Use of traditional and culturally appropriate modalities

Abstract

Researchers are specialists, but they must communicate their research to non-specialists to make their work meaningful. This tension exists from the inception to completion of a project, from finding support for an investigation, to obtaining informed consent, to reporting research findings. Monumental as it may be, this particular challenge of communication is often overlooked by researchers. Further complicating the situation is the influence of culture. As renowned anthropologist Edward Hall (1959) put it, culture hides more than it reveals, and it hides the most from its own members. More simply, culture is a force we take for granted, particularly because it describes our assumptions of what “normal” is and how it works. This holds true for the specialist and the layperson, alike.