Ethics

In class we've been discussing the ethics involved in a field study. It's tres important that the people and culture being study are respected completely--and on their terms. Oftentimes it is difficult to tell when one is being disrespectful towards another culture, but the offended party remains offended. This can often be imperceptible, especially to those of us who are unaware of the effect our actions can have.

Malcolm attended our discussion Wednesday and said some things that made me think. We talked about how the Tongans view Americans. They call us "palangi," which directly translates to cracking or breaking the heavens. They look up to the American way of life as a better, more fully developed way of living, regardless of whether or not this is actually true. We have power, money, and technology, things that are considered very valuable in present time. Consequently, being an American in Tonga has implications in itself. The way we convey ourselves, our questions, and our surveys speak volumes about ourselves as well as where we come from. I have made it a goal to seek to learn all I can from the people there. I have to approach every situation with the attitude--and even saying outright--"I want to learn, can you teach me?" If someone asked me to teach them something about my everyday life, I would be almost thrilled to tell them about it. In this way, I can help encourage the Tongans to preserve the unique aspects of their culture.

Nick mentioned that we might be asked for money because we are American. Unfortunately, although we want to help the people in any way we can, monetary compensation is not ideal. Not only do I not have enough money to hand out, but I would not want a village to infer that money is the only thing interesting about me. I can give back to the community in other ways: teaching English, helping with weaving, or watching the kids.

These ethics apply most acutely to the effects our project might have on a society. We talked about the Tuskegee trials of the 1930s, when African Americans were told that they "had bad blood" and would be given treatment. These men were not told everything concerning the study that was being done. The study was actually a comparison on the effects of treated and untreated syphilis. This study, however, was done immorally, and was not made public until the 70s. A code of conduct was created by the IRB to prevent anything like this from happening again. Although this example seems severe, it teaches us that almost anything we do can adversely effect those being studied. If we are careful and thoughtful, our presence can have a positive effect on the people we hope to learn from.

"...how important it is to be human and to have human experiences."