2. 1 Centre for Discourse Analysis May 14 th, 2007 Methodological, Conceptual and Theoretical Reflections when doing Research among/with Ethnic Minority Groups Annette Kanstrup-Jensen Centre for Development and International Relations Faculty of Social Sciences, AAU

3. 2 PhD: ”Development Theory and the Ethnicity Question – The Cases of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand” (Research Framework: Education and Human Development)

4. 3 Indigeneity: ”Indigenous populations are composed of the existing descendants of peoples who inhabited the present territory of a country wholly or partially at the time when persons of a different culture or ethnic origin arrived from other parts of the world, overcame them, and by conquest, settlements or other means, reduced them to a non-dominant or colonial situation; who today live more in conformity with their particular social, economic and cultural customs and traditions rather than with the institutions of the country of which they now form a part, under a state structure which incorporates mainly the national, social and cultural characteristics of other segments of the population which are predominant” ( Karena Shaw 2002: ”Indigeneity and the International”, Journal of International Studies Vol.31 No 1,pp.55-81)

5. 4 Methodological Reflections ” reversals in learning” ” reversals in learning” ”have you come to ask me, normally they come and tell us what to do” (Sohtou, Ban Houaytoumay, Lao PDR) (Sohtou, Ban Houaytoumay, Lao PDR) “ whose side are we on” “ whose side are we on” - authenticity in the relationship - authenticity in the relationship - trustworthiness - trustworthiness - the dichotomy of knowledge - the dichotomy of knowledge - power equalisation - power equalisation - ethics - ethics - political process - political process

6. 5 Conceptual Reflections: The Dichotomy between Western Paradigms and Indigenous Epistemology 1. Cultural ethnocentrism: Modern traditional (”stereotypification” of non-Western cultures) (linguistic and conceptual ignorance of non-Western cultures) (reification of researched groups) 2. Epistemological ethnocentrism: Education equates schooling (de-legitimisation of non-Western learning) (hierarchy of knowledge /horizontal vs. vertical ordering of different but equally valid systems)

7. 6 Theoretical Reflections (1) ” Theory is always for some one, and for some purpose” (Robert Cox) Marginalised populations groups “ Human Rights Heterogeneity in so-called developing countries Rationale Theories” _________________________ Marginalised populations groups “ Human Rights Heterogeneity in so-called developing countries Rationale Theories” _________________________ 1. Why do established theories fail to explain the situation of indigenous peoples? 2. How do ideas from grounded theory offer help in re-visiting the concept of theory?

8. 7 Theoretical reflections (2) Ad 1) conceptual and cultural arrogance conceptual and cultural arrogance atomisation of modes of explanation atomisation of modes of explanation Ad 2) the raison d’être of theories is about making sense of the world the raison d’être of theories is about making sense of the world collected data constitute the pivotal point in any study collected data constitute the pivotal point in any study (not how but who should build the theory) (not how but who should build the theory)

9. 8 How to avoid a methodological, conceptual and theoretical void ? de-colonisation of development theories de-colonisation of development theories dissolution between theory and methodology dissolution between theory and methodology validation of indigenous discourses (endogenous..) validation of indigenous discourses (endogenous..) accept of cultural heterogeneity as a counterhegemonic reality accept of cultural heterogeneity as a counterhegemonic reality ”…pour qu’ils aient du contact avec la civilisation” (General Director of Primary Education, Lao PDR) “…il ne faut pas les laisser dans des musées” (Vice-minister of Education, Lao PDR)