Non - Western Approaches in information Science Research

Proceedings of the 24 Hour Global Conference of ASIS&T

by Dr. Pethigamage Perera

https://www.asist.org/meetings-events/24-hour-global-conference/asia-pacific/

Non - Western Approaches in information Science Research

The research is based on a Temple called Mahamevnawa Asapuwa. It is located on the outskirts of Sydney. It  servs the Sri Lankan Buddhist diasporic community. The temple is a part of a global organisation, with its headquarters in Sri Lanka. It has more than 30 branches around the world.

The main research questions 

1. What are the information practices of the globalised Mahamevnawa Asapuwa Temple?
2. What are the outcomes of these practices?
3. How do Monks and Devotees understand the notion of the temple site?

Methodology - Ethnography

Information practices are not only embedded, materialistic, worldly, and secular, but are also focused on the immaterial, non secular and spiritual.

Insider and Outsider Roles

     Insider

• The researcher has experienced the society under investigation.
• Researcher had into its insights into people’s lives and their activities.
• Language issues to understand what really means is easy.

   Outsider

• Bring researchers insider knowledge and experiences to influence his outsider status.
• Observe the temple as an outsider, could focus analytically on the data

Findings

The Sri Lankan Theravadic Community believe gathering merits is important as it has an influence on a person’s current life as well as their path to Enlightenment. These practices that can be seen as symbolic and cultural in nature.

This type of knowledge derives from cultural, and symbolic capitals and later it transforms into various other capitals such as economic, social, Informational etc.

Western style of research underpinned by western assumptions - Western Capitalist Perspective.

But this research will extend the focus of material as well as immaterial aspects to various capital creations including Karmic Capital.