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The Perks of Being Unconventional

The Perks of Being Unconventional. My Research Rāmāyana by Michael John Tilley. A critical exploration of the Hindu relationship to inter-religious dialogue and conflict resolution in the context of contemporary Sri Lanka. Insider vs. Outsider.

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The Perks of Being Unconventional

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  1. The Perks of Being Unconventional My Research Rāmāyana by Michael John Tilley

  2. A critical exploration of the Hindu relationship to inter-religious dialogue and conflict resolution in the context of contemporary Sri Lanka

  3. Insider vs. Outsider • Is it better to be towards the heart, or on the periphery of one’s target population? • Notoriously unsettled discourse • Current trend attempting to reconcile both extremities • Yet general suggestion is that to be solely an outsider is tantamount to a struggle, at least pragmatically speaking

  4. Sri Lankan Hindus and Me Target Population: Me: Non-Hindu Irish-Welsh-English-German-French British national English speaker, extremely limited knowledge of Tamil • Hindu • Ethnically Tamil • Sri Lankan nationals • Primarily Tamil-speaking, with English as lingua franca

  5. The Woes of the Outsider • Axiomatic absence of trust • Prospective language disparity • Potential conflict of values and histories

  6. Gaining Access and Building Trust • ‘Gatekeeper’ figure • Relied upon internet access • Inter-religious movements and a nationalHindu organization

  7. Mike’s Field Research Emergency Survival Guide • Remember the wisdom of Robbie Burns – the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry! • Remember the wisdom of Charles Darwin – ADAPT OR DIE! • Consider going rogue...

  8. The Schwarzenegger Approach

  9. The Schwarzenegger Approach • Visit community hubs of target population • In this case, primarily temples, though also commercial and residential neighbourhoods • Turn up and basically see what happens!

  10. Vegetarianism Saved My Life! • Access to certain temples prohibited if meat had been consumed within the past 24 hours • Such is linked to Hindu purity laws, as meat is traditionally regarded as a polluting substance • Confronted with target population’s (mis)characterization of the researcher

  11. Blessed by Body Modification (1) • Tattoos are highly uncommon in Sri Lanka • As such they attract a significant portion of attention • When arriving at Hindu community hubs, many individuals would approach to ask about them

  12. Blessed by Body Modification (2)

  13. Impugning Preconceptions • Sri Lankan appeared in a multitude of ways a ‘conservative’ society • Home context – tattoos and conservatism are typically contradistinct polarities • Assumption therefore was that my appearance would alienate me further

  14. Actual Experience • Tattoos and body piercing exhibited an unanticipated field research utility • Bypassed the ‘necessity’ of a Gatekeeper figure • Somewhat of a linguistic filter

  15. Thaipusam and the velkavadi • Tamil Hindu festival in praise of the deity Murugan • Corporeal mortification though to induce Murugan’s blessing • Involves devotees piercing their flesh with numerous ‘vels’, or ‘spears’

  16. Conclusion • The recommended approach to accessing target research populations cannot always be counted upon • In such cases it is possible to risk improvisation, although this is fraught with dangers • Sometimes looking weird can be to your benefit, but serendipity remains a capricious mistress

  17. Thank you for your attention 

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