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Biljana SikimiiSerbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsInstitute for Balkan Studies, BelgradeBilj ana. Sikimic@bi. sanu. ac.rs

HOW TO TALK ABOUT PLANTS: QUESTIONS OFMETHODOLOGY

ABSTRACT: This paper is a condensed version ol a longer study published in Serbian r.r,hichanalysed the hybrid status ol intervienr.s conducted in the n.runicipality of KnjaZevac duringtl.re Summer School of Serbian Folklore in July 20 13. The examples used lbr analysis are tiomtranscripts of conversations"vith four inlbmants who collect medicinal plants, professionally oras a hobby, in the Eastern Serbia. A questionnairc designed to elicit information on the function ofplants intangible heritage when intervieu in-u non-specialists (and not rvhen intervicuing cornpetentherbalists and healers) is presented in the appcndix to this paper.

Key Words: methodology of llcld rvorl

Biljana Sikimii

Academy of Sciences uro art, urj ffi:",i#:l,slltute ot tsalkan Studies at tlre Serbian

anlhropologl, anthronol,,^,, ^r f).r.r^--. r )rators rvhose primary fielcls are tinnri.r;,1

f:,ffi:i:XT{[:iJtJ,,fiI"3^*:: flcar exReriencer practicar experience orrhe;lT[#:::," $*:1.:,: ],:;,t.f :*: 1 dl il il,}!. ;i T: [],:-t:,fi,T :i l] :il:: : ilf : i ! ;lt3 ::: I :ll y :;i ,- il;, : I ; ffi ,JL# _T ffil" :a n th rop ot ogy., an rh rop o I o gv

"r r"r 1 i".. ,,"a,;.i;l:?JH::.r lds are linguistic

Field research of ethnobotany

only a very lilnited alroltnt of fielcl research crer.oted to studies o, fbrk knor,vredseolprryrhopha"rr :u,

rhc rorc 0,.,.,,, o,r, irr tra.ririorar...,r,,,r. n* bcerr corr.rtrcredr,,Serbia.Thi: is ore ol.the ,..oron, ,ni;; i;rs ciee idetl ro rrrke rh,!::ffi i"""i,:i: il i J?,: ll.;r*ir t, ilil,,ffi

ti * ":r;:.;.;,rff ih$ rNovi Sad and ilre Ho,rerard n;,;r;;;,;lnjazJr,ac.u ,,,lojii"r," the ge,erar missionii il i ,i : r,T;: : :ll :;illl:,: lr. ;: i:t ;1*1:

,; :,: :,:,,,.,.1.i

i.. p ",,., uu .,re. " t "and linguistic data as possible. much anthropological

r",il],"il?iifJr?.Hiilif:,HilllL:ere can be rbund itr pe,rrillr.teroeumo: (nr ouwith trre ,"r.".,,ii,ra"..o,,",,,1i];;."_,ff,::i::H:il;ff::,H":iln*i*iirvith herbarisrs, recorded during irr. ** n.ri rvo.k ,r lo,]?,rtioned aboi,e. Theconrersations were transcribecr i..rrori,,.ine idenritl-

"i:,,r. lr,..i"cLrrors ancr studentsare hidden bLrt the names of the Sumrn., s.t oor instructors are stated.."rr3r[;::,rr:;,i":, not co,er the comptete. recordecl materiar but on]y the pre_arrangeclti, e n graaL, a r y,;; j JTff

,;]i,,l,ili 1l,l,T ; Iiiil i;.:;: :l i::l*,i t "il,m,l thours in total, have been fulry nrrr..iu.j. atr tt. aata acor,..o 0,,.,r, this field r^,.ork(including numerous prrorograp.s) r;.;.;rrr:d i, trre ilffi;:;ir,.e of the lnstirurerbr Batkan Stuclies orirr. s..u,.;;;;;";l.Sciences

and Arts.

