Dumpster diving: Mezi etikou a zákonem

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to reflect on the ethical dilemma of researchers who encounter illegal activity during their research, or of researchers who are particularly interested in this kind of activity. The inspiration comes from research that we are currently conducting on dumpster diving as a source of creativity. We interview people in the Pilsen Region who pursue this activity, or who used to do so. Although dumpster diving is becoming more popular, it is not legal. Waste remains tangible property and therefore always belongs to someone. For this reason, its appropriation is not in agreement with the law. According to the codes of ethics of various anthropological associations, the researcher should always be mindful of respecting the privacy and safety of the people the researcher is scientifically interested in. This could be a significant problem in cases where the anthropologist witnesses an illegal activity. Since the law is formally superior to an ethical code, the researcher should notify the police, especially if the activity in question is subject to the duty to report a crime. The question is how to cope with this “ethically important moment in research” (Guillemin and Gillam 2004, 262).

Keywords

• dumpster diving
• ethics
• food waste
• illegality
• law