid research methods and findings. The documentation of traditional knowledge of plant use among Inuit communities in Greenland is explored as a case study.

Ethical and Effective Ethnographic Research Methods: A Case Study with Afghan Refugees in California

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Afghan Refugees ◽  
Compare And Contrast ◽  
The U.S

Scholarly studies of refugees and other vulnerable populations carry special ethical concerns. In this invited case study of Afghan refugees in Fremont, California, I provide illustrations and recommendations of ethical research methods with refugees. I also compare and contrast some ethical issues in the U.S. with issues in Thailand. The qualitative, ethnographic methods I report here demonstrate how to conduct culturally sensitive investigations by ethically approaching gatekeepers and other community members to preserve autonomy, ensure confidentiality, build trust, and improve the accuracy of interpretations and results. Six groups at risk for being marginalized in multiple ways within refugee populations are described. Ten best practices are recommended for ethically acquiring an in-depth understanding of the refugees, their community, and appropriate research methods.

scholarly journals Revisiting the Debate on Intellectual Property Rights and Traditional Knowledge of Biodiversity: Accommodating Local Realities and Perspectives

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ujjal Kumar Sarma ◽  
Indrani Barpujari
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Intellectual Property Rights ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Practical Capacity ◽  
Northeastern State

The international and national debates and developments on the applicability of an intellectual property rights regime for protecting traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity is over a decade old. Nevertheless, this continues to be an area fraught with difficulties for many reasons, such as inherent mismatch between the nature of intellectual property rights regimes and that of traditional knowledge, lack of an effective international framework, and alleged lack of will on the part of developed countries. The paper argues that the possible non-inclusion of traditional knowledge holders in the process and the lack of their practical capacity is another key reason for non-effectiveness of existing or envisaged legal instruments. It takes the position that a major lacuna of this discourse is that it is not strongly positioned in the local economic, political, and social contexts in which local and Indigenous communities find themselves today. Using a field-based case study of an Indigenous scheduled tribe, the Karbis in the northeastern state of Assam, the paper makes the case for discarding commonly held, often non-realistic ‘assumptions’ about local and Indigenous communities and accommodation of their realities and perspectives in enacting ‘rights based’ law and policy on these issues.

scholarly journals Indigenous Adoption of Internet Voting: A Case Study of Whitefish River First Nation

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Gabel ◽  
Nicole Goodman ◽  
Karen Bird ◽  
Brian Budd
Keyword(s):  
Political Participation ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Community Capacity ◽  
Community Consultation ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Real Property ◽  
Internet Voting ◽  
Capacity Strengthen

Indigenous communities and organizations are increasingly using digital technologies to build community capacity, strengthen community consultation, and improve political participation. In particular, Internet voting is a type of technology to which First Nations have been drawn. This article explores Whitefish River First Nation's (WRFN) experience introducing Internet voting in the course of ratifying a new matrimonial real property law (MRP). Specifically, we examine the implications of Internet voting for political participation and electoral administration at the community level. Although community members’ uptake of Internet voting was very modest, we find the experience of adoption had other subtle impacts on community capacity, specifically in terms of empowering the community to pass its own laws and connecting youth and elders. With respect to administration, Internet voting provided an opportunity to connect with community members using technology, to modernize voting processes, and to better accommodate community members needs.

scholarly journals Learning from the Past: Reflecting on the Maya-ICBG Controversy in the Classroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66
Author(s):  
Daniela Shebitz ◽  
Angela Oviedo
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Pharmaceutical Research ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Student Perspective ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
The Past ◽  
Prior Informed Consent ◽  
History Of