C, t,*.*rl,2ffiron,,:ilr,,,,nr(,\;-il;;1,;:,;il,;]];iIjJ;j] ,-il::l,rrrrru,,npn-r,xp11,urr,r0r:BrcrHrr,r,rll:ri.rrrrrrrrhCapoZnregai -Gulin Zrnic i,-"r"ri,illlirrr,..r\r1rl4iap 201.1; "t1161y1 2011 (in Ci rn. ,roi,i,=r";.;;;r,;:

Santek 2006; l3o \tber 1005). r" Li.oatian oI in translation:lbr Balkan til;il,;llrlrttl rre Atrrnrutilu s"rcskLr \larinkorri. N4ar4a Ilic" Setlana Cirkoic (lnsrirrrr.*, m* ::;*xi#,:1,i;11," t;:H: ff ;:, tx* H :jlx:: l;,lx i*i;il il:;Iil:t il:studlg^cs r,,

"*,ri"r",rt.iu)nographic

lield rescarch intu rrtcdre i.al n,.,, ,,, ,*r.1,* ll" ilrror",,no 10r0. r.his1,,11,

.11",r,.,"*;;o,;l,,","lJil;i:j;lllillll;l..il;.,:,,1 ,..1 ,":ii..;..:,:,l1,.fn,,,",,,n,,,-.,,,h.iic,rrrcsKu.tl6o3x 111111y,. rr rrtrsrrlrrr) r)ll \lil\lc tllttt,rhotlrnr l)r. rgq..1111. f...,,.r.rlr,,,,i)..,i;; ;:;." N,{ore detaiis aboLrt the Surut

liiril:lHi:J,"."Jy;IkTT: r,l#1,1::l::J:,IIJilll;fi::xlfili;ilii;lJfi]::;il::;llffiil;l:,p 111,,r- orr tlte risl,. (,1.d(.r.ontc\tItli/rliilt) Ir tl)c :Cr r,il(lir

111 r,r ,,rs sccor.ld.lr_],.usc ol_rluaiitatire cjata. st:e Berg 20011.

The c -,,be consid:. -:a popular .: ;:questions ,, - -elements c,- .:,

The S,-::education. r-:but it ua: ::conversatra: :the conver..:demonstrai:::were being :=:documents -:- ::ofthe nrate::,

In the;..:field rvork :..: -by an inte: , -domain). \. .transfbnr t::; -

Analr...useful in .r:.,,. , ,observatioi:. .:the purposemade durir:. ;.,interloctit..:.,-:work, inter. -,.do, becaLts. :-.Thisisuhr :.practicalh : :.:make all naari::

All th:.: :betweert tl:. .. .than in oi 1..: . -police intr: .:.:

also difler;: :

I fhc pro-.:knos ledg; .knou ieil_t:200(r. lit i -

I

i

: ..:r.rience ol the-- : r:r ntan1, of the,. l -: ill the Serbian; L1: rire lingLristic

m folk knowledgebeen conducted in

ence ofplants inmmer School ofrf Philosophy in

he general missionle knowledgeableh anthropological

nexoeumoz 6umat Serbian togethered conversationsrned above. Thelors and students

;f the pre-arrangedpresentations buts, lasting about 5E this fleld workre of the Institute

2013; llerponuhrr in translation:

rkovid (lnstituteq of Philology,

esxo 2010. This:rary belieftalesnatized by B. B.

te ofthe FacultyJora sr.html (in

I{O\V TO TALK ABOUT PLANTS: QUESTIONS OF N4ETHODOLOGY

Popular scientific lectures on plants

The conversations and interviews that took place during the Summer School may

be considered complex: on the one hand, the interlocutors had prepared ancl rehearsed

a popular science presentation. On the other hand, the specialized audience could ask

qr.iestions r.vhich were not given to the speakers before their presentations. so there were

elements of spontaneous. natural speech.The Summer School had a double goal to which all the participants agreed. [t was

educational inthe sense thatthe students u,,ere tobecome fan, iliarwith localphytopharmacy,

