Introduction
Mary Thompson was a fieldworker in a Southeast Asian community and had a very challenging post after witnessing a murder. This essay will consider the anthropological perspectives and the ethical concerns that Thompson must observe in response to the above murder. Being an anthropologist, Mary Thompson has to navigate the murky moral waters of witnessing a murder within a Southeast Asian community: upholding the principle of cultural relativism yet still holding the information in her field notes to be accurate and valuable; dealing with the police in a way respectful to local culture and legal requirements.
Thompson’s Path Forward and Behavior with the Police:
Thompson has to ensure that her next step will be based on a balanced approach through which the community’s cultural context is respected and that her ethical responsibilities as a researcher are complied with. She should instead see this case from the perspective of cultural relativism while trying to understand all the actions within the community’s cultural background. At the moment of conversation with the police, Thompson should not run after a rape scene, whether it’s already discovered and tear the first two walls of her notebook. This would undermine her investigations, impeding justice delivery in the neighbourhood. Despite the challenging conditions, an anthropologist like Thompson must be bound by a commitment to ethical research practices to ensure that her field notes remain reliable and complete throughout the research process. When interrogated by the police, Thompson shouldn’t engage in pleading his ignorance regarding the murder. As an eyewitness to this issue, withholding details or giving false information is unethical and can significantly impact the investigation and the whole community. Thompson may employ open dialogue and integrity while carrying out the task of a neutral researcher and the ethical requirements, i.e., objectivity and impartiality.
Anthropological Perspectives of Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism:
The principles of cultural relativity, respect for native norms and values, and an obligation to maintain informed consent and confidentiality belong to anthropological traditions of thoughts and ethics that should guide Thompson’s decision-making. According to the context of her cultural experiences, Thompson should behave gently without violating the customs of the laid community so as not to harm the people, including the ones who were adversely affected by this specific case. Ethnocentrism, the likely tendency to judge other cultures by one’s cultural norms, must be avoided in this study case. Different individuals may have their standpoints on the incident. Still, an anthropologist is supposed to dispense cultural relativism, which means considering the community’s behavioural perspective concerning its cultural context. My knowledge of the incident might be derived from my cultural background. However, the role of the anthropologist in such a case is to retain the fact that the event should be interpreted against the culture of the people rather than by outsiders’ judgment.
Ethics Code at the AAA Website and Thompson’s Response
In line with the American Anthropological Association’s (AAA) ethics code, Thompson must follow specific rules concerning her field notes and relations with police officers. AAA’s ethics code involves maintaining the privacy and integrity of the research data, as shown in “Ethics of `Do No Harm”(Ethics Forum 2). In this context, Thompson needs to prevent any changes or losses in the records connected with the incident she witnessed, for these notes are basic to her understanding of the community demographic and may have useful insights. Additionally, the ethics code states that in research, honesty and transparency are supposed to be approached with certain priority, which coincides with the principle “Be Open and Honest Regarding Your Work” (Ethics Forum 2). In the situation under investigation, Thompson has affirmed his duty to be loyal to these principles, insisting on the truth and consistency of all the issues alleged. It is paramount for Thompson to weigh the probable ramifications of her remarks on the community members who were part of the act and adherence to her standards of reliability, which are encompassed by the AAA ethical guidelines.
Conclusion
To conclude, this study reveals the essence of cultural relativism and ethically-oriented research in anthropology. Anthropologists are social workers who owe respect to the cultures they study, have ethical standards, and, first of all, ensure the subjects’ well-being. Through the challenging role of leading the ethics of anthropological research with cultural sensitivity, Mary Thompson can stay true to the principles of anthropological ethics and, therefore, give a more profound understanding of the community she researches.
Work Cited
Ethics Forum. “Full Text of the 2012 Ethics Statement.” Ethics Forum, 2012, https://ethics.americananthro.org/category/statement/.
write