DISCOVERING, HONORING AND DOCUMENTING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Victoria N. ApuanMiriam College
Recent Developments in the Social Sciences-Philippine StudiesConscious effort to “decenter”
the sources of knowledge (e.g. away from “imperial Manila”)
Focus on the less dominant discourse, the muted and marginalized
Methods of Anthropology, ethnographic studies,
Perspective and methods of Sikolohiyang Pilipino
Celebrating what one discovers/recovers
Phases of cultural domination by the West
a. Denial and withdrawal of what was considered “local”, “native” (e.g. deities) b. Destruction and desecration (e.g. burning manuscripts, desecrating burial grounds) c. Denigration and marginalization (e.g. cultural forms, indigenous healing practices) d. Redefinition and token utilization (e.g. surface appreciation and utilization of indigenous cultural rituals, traits) e. Commercialization and commodification (e.g. rituals performed for tourism’s sake, commercializing the genetic diversity of indigenous plants, appropriating herbal knowledge)
What is local knowledge?
Local
Knowledge
Totality of perceptions,
beliefs, understandings
& skills
Gender-based
Age-graded
Varied Lens
Use valueSocial
Embedded in practices,
institutions & relationships
What is Local
Knowledge?
Popular?Local?
Native?Indigenous?
Local
Knowledge
outside
emic etic
local contex
t
global univer
se
external
internal
inside
objectivist
phenomenologi
cal
experience-near
experience-
distant
Local Knowledge: a question of purity
outside
emic etic
Local context
Global universe
externalinternal
inside
objectivist
Phenome-
nological
Experience-near
Experience-
distant
My experience with the Aytas of Pampanga
• A wealth of knowledge exists in their communities …
• Ethnographic research requires that one comes in with very little preconceived notions …
• Sikolohiyang Pilipino prefers that they speak for themselves …
What could we find out?
(participatory listing)
Myriad facets of the cultureDeities, Beliefs and RitualsDances Diet and foodMarriage practicesJustice system, local political
structuresGender relationsIllness and healingDisasters (e.g. eruption of
Pinatubo)Evolution of the above (then and
now)
More importantly: how do we undertake the process of discovery/recovery?(participatory listing)
Methods of ResearchBasic respect Ethnographic tools (observation,
partici-pant observation, interviews, etc.)
SP – patanong-tanong, pakikipamuhay, pakikipagpalagayang loob, pakikipagkapwa
Sensitivity to language and verbal/non-verbal expressions, procedures
Informed consentVerification, validation
techniquesAs much as possible, keep
process “fun”, “light”, even if subject is serious (space for humor and laughter)
Key informants – oldest residents
The local healersClick to edit Master text styles
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Females, mothers, grandmothers
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Farmers
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Males, fathers, formal leaders
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Political structuresClick to edit Master text
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The focus group discussionClick to edit Master text styles
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Research partners – help gather, verify & process data with you
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Fifth level
Implications for the academeLocal knowledge enriches
academic/ professional knowledge
Students shall be given a more holistic view of society
Local wisdom shall be promoted
Integrating local knowledge in the curriculumSubjects that lend themselves
most to the integration of local knowledge: History/herstory – “My Hometown” project
Sociology – process documentation of beliefs, rituals, practices, food, crafts, material culture, behavior of selected groups, emerging trends, subcultures, best practices in community development
Philosophy – profile of philosophers, process documentation of the basis of certain move-mentsLiterature – oral culture
Science – process documentation of production of products
Students as co-researchers“Start where they are, build on
what they have”Tapping their interestsImproving their research designs,
research methods (especially ethical guidelines re: relationships with key informants), providing advice on technicalities
Providing a system of recognition for outstanding outputs
Facilitating mechanismsCommittee at school level can
facilitate research and documentation
Funding support from AUDRNIT structures should be in place
Thank you!
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