From: "Lebon, Nathalie" <[log in to unmask]>
PANEL PROPOSAL
2002 American Anthropological Association MEETINGS (NEW ORLEANS)
TITLE: NGO RESEARCH: ETHICAL & METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES
ORGANIZERS:
LEERAY COSTA (Hollins University, [log in to unmask])
NATHALIE LEBON (Randolph-Macon College, [log in to unmask], fax:
(804) 752-7231)and DONNA MURDOCK (Emory University,
[log in to unmask])
PANEL THEME
This panel will address a number of ethical and methodological issues raised
through current research on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in various
socio-cultural settings. Field research and writing in anthropology are
often fraught with power and representation issues; however, such issues can
be amplified when researching the politicized cultures of NGOs and social
movements. Researchers investigating NGOs often begin with the study of
NGOs' organizational culture, practices and relations with other NGOs,
community-based organizations, donors, state institutions, etc.
They soon find however, that their own relationship to the NGO and those
involved with
it must also be considered, especially with regard to: 1) the negotiation
of their relations in the field with multiple actors embodying divergent
political and ideological agendas, 2) the contested understandings of the
researcher's position within this political landscape by
the various actors involved, 3) the ethical dilemmas inherent in the
representation of relations of power, dependence, autonomy, and solidarity
among these actors, and 4) the consequences of publishing work which could
damage NGOs' credibility with donors and other actors.
The goal of this panel is to explore how researchers have dealt with these
issues, and in
particular, how they have striven to maintain their ethical standards while
researching and writing supportive yet still critical ethnographies of NGOs.
The ethical and methodological issues raised will be of interest not only
to
scholars engaged in the study of NGOs, but also to a variety of
anthropologists whose research projects and field sites are inevitably
shaped by contemporary cultural politics.
We welcome papers on any related topic and from any area. We are thinking
about making this a double session and NAPA (National Assoc. for the
Practice of Anthropology) has expressed an interest in inviting us. We must
get materials to them by the end of February, so if you are interested in
participating, please send us a title and 250-word abstract by February 20th
at the above addresses. Feel free to contact us if you
have further questions too.
LEERAY COSTA (Hollins University, [log in to unmask])
NATHALIE LEBON (Randolph-Macon College, [log in to unmask], fax:
(804) 752-7231)and DONNA MURDOCK (Emory University,
[log in to unmask])
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