Ethics of fieldwork and language documentation from a community perspective

Hilaria Cruz

This course is about ethics of language documentation and field work from a community perspective. The course will combine theory and practice highlighting past and present ethical standards and methodologies followed and currently being followed by language documentarians, activists, and researchers. Special emphasis will be placed on ethical considerations emerging from collaborations between researchers, activist, and communities. Discussions will also feature issues of prior, free and informed consent, payment to consultants, and working with populations with special needs such as signers, minors, and protected populations including prisoners, and people with disabilities. The course will also include ethical concerns of navigating the socio-political and religious landscape of communities as well as material ownership, publication of work, dissemination, and making results more accessible to communities.