Upon completion of class you should be able to…
1. Describe what research means.
2. Distinguish what is research and what is not.
3. Indicate whether or indigenous knowledge is research
Concepts and Definitions
1. Indigenous Knowledge
http://www.youtube.com/hesepsu#p/c/0/LT2LFN-tYy4
http://www.unep.org/ik/
http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/basic.htm
2. Research
http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/modules/module2/2_1.htm
http://research.uci.edu/ora/hrpp/definition.htm
Pre-Class Activities
Required Materials
1. Read The Belmont Report Summary from the University of Maine
2. Read Health Research in Suriname (Peplo, Augistine, Wijngaarde)
3. Watch TED Talk: Anil Gupta – India’s Hidden Hotbeds of Invention
Case Study
In a certain region of East Africa, ~35% of the children have stunted growth due to poor nutrition. Traditionally, maize and bananas are the items most commonly made into a gruel and fed to infants beginning at 2 months of age. The gruel is integrated into a child’s diet to complement breast feeding until they are 24 months of age. Mothers in the area firmly believe that the gruel is highly beneficial for their children, but scientific research has shown that it lacks some key nutrients.
HIV/AIDS is very prevalent in this region. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breast feeding until an infant is 6 months of age, but the longer a child nurses when the mother is HIV+, the greater the chance that the virus will be transmitted to the child.
You have received a grant to establish a women’s cooperative in this region. The donor’s intent is to simultaneously improve the nutritional status of children and improve the livelihoods of rural households. The grant for the women’s cooperative has sufficient funds for the women’s group to process and market a nutritious, shelf-stable porridge made from a large mix of locally grown produce. The nutritious porridge is intended to wean children off of breast milk at 6 months of age.
Approximately 500 women from three contiguous sub-locations have indicated their interest in joining the cooperative, in hopes of improving their livelihoods. However, they are skeptical of the porridge and it’s use as an early weaning food. Cash crops as well as subsistence crops are grown in the area, including maize, sorghum, cassava, several varieties of legumes (dried beans), French beans, coffee, pineapple, bananas, pumpkins, tomatoes, carrots, kale, white (Irish) potatoes, sweet potatoes. Pesticides are typically used in growing some of these crops and can result in adverse health implications for infants.
How would you address the ethical health issues associated with prolonged breastfeeding in an area where there is a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and few women are tested for the virus, very early introduction of supplemental foods to the diets of infants and the possibility of pesticide residues in foods developed for infants and young children. What are your next specific steps to develop this cooperative?
Points to Ponder
- Is indigenous knowledge valid? Is indigenous knowledge scientific?
- When using indigenous knowledge, how do you properly give credit to the knowledge-holders? What can you give them in return?
Bring to Class
- Three (3) take-aways from each of the required materials.
- Fill out the Ethics Methodology for the above case study