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The Perks of Being Unconventional

My Research Rāmāyana by Michael John Tilley

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A critical exploration of the Hindu relationship to inter-religious dialogue and conflict resolution in the context of contemporary

Sri Lanka

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Insider vs. Outsider

• Is it better to be towards the heart, or on the periphery of one’s target population?

• Notoriously unsettled discourse

• Current trend attempting to reconcile both extremities

• Yet general suggestion is that to be solely an outsider is tantamount to a struggle, at least pragmatically speaking

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Sri Lankan Hindus and Me

Target Population:• Hindu

• Ethnically Tamil

• Sri Lankan nationals

• Primarily Tamil-speaking, with English as lingua franca

Me:• Non-Hindu

• Irish-Welsh-English-German-French

• British national

• English speaker, extremely limited knowledge of Tamil

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The Woes of the Outsider

• Axiomatic absence of trust

• Prospective language disparity

• Potential conflict of values and histories

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Gaining Access and Building Trust

• ‘Gatekeeper’ figure

• Relied upon internet access

• Inter-religious movements and a national Hindu organization

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Mike’s Field Research Emergency Survival Guide

• Remember the wisdom of Robbie Burns – the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry!

• Remember the wisdom of Charles Darwin – ADAPT OR DIE!

• Consider going rogue...

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The Schwarzenegger Approach

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The Schwarzenegger Approach

• Visit community hubs of target population

• In this case, primarily temples, though also commercial and residential neighbourhoods

• Turn up and basically see what happens!

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Vegetarianism Saved My Life!

• Access to certain temples prohibited if meat had been consumed within the past 24 hours

• Such is linked to Hindu purity laws, as meat is traditionally regarded as a polluting substance

• Confronted with target population’s (mis)characterization of the researcher

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Blessed by Body Modification (1)

• Tattoos are highly uncommon in Sri Lanka

• As such they attract a significant portion of attention

• When arriving at Hindu community hubs, many individuals would approach to ask about them

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Blessed by Body Modification (2)

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Impugning Preconceptions

• Sri Lankan appeared in a multitude of ways a ‘conservative’ society

• Home context – tattoos and conservatism are typically contradistinct polarities

• Assumption therefore was that my appearance would alienate me further

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Actual Experience

• Tattoos and body piercing exhibited an unanticipated field research utility

• Bypassed the ‘necessity’ of a Gatekeeper figure

• Somewhat of a linguistic filter

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Thaipusam and the vel kavadi

• Tamil Hindu festival in praise of the deity Murugan

• Corporeal mortification though to induce Murugan’s blessing

• Involves devotees piercing their flesh with numerous ‘vels’, or ‘spears’

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Conclusion

• The recommended approach to accessing target research populations cannot always be counted upon

• In such cases it is possible to risk improvisation, although this is fraught with dangers

• Sometimes looking weird can be to your benefit, but serendipity remains a capricious mistress

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Thank you for your attention