INFORMED CONSENT IN CULTURALLY DIVERSE CONTEXTS:
WORKING IN AN ASHÁNINKA COMMUNITY IN PERU
Keywords:
Cultural diversity, Asháninka people, Informed consentAbstract
The matter of informed consent is a basic component of psychological research. Every psychologist should be well acquainted with its basic formats and procedures, and aware of its foundational principles of respect for the dignity, autonomy, and freedom of persons. However, there are instances in psychological practice when compliance with the established conventions of informed consent proves difficult, and thus it becomes necessary to develop alternate methods to guarantee that the basic underlying prin- ciples are observed. Based on our experience working with an indigenous Asháninka community in the Tamaya river basin, in the Ucayali region of Peru, this article reviews the basic assumptions of informed consent and contrasts them with the challenges that culturally diverse contexts pose for psychological research. The article presents a pathway to compliance with the requirements of informed consent when working within highly diverse cultural and social contexts, and critically discusses how the process of obtaining informed consent should proceed in such scenarios.
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