Information-seeking behavior and information providers in a K’iche’ Maya community

Abstract

The study investigated the information-seeking behavior and information provision practices among bilingual (Spanish and K’iche’) students and adults in a Maya town in highland Guatemala. The research combined participant observation ethnography (spanning a total of fifteen months from 2008-17) and interviews with current and retired teachers, Internet café founders and employees, the municipal librarian, students aged 10 and up as well as recent graduates and professionals. Ethnographic insights guided the identification of ‘information,’ the selection of study participants and the nature of questions they were asked. Although a rudimentary library in one form or another has been present since the early 1980s, employees of the library are not, and have never been the primary information providers in Nahualá. Rather, in the past teachers have played that role and many locally important and respected men continue to do so, while currently the employees of one Internet café in particular serve many of the functions characteristically served by librarians in the developed world.

Health information behavior of speakers of endangered languages

“…The basis for this methodology and the following hypotheses is a combination of Chatman’s findings on insiders and outsiders, small worlds, and information poverty, and the findings that geographically isolated communities tend to rely on inter-personal communication for information (Chakrabarti, 2001; Hunt and Shoaps, 2018; Islam and Ahmed, 2012; Mtega, 2012). Chatman’s theories point to socio-economic reasons that people are confined within their small worlds.…”

“…The length of time a researcher stays in the community is highly dependent upon the norms of the community and the community’s attitude towards outsiders. For example, Hunt and Shoaps (2018: 7) cite a 15-month period of fieldwork; Chatman (1991: 442) collected data for two years; Davies et al (2015) took slightly over two years to complete their project. The researcher’s participation demonstrates a genuine attempt to understand and aid the community, building a trusting partnership between the researcher and community members.…”

“…Hunt and Shoaps (2018) provide an example of an ethnographic methodology used to assess the use of ICT by the K’iche’ people, an indigenous population in Guatemala. The grounding in ethnography bolsters the interview process, yielding high-quality qualitative data.…”

“…Considering an individual’s repository of knowledge in the discussion of archives and IK documentation reflects the view of indigenous and SEL communities that information, especially as it relates to language and culture, is held within the community rather than externally. Reliance on inter-personal communication, especially with elders or community leaders, is identified as a characteristic of information-seeking behavior of those living in rural areas, often true of indigenous communities (Hunt and Shoaps, 2018; Islam and Ahmed, 2012; Momodu, 2002; Mtega, 2012).…”

“…In recent years, information professionals have turned more attention to indigenous populations, especially in the area of health information behavior (e.g. Aubert, 2013; Hunt and Shoaps, 2018; Morales and Zhou, 2015; Povey et al, 2016; Puzska et al, 2016; Reisinger and Ripat, 2014). Still, indigenous populations are severely underserved.…”