Ethical Challenges in Ethnology and Anthropology: The Case of Slovakia (Late 20th and 21st Centuries)
- Zachar Podolinská, T. (2024). Ethical Challenges in Ethnology and Anthropology: The Case of Slovakia (Late 20th and 21st Centuries). Bratislava : Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. ISBN 978-80-974434-7-4.
The publication is the first compendium on research ethics in the social sciences and humanities in Slovakia. The author provides a comprehensive insight into the reflection on ethical approaches and the formation of ethical standards in Anglophone and European ethnology and social anthropology—from the development of the first ethical standards and general codes to the reflection on the need for context-specific codes and the ongoing negotiation of ethically sensitive solutions in a dialogic manner throughout the lifespan of data, affected individuals, communities, institutions, and researchers themselves.
In addition to examples of good practices and current trends in so-called post-GDPR ethnology and anthropology, as well as critical reflections on the trends of formalizing ethical designs in the social sciences, the issues of “audit culture” (“the power of approval committees”), data commodification, and the challenges surrounding the FAIR data approach, the publication also addresses the most well-known cases of ethical breaches and violations of scientific integrity.
Special attention is given to sensitive and high-profile cases within Romani studies in the 20th and 21st centuries in Slovakia.
The aim of the publication is to introduce Slovak readers to the vital and complex discussion on the ethics of research design in the social sciences, including a brief historical context on the reflection of ethics and research integrity in ethnology and social anthropology in the 20th and 21st centuries, with a specific focus on Slovakia.
Keywords:
research ethics, ethnology, anthropology, ethical codes, Romani studies
