I am clearly writing very badly, because I don't actually disagree with most of your comment. Nor am I unaware of the problems you're talking about. Even the little history I know makes it clear that majority groups have been using legalities, academic language, pittance amounts of money, and meaningless promises, to get anything and everything they can grab from minority groups. I am arguing that that needs to stop happening. That's what I meant by "one should do everything in one's power to help the group feel able to share..." and I apologize that I was not clear or that my words are shouting connotations I'm not conscious of. I am definitely *not* trying to say that anyone should try convincing minority groups harder, but rather that the entire system of how we currently seek socio/anthro knowledge needs to be shifted.
When I called for attention to be paid "to *why* a group doesn't want to be interviewed or observed" it was not because it's "a big mystery" to me--I was saying that the would-be-observers need to learn to actually look and listen.
The one point I disagree with is that all the knowledge we need is out there, and that it's not being paid attention to or is twisted. No. We've lost methods of food preparation, whole dialects, traditions, codes of law, legends. The knowledge we do have has always been twisted by whatever biases the observers have--no one could argue otherwise. Knowledge, like every other aspect of society, has been used to reinforce existing power structures. But it isn't always. For example--asking people about who's gotten sick in the area can be used as proof to claim everyone there is dirty or unholy or what have you. OR that same information can be used to determine that the well is too close to a waste site.
I'm pretty sure my ignorance and/or poor articulation is turning this thread into a derail, so I'll step out now. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to. But anyway, thank you for trying to put me on the right track.
no subject
When I called for attention to be paid "to *why* a group doesn't want to be interviewed or observed" it was not because it's "a big mystery" to me--I was saying that the would-be-observers need to learn to actually look and listen.
The one point I disagree with is that all the knowledge we need is out there, and that it's not being paid attention to or is twisted. No. We've lost methods of food preparation, whole dialects, traditions, codes of law, legends. The knowledge we do have has always been twisted by whatever biases the observers have--no one could argue otherwise. Knowledge, like every other aspect of society, has been used to reinforce existing power structures. But it isn't always. For example--asking people about who's gotten sick in the area can be used as proof to claim everyone there is dirty or unholy or what have you. OR that same information can be used to determine that the well is too close to a waste site.
I'm pretty sure my ignorance and/or poor articulation is turning this thread into a derail, so I'll step out now. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to. But anyway, thank you for trying to put me on the right track.