but it was also practical, i.e. they \\,ere to learn how to do field work, to conduct aconversation by themselves during the field work. The instructors also participated in

the conversations alongside tl.re students. Their position was rather colnplex: they were

demonstrating how to conduct this (Placeholderl)kind of conversation, but since they

were being recorded, they also had to bear in nTind that they needed to collect audio

documents on the chosen topics. The1. had to judge on the spot whether the archived form

of the material could have a pol,vtirnctional use.In the case ola specialized conversation about phytopharrnacy, the usual goal ofthe

field work researcher to elicit a narrative - trarrsfbrms ir.rto an intbrrr,ative descriptionby an interlocutor qualified to speak about phytophannacy or any other specializeddomain).sAs a result, the resealchers quesliolls need to be directed in such a way as to

transfbtm the inlbrmation into a narrati\ eAnalyses of the f-eatures ol inter\ ieu.s conducted fbr the mass media have proven

usefil in analysing the resr-rlts of the Folklore Summer School: these were importantobservations about the ways a questioll can be asked, regardless of whether this is fbr

the purpose of a public discussion on a radio or a television prograln. The mistakesmade dunng everyday speech are not as conspictlous as those made on the radio, rvhere

interlocutors tend to self--correct. tvl.uch makes the mistake all the more noticeable . In field

work. interlocutors do not selt--correct like the speakers in radio or television interviews

Biljana Sikimid

limited onry by the goodwilr and rhe abilities of rhe interrocutor.

,","fr:;;.il;nfiflJJ

"*,:l::::1i.io.,",

be in quesrion form A comment

ii;l,llJ[il:H:::i:[it;x,H[i1:i;::i::::"J#;:::l,TJr:l,"#ffi xdebare s i, "r..t,o,].,,. ai, rc [r;;J, ;;i J)T."*,:ii:::1 ffi Iffj: i;ilifll:independent journalist. who is .,.r..,.4-,"iJre a,criticar o. un ui*.nutive point of view.Athroporogists a.d ringuistshavi

" oirr.*r, iind ofapproaJ;l;;; r,rrtegy is ro createthe closest possibre contact witli the in,Jo.uro, r.l fo@rluauuouu zo,,o, who points outthe researchers stratesies and c,ra,un zoo+, :oog, ,116 ffi ,i,").in. *ur* in whichquestions are asked ii i*rnu,ionuffi.*r;

rr^:1.: u"."*r* uni,npo.,ur, topic tbr

"-Yiil""i1.l*lJi:;:f;:;,f;:touuu:ooq""r""i"i"i,.,,Serbialterm or about how to.ut ,pl..h ;;il; ;.."" approaches to ask about an authentic

1l-"]r::o colpus fion the Summer School. r,r,,tt qtttttions or pseudoquestions. In the

srrrce there u as orrlv orrused an idiorect.,,",,u,ll

*},o rpot. tl,il.ai.rH"uiXl",ffi.Tli;::il:Tfrtli::*?;to rhc standar.d langrrage r al.iery.

ripi, _\ It,. .

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TeveCzr

HOW TO TALK ABOUT pr_ANTS: eUESTTONS OF METHODOLOGY

Ilpeoro"rleH].1 I(oNIr{yHxKarflBlIElx 6cpbepoe". -flsatx KuK cpe()cmeo mpaltc.tatlyy Kr,.rbtn!p.Mocxea: Hayra: t32-154.I4eaHoeulr Eapuruuh Ma-rusa (yp.) (2012). Tepetrcra ,cmpo)ttu6drba. fktentttxcr cycpemo.Eeorpa4: Ernorpa$crcu r4Hcrr{ryr CAH:{llrHcrerrxo {Kono_In,ti). 14. B. r2Ol0). ..,rleraPcrBeHHbte pacteHil, a Hapo:uoil \te-I,iur.iHcy(paHHUeB [IoLrecrq (no no,ressrv lruorpa(ruuecorn, ,rnl.prutarr),,. Aclcr ringuisrica

p et rop o I i t an ct VI/ 1 . Cauxr_ ller ep6ypr: 200_2 I 3 .K"uuxouaq, lyrura (2009). .,I1pr.uo. nprrir.,noj alanu3Llx.nnep:aquje: .qncr{ypc mohr4 y,rexapcrojopttlHauuju" Tectpuict

