Power and cultural conditioning : using field interviews to explore "outliers" in participatory development

Author / Creator

Nair, Tamara, author

Available as

Online

Summary

This case study focuses on fieldwork conducted in the state of Kerala, India, over a period of 5 months. Through the use of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, I explored the issues of cultural i...

This case study focuses on fieldwork conducted in the state of Kerala, India, over a period of 5 months. Through the use of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, I explored the issues of cultural institutions such as the caste system, vis--̉vis marginalized communities in the state. I address the "reshaping" of development research; a postmodern turn in data collection that better reflects truth and reality as experienced by the communities being studied. I explore the research design and use of interviews in the field including ethical considerations for the study, and I also discuss lessons learnt in the field and the realigning of the research agenda based on interview responses. In addition, I consider the strengths and limitations of using interviews as field methodology.

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