A query...

[Mark P. Line]

Claire Bowern wrote:
> Mark wrote:
>>
>> I wrote the two sentences quoted above hoping that I could make you
>> split
>> apart the issues of the speech community from the issues of the
>> linguist.
>>
>> I failed. :)
>>
>
> I know :), but that's because many field linguists can't split them when
> it comes to the dissemination of data, no matter how much they would
> like to. The speech community are stakeholders in research too.

Perhaps that is the source of our misunderstanding.

What kind of ethical argument could possibly make out the speech community
as anything but the *primary* stakeholder, whose needs and wishes must be
allowed to trump all others? (Alternative: "Shut up and hold still. This
is not going to hurt much. We're professionals, you know. It'll be over
soon and then we'll be gone.")

It seems to me that the ethical dilemma arises when one feels driven to do
salvage linguistics even if it goes against the speech community's wishes
(they'll thank you later, you know). There's an ethical difference between
"Please come and record our language!" and "Move aside there, we're coming
in to record your language!".


-- Mark

Mark P. Line
Polymathix
San Antonio, TX