In the 1990s, the Maya-ICBG (International Cooperative Biodiversity Group) was one of the major bioprospecting projects in Chiapas, Mexico and was designed to incorporate traditional knowledge into pharmaceutical research. The researchers had hopes of benefiting Indigenous communities economically and technologically while conserving plants and traditional knowledge. Unfortunately, the project experienced local and international opposition who accused the project of exploiting Indigenous people and privatizing their knowledge. We present a teaching module in the form of an interrupted case study in which participants learn about the ethnobotanical study that shifted from one of promise to one of controversy. The history of the development of the case study over the past decade is told from both a faculty and a student perspective. The purpose of this perspective article and of our case study in general is to bring the conversation of ethics to the forefront of ethnobiology. Although the Maya-ICBG project was brought to a close in 2001, the case study is still relevant in both a historical context and as a means to discuss ethics and Prior Informed Consent.

scholarly journals “Wait and See”

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-50
Author(s):  
Tariq Zaman
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Contemporary Life ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Wait And See ◽  
Malaysian Borneo

As personal and collective community development becomes increasingly inseparable from interactions with information and communication technologies (ICTs), new constructs representing this relationship need to be explored. In Malaysian Borneo, many indigenous communities are connected to the internet and using ICTs for socio-economic development. This research presents a case study of ICTs use by an indigenous community and inquires if ICTs can address the challenges and open up new opportunities in contemporary life. By using a qualitative approach, the author interviewed 15 participants to understand the use of ICTs to achieve their personal and community's gratifications. This paper highlighted that the community members consider ICTs an important part of their contemporary life. Nevertheless, before making any decision on ICT-related projects, they perform a reflexive examination on the possible impacts of the technology and project. This research also discussed the unanticipated benefits and the negative outcomes of the new technologies on the routine life of the Long Lamai community.

scholarly journals Emerging Role of Libraries in Language Archiving in India A Case Study of SiDHELA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthick Narayanan ◽  
Meriaba Takhellambam
Keyword(s):  
First Language ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Endangered Languages ◽  
Language Documentation ◽  
Digital Archiving ◽  
Digital Contents ◽  
North Bengal

SiDHELA is a language archive developed by the Centre for Endangered Languages, Sikkim University in collaboration with the Central Library, Sikkim University. It is the first language archive developed in India. SiDHELA is a model attempt at digital archiving in collaboration with communities of Sikkim and North Bengal region of India. The main highlight of the paper is the possibilities which emerges out of a collaboration between under resourced indigenous communities and an institutional library backed by a language documentation project to curate digital contents for endangered and lesser known languages from under resourced regions like the Northeast of India.

Participatory Design of Language and Culture Archives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Wasson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Endangered Languages ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based ◽  
User Research ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Indigenous Materials

Online archives to preserve and share Indigenous language and culture materials emerged in the 1990s and 2000s. They were, in part, a response to concerns about Indigenous language and culture loss that gained prominence during that time period, both in Indigenous communities and in fields such as anthropology and linguistics. From an Indigenous perspective, language and culture were central to community members’ identities and exercise of sovereignty. The development of online archives was also facilitated by technology advances in the 1990s and 2000s, including more sophisticated online platforms for storing and sharing information, broader access to the internet, and digital recording technologies. Prior to the development of online archives, traditional brick-and-mortar archives had a long history of collecting language and culture materials from Indigenous communities. However, they operated in a colonial context in which their practices contributed to the subjugation of Native peoples. In response, the 1970s and 1980s saw a rise in tribal archivists and Indigenous approaches to managing Indigenous materials and collections. Concerns to treat Indigenous materials appropriately and with respect have continued with the development of online archives. One focus has been Indigenous data sovereignty. Some online archives have focused more on language and some have focused more on cultural heritage. The field of documentary linguistics has been highly active in developing language archives, with a particular concern for endangered languages. For example, Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR), Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures (PARADISEC), Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America (AILLA), and The Language Archive (TLA) all include data from a large number of different languages. A smaller group of anthropologists has engaged with the development of cultural heritage archives. Anthropologists have also critiqued the colonial logics of traditional archives and theorized what a “postcolonial archive” might look like. Some cultural heritage archives have started to enact these new principles. At the same time, Indigenous communities have developed their own community-based archives, often focused on meeting the needs of community members. Although Indigenous community-based archives have generally had a solid understanding of the needs of their users, archives that collect materials from a large number of communities have not always conducted user research. A user-centered design approach to archives was initiated through a 2016 workshop funded by the US National Science Foundation. In addition, there has been a trend to integrate language and culture materials into combined archives. Participatory design may be the most appropriate approach for archive development because it recognizes and honors the sovereignty of the Indigenous peoples whose materials are included in an archive. One example of an ongoing participatory design process for an archive is a collaboration between Christina Wasson’s research team and four Indigenous communities in Northeast India. Language and culture archives offer opportunities for design anthropologists to engage in a more participatory process than is possible in most private sector work. Many archives, museums, and libraries would be open to hiring people with this expertise.

