Good Enough for Grandma

   Monday's class was all about ethics and how the IRB developed in the U.S. Ashley shared several examples with us of unethical studies done in the past that led to the development of a Review Board that would make sure things were being done in an ethical way. She gave us a list of concerns in research ethics - you want to minimize harm or risk to the subjects, you want your subjects to have both privacy and confidentiality, you want their consent in what you are doing and do not want to deceive them. The thing that stuck out the most to me was reciprocity. What will I be doing to give back to the people who will be helping me this summer? Ashley said she tells facilitators to look for people they would be comfortable sending to live with their own grandmother for three months. What kind of person would I send to live with my grandmother? They would have to be honest, decent, trustworthy, respectful, helpful, kind - the list goes on.
        This definitely gave me a new perspective on my host family and our relationship. They are going to be doing a lot for us BYU students - taking us into their homes and into the private moments of their lives, to a certain extent. And I really had not thought about what I can do to repay this. Of course we have talked a little about helping with dishes and helping clean up...but how do I avoid making the Thomases, and other people I meet and befriend, from feeling like they are just being used, a means to the end of completing my field project and my course contracts? I am going to have so many questions to ask, interviews to complete, and customs to observe and participate in, but I do not want to get into such a hurry to complete these tasks that I forget relationships and the feelings of the people around me. Ashley warned us to always be aware of how your actions and words affect other people. While some of my motivation in meeting people might be to get something from them, whether it be a contact, invitation, or interview, I can never let that be my sole motivation in getting to know people.
         In thinking about some of my relationships now and in the past, I can see that in many cases I am motivated because I want to get something from someone. Maybe this isn't awful all the time, but I can certainly do better on befriending people just for their sake, and not mine. This is something I can work on with roommates, ward members, professors, family. If I start working on it now, hopefully this summer it will be no problem to make friends with others out of genuine interest and regard. One way that we can give back to the communities in East London is by helping with Mama Yoyo's daycare. I am not sure what other opportunities there will be...in my own project I am completely willing to help out around the zoo, I just do not know if that help will be wanted or needed.