Biljana Sikirnii

Ilpupoda u mpadtL4tjcxa Kytmypa (M. Crojauoerh. yp.). Kparyjerau

Angelova-Georgieva, Rossica (1986). ,,Methodologie des recl.rerches folkloriques sur le terrain:recherches en prdsence dun p ublic" . .)6opuux od XYXI xou:pec tta Coj.wom ua x)pv:xeuujamaua rfto-lxlopucmume Ha Jy:octaeuja. Cxonje: 219 254.

Berg, Harry ran den (2008). ,,Reanalyzing qualitative interviews fiom cliflerent angles: the riskof decontextualization and other problerns of sharing qualitative daI.a". Hi,storicol SocictlRes eorr:h 33 I 3 : 17 9-1 92.

Bo, Stefan /Veber, Florans (2005). Voclii kroz terensku onketlt. Beograd: Zat.odza udZbenike inastavna sredstva.

Boinjakovii, Zarko /Sikirric. Biljana (2013). Btmjevci. Etnodijulektoloika i.cttaiivanjo 2009.Novi Sad: Matica srpska - Subotica: Nacionalni savet bunjevadke nacionalne 6anjine.

Claynran.StevenE.(2010).,,Questionsinbroadcastjoumalism". Wh.ycloyouask?TheJiutctionofquestions in inslilutional discourse (A. Frecd, S. Ehrlich, eds.). New York: Orfbrd UniversitvPress:256 278.

Ba.i.

Calendar

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1.

8.

-l-lt. r , .

Plan. : -\irle _-\\al r, -Har -,.App :.Goirr--

Mak -\tarCapo Zmegad. Jasna /Gulin Zrnii. Valentina /Santek, Goran

poetiko i politika suyremenih teren.skih istr.ctiitonja.folklolistiku.

Cirkovii, Svetlana (2006). ,.Linguistic anthropology o1 enclaves: possibilities of transcriptanalysis". Symposicr. Journal -for Studies in Ethnologv and Anthropolcrgi,. Craiova: AIUS:J-r I J+5.

Cirkovii, Svetlana (2008a). ,,stvamost kosovske enklave: autopercepcija tradicionalnogsctvretnena kultura srbct na Kosovu i Metohiji (S. Nedeljkovic. ur.). Krusevac:147 18t.

Free d, Alice /Ehrich, Susan (eds.) (201 0). Wht do ,-ou ask? The.funcrion of qttestions in in.stittttionaldiscourse. New York: Oxlbrd Unir,.ersity press.

Hede5an, Otilija (2005). ,,Jedan teren Tresnjevica u dolini Morave". Bamaurtt ua Ea.txau.y.Ilderrmurnem emHLtqKe sajeduutle (8. crxuuuh, yp.). Bcorpag: Ba.lxauo:roruxn r{HCTUryrCAHY: 13-106.

Sokole"vicz, Zolia (1986).,,Metodoloika koncepcija ispitivanja u obliku dijaloga". 3doprttrx ot)XXXI xoutpec ua Lloiysom uu sdptttteutldma Ho (to:rxlropucmunte ua Jvzoctaeuia. Cxo;16:213 218.

Thornborrorv, Joanna (20 1 0). ,,Questions and institutionality in public participation broadcasting".llth.v do.vott aslr? TheJunction o/ questions in ittstittrtioncrl discotu-se (A. Freed, S. Ehrlich,eds.). Nelr,York: Oxfbrd University press: 279 296.

