Fieldwork in a conflicted society: A contemporary researcher's ethical dilemma

Abstract

Ethnographers in Kenya have, in the past, grappled with methodological concerns in fieldwork. This is evidenced in the rich literature on methods of data collection, data analysis and dissemination. The discourses have been based on the assumptions that fieldworkers in oral literature are guided by a code of ethics in their fieldwork. This article argues that a number of folklore researchers operate in an ethical void and are unprepared in mitigating various ethical dilemmas that they encounter before, during and after fieldwork. Relying heavily on the personal experiences of the writer, this article discusses dilemmas a fieldworker faces when conducting research in a violence-prone environment, and the ethical considerations thereof.     

Paan and Gutka Use in the United States

Abstract

Smokeless tobacco and areca nut are popular with South Asians and South Asian immigrants, most commonly used as paan and gutka. Their regular use leads to oral cancer. The South Asian community in the U.S. is rapidly growing, where paan and gutka are readily available. The study was the first exploration of the migration of the paan and gutka habits, and their use in the U.S.

A 108-item questionnaire on paan and gutka usage and beliefs was administered to 138 first-generation Bangladeshi and Indian-Gujarati immigrant adults at community sites in the New York metropolitan area. Forty-five percent Indian-Gujaratis reported ever-regular paan use; of which 5% are current users. Thirty-one percent reported ever-regular gutka use; of which 77% are current users. Thirty-five percent Bangladeshis reported ever-regular paan use; of which 70% are current users. Nine percent reported ever-regular gutka use; of which 67% are current users. Bangladeshis are more likely to identify paan as causing oral cancer. Indian-Gujaratis are more likely to identify gutka as causing oral cancer.

Between the two communities, there were significant differences in paan and gutka usage, migration effects, and oral cancer risk perception. There is a need for comprehensive migration studies on the determinants of usage, and for community-specific interventions for these carcinogenic products.     

Diplomacy,terrorism, and national narratives in the United States–Iran relationship

The United States and Iran have failed repeatedly in the last thirty years to normalise diplomatic relations. Each attempt to open a dialogue has been set back by acts of terrorism or perceptions thereof, and the small openings for diplomacy were quickly shut. The difficulties of normal diplomacy should be understood in light of the national narratives that guide each country's international behaviour, narratives that include strong admonitions on terrorism and sow distrust. One method to overcome the obstacles thrown up by these national narratives is to explore their dynamics and attempt to write a new, common narrative.     

以就业为导向的高职英语口语的测试方法探索

语言测试在学界的不断论证之下,经过多个阶段的发展已经形成几类测试方法。通过进行语言测试发展不同阶段的比较以及交际性语言测试特点的分析,发现交际性语言测试是以就业为导向的高职英语口语教学要求相适应的有效的测试方法,并提出有效可行的测试方式和评分方法。     

Unlocking the potential of forensic traces: Analytical approaches to generate investigative leads

Forensic investigation involves gathering the information necessary to understand the criminal events as well as linking objects or individuals to an item, location or other individual(s) for investigative purposes. For years techniques such as presumptive chemical tests, DNA profiling or fingermark analysis have been of great value to this process. However, these techniques have their limitations, whether it is a lack of confidence in the results obtained due to cross-reactivity, subjectivity and low sensitivity; or because they are dependent on holding reference samples in a pre-existing database. There is currently a need to devise new ways to gather as much information as possible from a single trace, particularly from biological traces commonly encountered in forensic casework. This review outlines the most recent advancements in the forensic analysis of biological fluids, fingermarks and hair. Special emphasis is placed on analytical methods that can expand the information obtained from the trace beyond what is achieved in the usual practices. Special attention is paid to those methods that accurately determine the nature of the sample, as well as how long it has been at the crime scene, along with individualising information regarding the donor source of the trace.     

性别性受苦——中国贵州苗族中年妇女关于家庭暴力的口述见证

这篇文章根据我们在贵州苗族地区所收集的口述故事书写而成.从1999到2004年,我们采用口述见证方法（oral testimony）作为我们社区发展的一种策略,尝试从苗族妇女的生命故事中,理解她们面对的困难与需要,从而让我们更能够与她们一起推动社区发展的项目和计划.我们推动口述故事项目背后,还有女性主义的关怀,希望这些偏远山区的边缘妇女能够通过口述故事发声,让我们能够聆听她们被隐没的需要,理解在家庭和社区中各种形塑她们生命历程的社会力量.在这研究中,我们特别发现中年妇女生命中面对的苦难大多与家庭相关,她们不断述说家庭的负担、家庭冲突、家庭暴力、丈夫酗酒等的问题.阅读她们的生命故事,我们得出的结论是,家庭暴力是她们主要面对的苦难之一,而这苦难是当地妇女的集体经验,是性别性和制度性的.在这文章中,我们特别希望指出,当地家庭暴力产生的根源并非是单一性的,而是父权制度、农村贫困、传统文化习惯等交织在一起,形塑了她们生命的遭遇和苦难.     

Assessment of body fluid identification and DNA profiling after exposure to tropical weather conditions

Despite current advances in body fluid identification, there are few studies evaluating the effect of environmental conditions. The present work assessed the detection of body fluids, blood, semen, and saliva, through lateral flow immunochromatographic (LFI) tests, exposed to tropical weather conditions over time, also evaluating the possibility of obtaining STR (short tandem repeat) profiles and identifying mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms. Blood, semen, saliva samples, and mixtures of these fluids were deposited on polyester clothes and exposed to open-air tropical weather conditions for 1 month. The test versions from LFI (SERATEC®, Germany) Lab and crime scene (CS) used for the detection – one per each body fluid type – demonstrated that it is possible to identify body fluids and their mixtures up to 14 days after deposition. At 30 days, blood and semen were detected but not saliva. Full STR profiles were obtained from 14-day-old blood samples, and partial profiles were obtained from the remaining samples. It was possible to sequence mtDNA in the samples previously analyzed for STR profiling, and haplogroups could be assigned. In conclusion, this study demonstrated for the first time the possibility of body fluid identification and DNA profiling after exposure to tropical weather conditions for 1 month and also demonstrated the value of mtDNA analysis for compromised biological evidence.     

Fatal Oral Methylphenidate Intoxication with Postmortem Concentrations

Methylphenidate (MPD) is a widely prescribed stimulant used primarily for the treatment for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Suicide attempts involving MPD ingestion have been well described; however, deaths attributed solely to MPD ingestion have not been reported. A 62‐year‐old woman was found dead on her floor. The only discrepancy in among her medication quantities was that >three hundred 10 mg MPD tablets were missing. Analysis utilizing gas chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed elevated postmortem MPD peripheral and central blood, liver and vitreous humor concentrations. Considering both the central blood to peripheral blood ratio (0.89) and the liver to peripheral blood ratio (3.3), MPD does not appear subject to significant postmortem redistribution. With no other identifiable cause of death, we report what appears to be the first isolated MPD ingestion associated with a fatality.     

《中国民间故事类型研究》的方法论探索

方法论的突破对学术境界的提升具有重要意义。《中国民间故事类型研究》吸取和改进芬兰学派以历史地理方法深入考察民间故事,对母题、类型解析的集中尝试、故事生活史的追寻及口头文学表演理论在故事学领域的实践等方面,交叉运用多种方法,开拓了故事学方法论上的学术新路。