Problemen bij het veldwerk

Samenvatting

In 1968-69 fieldwork was conducted in a small village near Paramaribo, Surinam (a part of the Netherlands with local autonomy). The inhabitants of the village consisted mainly of members of two Indian tribes. One of the most difficult and persistent problems encountered was the result of the mutual distrust and racial stereotypes between the Indians and the Creoles. Relations between the two tribes were not ideal, although the members got along better in practice than they said that they did in interviews. This type of discrepancy presents a problem and confirms the need for actual observation in fieldwork. Also, sometimes information was withheld by the Indians out of fear of being ridiculed, since they were often aware of the preconceptions held by the creoles and others. These negative factors were overcome by patience and a great deal of effort. Helping the villagers in financial or other needs made them willing informants. Contact with Europeans who visited the village or the presence of European colleagues also helped elicit information. Despite the physical and mental effort involved, participant observation is the best way to study small communities. P. Tiersma.