scholarly journals Building partnerships for linking biomedical science with traditional knowledge of customary medicines: a case study with two Australian Indigenous communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Packer ◽  
◽  
Gerry Turpin ◽  
Emilie Ens ◽  
Beatrice Venkataya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Biomedical Science ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Plain Language ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Traditional Uses

Abstract Background Customary medicine of Australia’s Indigenous peoples draws upon knowledge developed through millennia of interaction with Australia’s unique flora and fauna. Many Indigenous Australians are interested in developing modern medicinal and commercial translations of traditional knowledge; however, barriers of trust and benefit sharing often thwart progress. Methods Using a participatory action research framework, university researchers collaborated with members of two Australian Indigenous communities to investigate selected medicinal plants and locally made bush products. A trusted community liaison facilitated the collaboration that was fostered through bilateral site visits. Material transfer and confidentiality agreements ensured that the plant materials were only used for the agreed purpose. Plain language written reports of the laboratory results were provided to the communities with follow up discussions. Results In case study 1, only some of the traditional uses for the raw plants were shared with the researchers. Deidentified plants were assessed for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In case study 2, the plant names, traditional uses, and preparation methods were shared with the aim of learning more about their plants, potential uses, and optimising their bush products. Literature reviews were conducted that also helped guide in vitro testing of the crude and solvent partitioned extracts. These differences reflected the community’s reasons for conducting the research and intellectual property considerations. In both cases, observed benefits included building trust and strengthening working relationships for ongoing collaboration, fostering enthusiasm for linking traditional and scientific knowledge, promoting cross-cultural learning about scientific methods and traditional medicine, maintaining the relevance of traditional knowledge in the modern world, and initiating community discussions around their bush medicine product development. Conclusions Community-driven scientific investigation of traditional medicinal knowledge can facilitate culturally meaningful outcomes, with potentially wide-reaching direct and indirect benefits. Community liaisons were invaluable for establishment of strong relationships and ensured that the research was culturally and locally appropriate. The need for clearer guidelines and regulation around community-driven biomedical research of their plants was identified. Australia would benefit from a user-friendly, open-source toolkit that promotes use of local traditional medicines, contains information about processes and protocols that communities and scientists could use to develop collaborative projects, and guides regulation and ethical commercialisation. Close consultation and collaboration with communities and researchers will be needed to ensure that such a toolkit is culturally appropriate and fit-for-purpose.

Logistics Activities in Vietnamese Retail Enterprises: Problems and Solutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dang Thi Huong ◽  
Vu Thi Minh Hien
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Qualitative Research Methods ◽  
Problems And Solutions

Logistics is one of the important factors to ensure the availability of goods, promote retail businesses to deliver and consume goods quickly. However, logistics in Vietnamese retail businesses is identified to be limited, reducing the efficiency and competitiveness of enterprises. Using qualitative research methods (observation, document synthesis, interview, case study), the paper pointed out some problems in logistics activities of Vietnamese retail businesses; at the same time, analyzed experience in logistic activities of Vinmart store chain. Based on these results, the paper proposed some useful solutions to improve the logistics activities and enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese retail businesses in the context of integration.

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