It has long been recognised that the top-down, science-centred approach of development has failed to deliver its promises. The bottom-up participatory approach, advocated a couple of decades ago, has also not yielded the desired results. Indigenous Knowledge (IK) research forms one of the latest development models, which aims to address local needs more effectively.
This volume, a collection of papers presented at the ASA conference 2000, is an attempt by anthropologists to contribute to the debate and carve their own niche in the process. Two broad themes (and various other interrelated sub themes) provide the common thread to a richly diverse volume. Firstly, what is IK, and what forms does its relationship with science take? Secondly, what are the possible methodologies that can be used to foster meaningful dialogue between, and encourage the integration of, the different knowledge systems in the development process?
