Namibia
Semi-nomadic Himba of northern Namibia
My field work in Namibia consisted of 2 months in the northern Koakoland traveling to various urban (with 25km of the region’s capital, Opuwo) and traditional (>100km from Opuwo) Himba villages.
INFORMED CONSENT/ASSENT
Before conducting research, as with any study, ethical approval was received for all aspects of the research. Prior to any data collection we held meetings with village leaders of both ethnic groups- provided explanation of the research projects and allowed for all questions - and requested permission to conduct the study. After receiving permission, the studies were then re-explained to each participant (only adults were tested) - again, allowing for any questions. In all cases, informed consent was obtained prior to any data collection. Those opting not to participate received the same compensation for their time as those that did.
media consent
We ask additional consent for any pictures taken - which included an explanation of where the pictures might be shown. Only pictures for which we received full informed consent were kept/are shown.
For a summary of the research project and findings, see Cross-Cultural Cognitive Flexibility.
This research was partially funded by the National Geographic Society.
