"Handle with care"

Reziproker Wissenstransfer in Ozeanien und die Verantwortung des Ethnologen im 21. Jahrhundert

Abstract

For many decades, there existed in anthropology a one-way transfer of knowledge between oral and literate cultures. In the outgoing twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, this one-way transfer of knowledge has developed into a reciprocal exchange in various forms and at different levels. Accordingly, the role of anthropologists has changed, and we are confronted today with new responsibilities vis-a-vis the people we study. Within the context of globalisation, a return of knowledge as a contribution to the (re-)construction or preservation of cultural identities is often requested from the anthropologist by local communities. As a mediator of indigenous knowledge, he or she actively supports the reawakened interest in cultural traditions and practices that Pacific peoples appreciate as an expression of their distinct cultures. Other new responsibilities and challenges encompass the role of anthropologists as local historians and as teachers (in Oceanic educational institutions), as well as in consultancy or judicial work concerning copyright and land issues. The process of returning knowledge has to be handled with care, and the chances and risks inherent in it have to be carefully weighed up.