Desert participants guide the research in Central Australia
Date
2021
Authors
Armitage, J.
Editors
Heugh, K.
Stroud, C.
Costa, K.
Stroud, C.
Costa, K.
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Book chapter
Citation
Source details - Title: A Sociolinguistics of the South, 2021 / Heugh, K., Stroud, C., Costa, K. (ed./s), Ch.12, pp.214-232
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Abstract
This chapter comes from a research journey of observations, consultations, and guided conversations with Pitjantjatjara-speaking research participants that the researcher lived and worked alongside for some years prior to her study in a remote area of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands of South Australia. With an initial intention of enquiring into ‘oral’ and ‘literate’ use of language, surprising forms of local literacy become visible and indicated ‘abyssal lines’ (de Santos, 2018) created by northern historical views of the nature of written language and human consciousness, maintained by northern definitions of ‘text’. A significant example of ‘story’ is analyzed to expand views of narrative and story in research. This chapter contributes insights of interest to researchers who are grappling with southern theories in research against the background of northern academic constraints and compliances (Kral, 2015; Martin-Jones & Martin, 2017). The researcher’s reflexive understanding of the importance of learning how to listen to participants’ responses, regardless of how well they seem to fit the questions, while exploring how connections between speaker and listener are articulated and circulated in the process of telling, hearing, and sharing, emerges from this analysis.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Access Status
Rights
Copyright 2021 Routledge