Cross-Cultural Social Research with Indigenous Knowledge (IK): Some Dilemmas and Lessons

Journal of Social Research & Policy, Volume: 2, Issue: 1, Pages: 67-82.

Date: July 2011

ISSN: 2067-2640 (print), 2068-9861 (electronic)

Abstract: This paper looks at many contemporary issues in cross-cultural social research with indigenous knowledge (IK). The paper draws some practical examples and experiences based on two PhD research works done in two countries in the South – Zambia (Banda, 2008) and Bangladesh (Islam, 2009). The paper argues that this is the Eurocentric assumption which holds that no body of knowledge can be owned by a tribe or group of people and that alternative knowledge to universal knowledge is ignorance. Finally, this paper highlights the need for more research in IK by researcher from both the North and the South, but taking into account the peculiarities and complexities conducting research in IK.