Revolutionaire informanten en 'revolutionaire' antropologie: een wankel evenwicht

Samenvatting

Discussed is the data-gathering process in the investigation of the Chad revolutionary movement Frolinat (Buijtenhuis, R., Le Frolinat et les revoltes populaires du Tchad: 1965-1976 [Frolinat and Popular Revolts in Chad: 1965-1976], The Hague: Mouton, 1978). During the armed conflict in Chad, the risks involved in direct observation were too great. Informants were sought on the revolutionary & the governmental sides, but neutrality could not be maintained. Favoring the revolutionary side made it difficult to approach official Chad & French sources. Gaining the confidence of revolutionary informants is a long & difficult process; at the same time, informants' reliability must be tested. A difficult choice must be made between publishing or hiding a revolutionary movement's shortcomings, thereby affecting the counterrevolution. If an anthropologist is too deeply involved in a revolutionary movement, his work is little better than propaganda. An attitude of partial involvement is recommended. A. Orianne.