Participation and research: reading from inside an unfamiliar society — reading journey
Zava’s participation and Jonathan’s skepticism create different relationships between knowledge and the society being examined.
Spoiler-light introduction. This complements the source books and does not reproduce their text.
Emily Reed And The Humans
When the alien Zava discovers a planet inhabited by intelligent life, she chooses an unconventional research method: living among its people. Her investigation of human society becomes an adventure in observation, participation, and unexpected experience.
Plan your readingThe Designer
The artificial intelligence Father safeguards human embryos and prepares Takali for settlement. Generations later, Jonathan, a student librarian skeptical of the Church of Father, finds himself drawn into political and religious affairs involving the intelligence behind his civilization.
Plan your readingQuestions for your reading
- How does asking questions from inside a society differ from deciding to enter it?
- What kinds of assumptions would you want to track without deciding in advance whether a character is correct?
Participation and research: reading from inside an unfamiliar society