Anonymous portraits: ethics and methodology in a post-genocide context (Guatemala)
Morand, Coralie
Anonymous portraits: ethics and methodology in a post-genocide context (Guatemala) - 2024.
52
This article is the result of a year-long ethnographic investigation in the Mayan ixil region of Guatemala, an area marked by a state-planned genocide some forty years ago. The author proposes to explore the ethnographic use of portraits by questioning anonymity. Drawing from the life-story of a political and activist leader, she highlights the methodological and ethical issues involved in sharing data collected within the specific context of post-genocide circumstances. Who should remain anonymous? What data can be shared publicly? How to protect the identities of highly identifiable profiles? With the rise of the internet and open-access research, these concerns have become central for social anthropologists, even in less politically charged research environments than those found in post-conflict settings.
Anonymous portraits: ethics and methodology in a post-genocide context (Guatemala) - 2024.
52
This article is the result of a year-long ethnographic investigation in the Mayan ixil region of Guatemala, an area marked by a state-planned genocide some forty years ago. The author proposes to explore the ethnographic use of portraits by questioning anonymity. Drawing from the life-story of a political and activist leader, she highlights the methodological and ethical issues involved in sharing data collected within the specific context of post-genocide circumstances. Who should remain anonymous? What data can be shared publicly? How to protect the identities of highly identifiable profiles? With the rise of the internet and open-access research, these concerns have become central for social anthropologists, even in less politically charged research environments than those found in post-conflict settings.
Réseaux sociaux