Thank you Peter for the interruption statement. Wishing all a very productive, peaceful and just 2024. rt Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 1, 2024, at 10:10 AM, Peter de Souza <[email protected]> wrote: Dear colleagues, I do not normally participate in debates that require domain knowledge but having read the mail of Dr Cristiana Bastos and the reply of Dr John de Figueiredo, I feel I must do so not on the data issues being discussed but on the tone and tenor of the statements made. Dr Bastos's mail was fair and reasonable. Dr Figueiredo's mail was immodest and provocative. There are five issues on which I wish to take issue with him. The first is with respect to his opening sentence, 'You obviously do not know the Goan culture well'. This raises a series of questions: Who is qualified to know Goan culture well? One who has studied it as part of professional training? One who carries a passport identifying him/her as Goan? One who has lived in Goa for some time? (How long, and at what stage of their cognitive development?) Or one who is Goan by birth? To any scholar on the epistemology of the social sciences, it is likely to be the first. So Dr Figueirado's 'obviously' is hence not so obvious. As one who has stated that Dr Bastos does not know 'Goan culture well', he has given himself the position of a superior understanding of Goa culture. This is purely a linguistic conclusion. He needs to offer a basis for this superior understanding. The second is the implication in the first sentence that there is a position, to be achieved, when one can say one understand's a culture well. Culture, as we know, is a dynamic thing, evolving with new meanings, infused with new interpretations, and imbued with multiple locations from which to comment. It is therefore relevant from which caste, class, community, geography one, therefore, speaks. Who can speak for Goan culture is thus an interesting question but one difficult to answer. The third is his statement that he debates only with people he respects. I would be grateful for the list for then I would know if he would reply to this response. The fourth is his dismissal of training in the protocols of social science research. This cannot be allowed to pass unless he is making the fundamental point, made by Edward Said among others, that such protocols are embedded in a Western episteme and hence not relevant to understanding a non-western society. Complex discussions on 'validity claims' take place in the philosophy of the social sciences and training programmes on research methods are a core part of study for a research degree. So it is unacceptable for Dr Figueiredo to dismiss training in the protocols of social science research as being irrelevant to the debate on validity claims. That is why we do not consider shamans as equivalent to trained psychiatrists. The fifth is his statement that he 'believes in data'. He would know that data does not exist by itself. It is framed by theory, and theory is constructed. So data is theory infected (to use a medical terminology) and must be recognised as such. Bastos has a theory of Empire. What is his? I hope this allows us to return to scholarly exchanges sans offence. Best, Peter.r On Mon, Jan 1, 2024 at 1:48 PM John de Figueiredo <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Dear Cristiana, You obviously do not know the Goan culture well. You say you heard I am a gentleman (and I thank you for the compliment). You should know that a Goan gentleman would never insult a lady. I said at the beginning that I only debate with people I respect. Let us stick to the issues. On some issues I agree with you. On other issues, I disagree. I footnoted and referenced all my notes. I carefully separated my opinions from data. On issues about which we disagree, I am convinced that the data are on my side. Whether I have had the training, or you have had the training, is irrelevant. I am a scientist and I believe in data. If the data are valid and reliable (and not just hearsay or political slogans), then hopefully we will both learn something and move forward. Regarding Dr. Froilano de Melo having proposed to Salazar the idea of a Lusophone confederation: As far as I know, even Menezes Bragança, courageous as he was, never put forward this idea. Therefore, I will only believe it if I see that confidential letter to Salazar referenced in an archive in Portugal. Otherwise the reader will be left with the impression that this was an attempt made by Freddy to “rehabilitate” his father in the light of the new political order. Incidentally, both Freddy and Victor were my friends (though much older than me). Victor was my older brothers’ colleague at MIT. Best wishes, John Sent from my iPhone -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. 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