A Study of Mother-Infant Interaction in Zambia: Personal Dilemmas

Based on two years of research experience in Zambia, the author examines ethical and political implications of research inforeign countries. The economic and political reality is that richer, Western countries have the resources to do the research while the poorer countries have the information. Cooperative efforts could alleviate this situation, but often are doomed to be "helping" on the one side and "giving" on the other--at best, a benevolent academic imperialism. Furthermore, once research is accumulated, the findings are not readily available to the host country. Western ideology structures the research questions and interpretations of the answers and, therefore, affects the kind of respect afforded to the participants in the research. Most researchers feel that the information gathered by the research will uplift the people or contribute to their progress. However, any attempt to mold a foreign culture on the basis of Western ideology and values is subject to serious moral question. In many cases, the greatest harm may be done by those who think they are doing good. As long as social sciences are dominated by Westerners, only what Western ideologies can unveil will be discovered. (Author/DE)