Pavle (2006). Enologija bliskoga.Zagreb: Institut za etnologiju i

ledenja".Baitinik:

L). (iotrr-r ilrc ,

10. Belie: , -slcn-l] -the 1r:- *

11. MakirGeorg

12. Brt t; .13. Ctt,:.-lz1. Rai:r: -I5. \ittt. - .-16. Gatlr- :17. Thc...-lE. Thc,.-.It). Ten.t - -"20. Bra,.: -21. Thc. --)2. -1h; .23. I ig

the ,: .iIllLl

2.1. Th; \.| _

25. T::

Agriculttt tr

118

I

HO\\r1Ol\LKA]lOUTPI-ANTS:QUESTIONSOFNI]:ITHODOLOGY

Appendix: Basic questionnaire for research on the function of plants in non-

material Christian heritage in Serbia

Calendar holidaYs

1. 1-he preparation olnteals llotr variotts seecls ot.t St. Barbaras Day.2,Planting.uvheatonSt.Nicholas,Daysothatit.urou,sbyChristnrasEvc.3.Yulelog:cuttingtheYtrlcloganclther,l,al.itisusedirrthehotrselrolcl.4 Walnuts on Chlistr.r.ras Elc.5. Hay at Clhristrnas time (and thc actions involvin-g llay)6. fpptes at Cl.rristmas tirre (ancl tl.re actions invoh ing an applc)1. Going out to the infertile tl:ee at Christnlas tirne8. Making the ktletlttr fParticipation in Christmas processiotr] sticl< fbr the Neri

Year.g. Going out into the Vine,vard otr St. Trvphons Day (and the actions rrith the

vine).-l0.

Belief tales about the old \\roll]all Marta ancl the first grass. Belicf tales aboul a

step-motl.rer or a trother in lau r.vho scnds a gill to Llring her the frrst flo"ver or

the first fi-uit.Making u,reaths and pickillg hcrbs otr St Gcorges DaY or orl thc Eve o1 St

Georges Dav.Brotherhoocl and sisterhood (u,hat hind ot r\reath is rlade and rvhete)

Crosses made of clogri ood/haze I on arable land

Raising the Ma-v Pole (\qvodina).Vitus grass on Sailrt Vittrs Da).

Gathering grass ancl blaicling urcaths on St John the Baplists Day

The r-rse olrr,il1orr cltl Lazartts Saturday

Tlte Ltse olgrass lll I-rrstcl tillle.Tenclirrg graves on the first Easter Molldal"

Braidirft rvreatlis olgrass at Pentecost The ttse of the linden brarrch

Thc decoratio n of a dOcloltL IParticipatior-r ir-r Rain-invoking RitLral] uith plants

The sanctifi catiotl o1 Ilhcat.

t-ightrng fires atrcl lr.ral

Biljana Sikirnii

Double ears (two ears on one stalk, dor-rble fiuits).The last sheaf in the field 6prdotr,:,,rrua7.Thrcshing grains: rhe d

lru its a1i

".r. i"oi., r1::lli:":#r.i". Tf;o*,,, ware rmer on e,cAe tions irrr olr ing Iin:eed u,,jh.,.,,p. - I ."H

Grape picking.

Life Cycle

1 Plant foods which are fbrbidden fur pregnant and nursing women. Food wrricrrpregnant and nursing \ onlen ntust eal.2 ,:::,i.*r"nility:

plants "aa"a

to iooJ. ptants used to protect the new-born baby3 Braiding weddingwreaths. other prants during weddings (rosernary). The appre. throwing custom. Making tt

" wejJ*g t.e".

! Plants used to protect the newlyweaciuple.S Throraing whear w.hire ,rr. JJ."rr"Jis carried our. Frowers wr.earh ror rhedeceased Sorving ry1i1 "i-r

tr-r.;;;;;i" young prumb tree).6. Cult trees lzcr1t1.s, trees planted on uroancrng rn a circle. aves frees struck by lightning l. lilLrs

2.

J.

4.

5.

6.

7.

{

Translated byBorislava Erako,,.ii

Copy editorAlison Kapor

120

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