Scholarly record

ARTS BASED RESEARCH, GIVING A VOICE TO THE VOICELESS

E. Emmers

Abstract

Due to the growth in qualitative research methods, there has also been an increase in artbased research that looks at concepts or phenomena. This paper reflects on arts-based research methods and how they contribute to give (vulnerable) groups recognition by focusing on shared storytelling. Arts-based methods often serve two main purposes: knowledge production and knowledge translation. We look at three different case studies of arts-based research methods to strive for social change. First case is a photovoice project with 10 students with a disability in higher education about the moments when they felt included or excluded. These images were then further analysed and reported in co-creation. The second case was an intervention study in which 80 students went away on a sports camp with people with a disability. To be able to capture the experiences of both participants before, during and after this intense week, in the most spontaneous way, a Babble Booth was used. This way they could anonymously tell their stories. The third case is a project in South Africa where a process evaluation took place on professional learning communities. Here we used a Story Basket to capture the stories of the participating teachers in their own mother tongue in order to really give a voice to their experiences. The results of these three case studies were very clear. You collect particularly rich data. So why should researchers use arts-based research methods to strive for social change? The added value of these research methods lies in the fact that participants are no longer participants, but become coresearchers. How should researchers use arts-based research methods to strive for social change? Always consider the objective of your research and the way in which you organize it, to co-create a way to display the results, so that they have a function to inform, raise awareness or confront. In conclusion, considering all the added value and limitations, we think it is very appropriate to focus more on this type of research in order to give the stories behind the found data more body and to empower the participants themselves as co-researchers.

Publication Impact Profile

No metrics available.

PLUMX see details

DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2019V/1.1/S01.001

Publication details

Back to publication list