Transcript Ethics PPT

Social scientists face ethical dilemmas in all
areas, they must decide whether gathering
reliable data is more important than their own
values.
 Anthropologists
are expected to understand
various cultures, they are also expected to
avoid interfering in community affairs-this can
be tough
Ex. The Chagnon Case study- Chagnon
inoculated the Yanomami society in order to
strengthen his research
Ex. Ken Pryce studied West Indian communities
in church, he was asked to be baptized.
Reasons not to: dishonest, culturally insensitive
Reasons to: get him closer with informants, he
will become a participant observer
Pryce did get baptized and the other members
of the community opened up to him.
His research benefited from the decision.
Where should anthropologists draw the line on
what they should do to fit in?
 Psychologists
conduct experiments where
ethical concerns are raised as well.
 Ex.
Scientists hypothesized that anxiety
delays onset and reduces urination flow.
Experimenters remained at adjacent urinals.
Was this experiment an invasion of privacy?
 Similarly
sociologists also face ethical issues
when creating surveys and utilizing
questionnaires, they need to ensure that
participants are anonymous and that the
researcher keeps an emotional distance from
the respondent.
Activity: Round group discussion
Let’s assemble in a circle.
We are going to imagine that we are cultural
anthropologists doing participant
observation. What’s your ethical response to
the following situations?
This is great practise for the culminating task!
You are going to be assessed so please
participate!
 An
informant tells a racist joke. The rest of
the group laughs, Do you?
 Every
Friday night your informants get drunk
to the point where they throw. What do you
do?
 Your
informants believe that most police
officers are corrupt. You don’t. They ask
what you think, what do you say?
 Colin
Turnbull participant-observed the Ik
people of Uganda. The group faced drought
and famine and as a result left behind the
older, weaker members of the community to
save resources. Those that wanted to help
the dying were mocked. What would you if
you were Turnbull? Help the dying and risk
chances that the group will no longer cooperate with you?
 You
are vegetarian for moral reasons. The
informants are all meat-eaters. Do you eat
meat with the informants?
 Your
informants use a lot of slang and
swearing in their talk. You are not familiar
with this slang and don’t swear much. Do you
change the way you speak?