When informants begin writing : an action research on the ethics of ethnography

Research Project

Project/Area Number	07610314
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	文化人類学(含民族学・民俗学)
Research Institution	Yamaguchi Prefectural University
Principal Investigator	ANKEI Yuji Faculty of International Studies Professor, 国際文化学部, 教授 (50149027)
Project Period (FY)	1995 – 1996
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1996)
Budget Amount *help	¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000) Fiscal Year 1996: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000) Fiscal Year 1995: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Keywords	regional studies / field work / ethnography / research ethics / action research / Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan / 西表島(いりおもてじま) / 沖縄 / 西^^<イリ>表^^<オモテ>島 / 地域史 / 民俗誌
Research Abstract	In the western half of Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan, I carried out an action research on the possibility of ethnographic records made by the inhabitants themselves. I chose Hoshitate village where there are practically no records ever published. An inhabitant have long tried to take notes of his village, its oral tradition, dialects, place names, etc. Since he agreed to work with me to make up an ethnographic record out of his manuscript and his knowledge, we began working together in the following order during 2 years of research. 1) checking the manuscript, 2) making contents for the manuscript, 3) polishing and enlarging the text, 4) determining what to write anew, 5) word processing the text. The result was a text ready for desk-top publishing containing 80 thousand Japanese characters. During our collaboration I found that the inhabitants of this Island great interest in their oral tradition, especially that of festivals. A public meeting of the all the members of the village was held and many members discussed for a long time. The purpose of this meeting was to determine which text should be published as authentic in performing songs and dramas during festivals. What to record and how? This has been a central problem for ethnographers. I had the chance of witnessing that the inhabitants determined to restrict photographing and video taping to only those who observe the following four conditions. 1) Wear an armband during the festival, 2) prey with the inhabitants, 3) respect the off-limits areas, and 4) demand permission before publishing or broad-casting. In conclusion, making ethnographic records may cause unexpected disturbance, and a collaboration with informants cannot be an excuse against such disturbances. Although guide lines and research codes may be useful, they should be determined by the inhabitants themselves.