Fourteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

I analyse select methods of research in the fields of religious studies and anthropology. These will be: covert and open participant observation by both full participation in ongoing activities and passive observation; open and semi-structured in-depth interviews using closed and open-ended questions; focus groups; qualitative and quantitative analysis; cognitive analysis. We also address the matter of ethics, political correctness and diplomacy, and the issues of gender during the cooperation with people from divergent cultures. All research methods are supported by practical examples from my field research among shamans, healers-diviners and spiritual leaders in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia.