TY - JOUR
T1 - Coming to terms with inequality and exploitation in an African state
T2 - researching disability in Sierra Leone
AU - Berghs, Maria
PY - 2010/12
Y1 - 2010/12
N2 - In this article, I describe how during my anthropological research in post-conflict Sierra Leone with a disabled community, I was confronted by experiences of inequality and exploitation. Many disabled people had previous disabling contact with other researchers, organisations and journalists. Others described difficulties surviving the disabling socio-economic conditions and were not viewed as 'development' partners, despite the fact that their images and stories had played a big role in the rebuilding and 'healing' of the Sierra Leonean nation state. I ask whether we as researchers and an international community are still not colluding with structures and institutions that exploit disabled people in post-conflict and post-disaster countries.
AB - In this article, I describe how during my anthropological research in post-conflict Sierra Leone with a disabled community, I was confronted by experiences of inequality and exploitation. Many disabled people had previous disabling contact with other researchers, organisations and journalists. Others described difficulties surviving the disabling socio-economic conditions and were not viewed as 'development' partners, despite the fact that their images and stories had played a big role in the rebuilding and 'healing' of the Sierra Leonean nation state. I ask whether we as researchers and an international community are still not colluding with structures and institutions that exploit disabled people in post-conflict and post-disaster countries.
KW - disability
KW - post-conflict
KW - economic exploitation
KW - research ethics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78649381231&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09687599.2010.520903
DO - 10.1080/09687599.2010.520903
M3 - Editorial
SN - 0968-7599
VL - 25
SP - 861
EP - 865
JO - Disability & Society
JF - Disability & Society
IS - 7
ER -